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Published by Reuters By Luc Cohen and Karen Freifeld (Reuters) – A New York judge on Monday held former President Donald Trump in contempt of court for not producing documents subpoenaed in the state attorney general’s civil probe of his business practices, and ordered Trump to be fined $10,000 per day until he complies. Trump lost a bid to quash a subpoena from state Attorney General Letitia James, then failed to produce all the documents by a court-ordered March 3 deadline, later extended to March 31 at his lawyers’ request. Justice Arthur Engoron ruled that a contempt finding was appropriate because of what the judge called “repeated failures” to hand over materials and that it was not clear Trump had conducted a complete search for responsive documents. “Mr. Trump … I know you take your business seriously, and I take mine seriously. I hereby hold you in civil contempt,” the judge said, although Trump himself was not in the courtroom. James is investigating whether the Trump Organization, the former president’s New York City-based family company, misstated the values of its real estate properties to obtain favorable loans and tax deductions. James has said her probe had found “significant evidence” suggesting that for more than a decade the company’s financial statements “relied on misleading asset valuations and other misrepresentations to secure economic benefits.” The attorney general has questioned how the Trump Organization valued the Trump brand, as well as properties including golf clubs in New York and Scotland and Trump’s own penthouse apartment in Midtown Manhattan’s Trump Tower. Alina Habba, a lawyer for Trump and the company, said at the hearing that James’ investigation was a “fishing expedition” and that the Trump Organization was “right on schedule” with its production of documents. “This is a political crusade,” Habba said. “The attorney general’s investigation has seemingly become aimless.” Trump, a Republican, denies wrongdoing and has called the investigation politically motivated. James is a Democrat. (Reporting by Luc Cohen and Karen Freifeld; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Howard Goller) View the full article

Published by DPA Robert Boudier (l) and Elmar Koeller, who own a winery in the German state of Rhineland-Palatine, have submitted two of their wines for the Queer Wine campaign that seeks to highlight diversity in the industry. Uwe Anspach/dpa The world of wine has moved beyond binary thinking – just think about all those shades of rosé out there. But viticulturists in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate have also called on all the non-binary people in the industry and all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex vintners to each send in two wines, for a selection of two “Queer Wines.” Those joining the campaign include Robert Boudier and his husband Elmar Koeller of Stetten in the Donnersberg district, where vineyards reach as far as the eye can see. It’s the place where two regions meet: the Palatinate and Rheinhessen and locals embrace the diverse traditions. Elmar Koeller and his husband both have different professional backgrounds but they bought a historic winery 11 years ago. Koeller points out that they are not bound to tradition and don’t rely on the winery directly for their survival. When they first moved to the small village, it took a little while for people to get used to them, says Koeller. “I didn’t come into the world as a missionary – but I do go by the principle that I’ll show people who and what I am.” The couple are now hoisting the rainbow flag in the village to show their support for diverse ways of living and their desire for peace. They also like to show off their winery’s pink tractor, which has become their personal trademark, says Koeller. He says he perfectly fits gay male stereotypes as he doesn’t even drive the tractor, and laughs. The couple submitted a wine named Rosa Traktor, which translates as “Pink Tractor,” in response for the call for wines to be considered for the state Family Ministry’s selection. It’s a rosé, a cuvée of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The other wine they put forward for consideration is a Sauvignon Blanc. Not everyone embraced the QueerWein initiative right away. Referring to the catastrophic floods that hit the region last summer causing deadly destruction, former federal agricultural minister Julia Klöckner seemed to pour cold water on the campaign. “Our vintners in the Ahr region have wholly different concerns,” conservative Klöckner told dpa. After all, in the Ahr region, people’s cellars were completely washed away by the floods, whole harvests lost. While the queer scene has legitimate concerns, she says, the QueerWein campaign was not addressing the most pressing issues right now. State representatives beg to differ. The campaign can raise awareness of the diversity of the region’s vintners, says David Profit, a lawmaker who represents the concerns of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, trans, intersex and queer people. “Today, diverse lifestyles are of course also part of the wine world, but currently they are not very visible,” says Profit. “The new QueerWein Rhineland-Palatinate campaign can make this diversity more visible in the state.” Profit wants to select two wines from all those submitted and host a tasting with wine experts, and then present the Queer Wines to the public. The family ministry is planning to purchase them and offer them on special occasions, as well as sending them around the nation. A further lawmaker has joined the campaign from the state viticulture ministry. “With the diversity of its grape varieties and flavours, wine also shapes the country’s culture and attitude to life,” says state secretary Andy Becht. Wine contributes to the country’s special welcoming culture and hospitality, he adds. “Values such as respect, freedom, acceptance and good and understanding togetherness need to be emphasized all the more again these days – and absolutely through unconventional approaches.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Adelehas “fired” her entire creative team and is starting from scratch in a last-ditch effort to save her Las Vegas residency after surprisingly pulling the plug in the eleventh hour. The set designer the Rolling In The Deep singer reportedly clashed with, Esmeralda Devlin, is gone too. Mega All signs seem to indicate that the residency may happen sooner than later. Adele already hired a brand-new team. This time, she’s making sure nothing goes awry. According to reports, Adele is bringing in the big guns by replacing her old team with the boy band Take That’s creative experts. Devlin — who designed Adele’s sets for her 121-date tour in 2016 — will be replaced by Kim Gavin and Stufish. Both have lucrative careers in the music industry. Mega Kim has been the artistic director on every show for Take That since 1992. Stufish are the production designers in charge of the Rolling Stones’ 60th-anniversary tour. They will work together to “develop a new show as everything from the Es show has been scrapped.” On January 20, Adele tearfully told her fans that she was canceling her show, which was set to begin the next day at Caesars Palace. The Grammy winner cried COVID, claiming most of her crew contracted the virus and it was “impossible to finish the show.” But Radar learned there was way more drama behind her decision. Mega Rumors are swirling that her crumbling relationship with Rich Paul didn’t help the matter. According to someone connect with Caesars, Adele couldn’t get through a rehearsal without having a breakdown on the phone with her boyfriend. “Adele’s been crying and couldn’t get through a single full rehearsal for the past month,” an insider told Page Six. “Just constantly on the phone with Rich … loudly shouting and sobbing.” The singer’s diva-like demands were almost impossible to reach from the get-go. Not only did she make last-minute changes to the show’s lineup, but she reportedly clashed with Devlin. Sources claim Adele and her team were a “total nightmare,” demanding impossible things last minute. Mega While fans are anxiously waiting for Adele to reschedule her dates, her relationship with Rich is the thing making headlines. She sparked possible engagement rumors when she walked the Brit Awards in February with a massive diamond on that finger. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega More information has come to light regarding Bill Murray‘s alleged “inappropriate behavior” on the set of Being Mortal. Sources claimed the famous Ghostbusters actor was getting a little too “touchy” with women on the set. Mega The film production for Aziz Ansari‘s directorial debut — which is set to star the Parks and Rec actor along with Murray and Pineapple Express‘s Seth Rogan — was put on hold after complaints about the elderly comedian’s alleged behavior on set. An investigation into the complaints was started and sources connected to the movie set are starting to talk. A source spoke with The Post and claimed Murray, “was very hands-on touchy, not in any personal areas, but put an arm around a woman, touched her hair, pulled her ponytail — but always in a comedic way.” “It is a fine line, and everybody loves Bill, but while his conduct is not illegal, some women felt uncomfortable, and he crossed a line,” they added. Bill Murray Under Investigation For ‘Inappropriate Behavior’ After ‘Being Mortal’ Shutdown Another source alleged the single 71-year-old actor “loves women and loves to flirt, he enjoys poetry and romance,” they continued, “he’s always flirting, but it is always couched in comedy. It isn’t clear if he crossed a line.” Mega This apparently isn’t the first time the Groundhog Day‘s star has dealt with complaints about his supposed actions on set. Richard Dreyfuss‘s son spoke about Disney supposedly having to hire bodyguards to protect the cast and crew on the set of What About Bob where Murray played an overbearing patient to a Dreyfuss as his therapist. 35-year-old Ben Dreyfuss posted a tweet where he claimed that Murray “had a meltdown … because he wanted an extra day off.” He went on to accuse Murray of ripping the glasses off of the film’s producer Laura Ziskin‘s face. “My dad complained about his behavior and Bill Murray threw an ashtray at him,” Ben continued, “Everyone walked off the production and flew back to LA and it only resumed after Disney hired some bodyguards to physically separate my dad and Bill Murray in between takes.” Mega Murray’s lawyers have yet to respond to the claims made against the actor. The investigation into the elderly actor’s actions on the set of Being Mortal is still underway with Searchlight declining to respond as well. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Misha Collins has come out as bisexual. The 47-year-old actor – who is known for his role as angel Castiel on the CW drama series ‘Supernatural’ – made an appearance at Creation Entertainment’s Supernatural Official Convention on Saturday (24.04.22) where he revealed his sexual orientation to the audience. Speaking in a video shared on Twitter, he said: “How many of you would consider yourself introverts? And how many bisexuals? I’m all three.” However, while former ‘Roadfood’ presenter – who has been married to Victoria Vantoch since 2001 and has son West , 11, and nine-year-old daughter Maison Marie with her – was met with applause upon the announcement, he didn’t elaborate much further and simply joked that it would have been “weird” if he had just asked the audience his last question without the other two. He added: “See, it would have been weird if I just said: ‘By a show of hands, how many bisexuals are in the audience?’ But I’d rather do it as a questionnaire, that’s more socially acceptable.” Misha – whose ‘Supernatural’ came out as gay moments before he died in the show’s final season back in 2020 – noted at the time that he was “really happy” with how his long-running character came to an end. He said: “I think Castiel’s ending on the show is really just what I would have wanted. I knew the ending that he was going to meet with for about a year, and I was really happy about it. And I’m still happy about it. “I’m really curious to see how the audience responds to the end for Cas. But it feels important. It feels like it makes his arc on the show meaningful, not just in terms of the mythology of the show, but in terms of a message for the greater world and our particular moment in history. I’m very happy with it.” View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA Happy Birthday Kelly Clarkson! The blonde beauty is turning the big 4-0! And to celebrate, OK! is looking back at all of her great and no-so-great moments over the past year. KELLY CLARKSON ‘CAN’T WAIT TO CUT LOOSE’ DURING 40TH BIRTHDAY FESTIVITIES: SHE’S ‘THRILLED’ NIGHTMARE WITH EX BRANDON BLACKSTOCK IS ‘WINDING DOWN’ From her tumultuous divorce with ex Brandon Blackstock to name changes and career moves, the American Idol alum hasn’t had a dull moment over the past 12 months. Scroll through the gallery below to see all of Kelly Clarkson’s ups and downs over the past year as she turns 40: Career Win: Big Things For ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ MEGA Last year, Clarkson started off year 39 with a bang after it was announced in May that her talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, was chosen to take over Ellen DeGeneres‘ time slot for her long-running show, which is coming to an end in Fall 2022. As OK! reported, Valari Staab, the president of NBCUniversal Local, confirmed the news at the time while gushing over Clarkson’s booming show. “By 2022, The Kelly Clarkson Show will be the star of our daytime entertainment schedules and an asset to our early afternoon newscasts,” Staab stated. Divorce Win: Thank Goodness For A Prenup! MEGA Just a few months later, Clarkson received some more good news after finding out her prenup with Blackstock was validated by the judge in the midst of their messy divorce. The powerhouse vocalist first filed for divorce from her estranged ex in 2020, citing “irreconcilable differences” before the pair took it to court to hash out all of the details. While filming The Voice in August 2021, Clarkson reportedly let out “a scream” over the news that she would be able to keep all of her own earnings, as OK! learned. Personal Win: Single And Ready To Mingle! MEGA In September 2021, it was revealed that the judge in her divorce case officially terminated the pair’s marital status, which was actually effective starting August 3 of that year. Despite being declared a single woman, the talk show host was hit with a hefty spousal support order of $150,000 a month and $45,601 per month in child support for the couple’s two children: River Rose, 7, and Remington, 6. Divorce Win: A Settlement Is Finally Reached! MEGA After Clarkson and Blackstock spent the next few months trying to sort out the details of their divorce settlement — including the ownership of their Montana Ranch, which was one of the main points of interest during their months-long battle — they finally reached a deal in March 2022, with the songwriter being awarded primary custody of their kids. (The “Because Of You” singer ended up agreeing to hand over 5.12% of the Montana property, which equals a whopping $908,8000 of the total $17 million value.) ELLEN DEGENERES SELLING OFF SPARE $13.9 MILLION MONTECITO HOME — TOUR THE EXTRA PROPERTY THAT THE TALK SHOW HOST & WIFE PORTIA DE ROSSI PURCHASED: PHOTOS Despite Blackstock’s attempts to contest the judge’s decision over the prenuptial agreement, it was ultimately upheld, with Clarkson only having to fork over cash for the previously established spousal and child support payments. Personal Win: Meet The New Kelly! MEGA On March 28, a California judge officially granted Clarkson’s request to legally change her name to Kelly Brianne, as OK! reported. In her request filed in February, Clarkson argued: “My new name more fully reflects who I am,” while requesting in her petition to officially go by just her first and middle name. She addressed the petition during the L.A. premiere of her new show, American Song Contest, one week before her name was legally changed, where she assured fans she will still publicly be known by her household name. “I just kept my middle name for my personal life,” Clarkson explained at the time. “I’m still Kelly Clarkson.” View the full article

Published by Al-Araby Egypt has banned the new Marvel film ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ from cinemas because it features an openly gay character, a source from Egypt’s censorship authority has told The New Arab’s Arabic-language sister site. IMAX Egypt announced Saturday that the film would not be released in the country, but did not say why. The film was banned because of the presence of the openly homosexual character America Chavez, the anonymous source told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. Gay Egyptians spoke of their disappointment at the move, but insisted they will find ways to watch the film anyway. Doc… Read More View the full article

One of these five queens got lucky in Vegas on last night’s RuPaul’s Drag Race finale.It almost feels appropriate that the most lackadaisically paced season of RuPaul’s Drag Race should end with such an insignificant finale. That’s no reflection on this season’s deserving winner, nor is it a comment on the caliber of their performances. After spending seven weeks in which Ru couldn’t bear to part with these queens, three of the most beloved performers the audience were most invested in were unceremoniously chopped! I guess even she was ready to get Ru-thless. But first, Michelle gives Mama Ru the key to the city, we get a preview performance of the RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! Vegas show, which you may recognize from 1.7 million unskippable commercials on WOW Presents+. Lala Ri returns looking fresh as hell and presents this year’s Miss Congeniality to … Kornbread! Of all the previously eliminated queens, Kornbread looks the best in a lewk that’s both Beauty and Beast. (Kerri Colby also stopped the show serving a Marvel- (and meme)-inspired “Tranos” look.) The majority of the evening is dedicated to each of the final five’s finale performances. These were uniformly mediocre original tracks to which the ladies lip synced. (None even approached Kim Chi’s banger, “Fat Fem and Asian.”) Each queen gets a little A/V (audio visual) support from the large screens and a little A/V (ass and VPL) support from the sexy dancers they keep chained up in Carson’s basement between Rusicals. (I’ll get into my thoughts on each performance in the rankings below.) There’s an adorable little package before each performance that showcases the queen’s personality and journey to this point. After the song, they chat with Ru, their parents/drag mothers in the audience, their boyfriends, etc. There’s just not a lot of meat on this bone. That’s why it’s so jarring to see Ru suddenly eliminate more than half this year’s finalists, keeping only Camden and Willow. Was this based on their entire run on the show, or this one performance? It all seems very arbitrary. If it’s based on tonight’s performance, how much direct input and artistic vision were they able to even contribute? If it’s based on their season-long arc, and basically the decision was made regardless of anything we saw in this episode … why bring five to the finale in the first place? Willow Pill proves four heads are better than one at the RuPaul’s Drag Race season 14 finale. Americas Next Drag Superstar At least Ru’s choice isn’t that controversial. Willow and Camden deserve to be top 2. The final gauntlet is a lip-sync battle to Cher’s version of “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” from Mama Mia 2 Here We Go Again. It’s basically an EMP of Big Gay Energy. Of course, both queens do an admirable job, but it’s hard for it not to feel like the Willow show. By now, everyone knows you don’t come to the finale to lip sync without a reveal or stunt of some kind. I’m not saying I like it that way, but that is the world we are living in now, Ru-gardless. Willow has the audience’s interest piqued right from the start, wearing a pink, striped, oversized suit with comically long arms that’s part Beetlejuice, part twisted Teddy Bear creature she crafted earlier in the season. Immediately, it’s clear something is up. She works the awkward jacket for the beginning of the song, only to doff it and reveal a comically oversized pair of pants pulled up nearly to her chin. Brilliant! Eventually, she loses that as well, until she’s in a bodysuit that allows her to really bust a move. She ends the whole thing by somersaulting down the runway, landing physically just ahead of Camden. 10/10. Camden, of course, is no slouch up there. We know she’s a dahncer, dahling, and dahnce she does. It’s obviously very skilled, but it’s not particularly thrilling. She also packs a reveal, but it’s such a direct callback to her Freddie Mercury runway fall, it feels too much like retread. The eventual reveal into a fiery bodysuit with red wig is … fine, but doesn’t feel like it’s telling as strong of a story. At the end of the day, Ru awards the crown to Willow, a queen she’s openly adored from the beginning. I don’t think a lot of folks will have any problem with this season’s outcome, but it’s how we got here that’s left a lot of room for improvement. Before we wrap another season (and just a few short weeks before another season of All Stars kicks off), let’s rank our final five based on last night’s performances. I’d love to hear your thoughts on last night’s finale and the final performances in the comments below. Angeria had nothing to be ashamed of last night. She looked amazing in every outfit of the evening, and her performance of “Track Record” was pure, energetic joy from start to finish. It may have lacked the ambition or artistic vision of the others, but it still felt genuine. By now, she’s done everything she’s needed to keep herself booked and blessed well into the foreseeable future.What are your final thoughts on this season? Catch up on our RuPaul’s Drag Race coverage. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency; Image Press Agency / MEGA Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger are under scrutiny for cheering on former mayor of New York City Rudy Giulianiafter he unveiled himself on The Masked Singer. The previously taped segment, which finally aired on Wednesday’s episode, showed Giuliani popping out of a jack-in-the-box while performing a rendition of Bad to the Bone. “This is definitely something I never would have guessed,” panelist Robin Thicke said in shock. McCarthy and Scherzinger enthusiastically got out of their seats to dance and sing the lyrics while Ken Jeong stormed off stage in protest, stating, “I’m done.” Rudy Giuliani.Michael Becker – FOX “I hope the world doesn’t soon forget @NicoleScherzy and @JennyMcCarthy being hype girls for the beyond disgraced Rudy Giuliani,” one naysayer tweeted after the viral moment aired. “@kenjeong had the only rational and reasonable response to this. Shame on @MaskedSingerFOX for giving Giuliani a platform.” “I can’t with those two women anymore. Shame on them. Shame on the show,” another viewer griped, while a third social media user who witnessed the awkward moment added, “Much respect for Dr. Ken Jeung. Not surprised at Jenny and Nicole; disappointed with Robin Thicke and the entire #TheMaskedSinger management.” Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger.Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency; Image Press Agency / MEGA Meanwhile, others defended McCarthy and Scherzinger for still “staying professional after the reveal and carrying the show.” Another agreed, writing, “I’m glad Nicole, Jenny and Nick had the decency to be polite to Rudy Giuliani.” “Ken was super upset and indeed stormed out,” an insider previously told PEOPLE. “Robin actually followed him because he and Ken are very close friends, and he wanted to check on him. Robin didn’t storm out because of Giuliani.” Giuliani later told host Nick Cannon why he joined The Masked Singer this season. “I just had a granddaughter, Grace, and I want her to know that you should try everything, even the things that are completely unlike you and unlikely — and I can’t think of anything more unlike me and unlikely than this,” he shared. Ken Jeong. Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency Giuliani, who was a lawyer for President Donald Trump, was recently subpoenaed in January by the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot for pushing “unsupported theories about election fraud” and efforts to “overturn the election results.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Congressman Kevin McCarthy, the top Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, came under fire from some of his fellow party members, after an audio recording showed him saying that then-President Donald Trump should resign over the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. The comments, which McCarthy had denied hours before the recording emerged, could undermine his widely known ambition to become House speaker next year if Republicans take control of the chamber in November’s midterm elections, as expected. But as criticism of the House minority leader mounted on Twitter, the Washington Post reported that he and Trump had spoken by phone and that the Republican former president was not upset about McCarthy’s remarks. That could significantly mute the rank-and-file reaction among Trump supporters. The audio – recorded days after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, delaying certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory – depicts a conversation between McCarthy and Representative Liz Cheney, who was ousted from party leadership weeks later over her opposition to Trump. McCarthy told Cheney he planned to call Trump to discuss a mechanism for invoking the 25th Amendment, under which then-Vice President Mike Pence and Cabinet members could have removed the president from office. “The only discussion I would have with him is that I think this will pass, and it would be my recommendation you should resign,” McCarthy says in the recording, released on cable news channel MSNBC late on Thursday. In another audio tape, McCarthy told Republican lawmakers that Trump had admitted bearing some responsibility for the Jan. 6 attack, according to CNN. McCarthy’s office did not respond to requests for comment on Friday. A Trump spokesman also was not immediately available. Biden referenced the audio in remarks on Friday, saying the Republicans were “a MAGA party now,” referring to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. Republicans who oppose Trump privately are scared to do so publicly, he said. The first reference to McCarthy’s comments appeared on Thursday in a New York Times article published as part of a forthcoming book by two Times reporters. The newspaper also reported that McCarthy told other Republican leaders he wished big tech companies would strip social media accounts from party lawmakers who supported Trump’s false claims of a rigged 2020 election. McCarthy initially denied the Times account in a statement that called the reporting “totally false and wrong.” U.S. Representative Adam Kinzinger, one of the few Republican politicians openly critical of Trump, blasted McCarthy on Twitter on Thursday night over his denial. “Question for Kevin McCarthy … how can you honestly feel ok with the lies? Yes, other people lie too, but you have claimed to fight for a higher purpose,” Kinzinger asked. “Honestly Kevin, is it worth it?” McCarthy, who has also faced criticism from hard-line conservatives within his caucus, publicly zigzagged on Trump’s culpability for the Jan. 6 riot by first saying the former president bore some responsibility for the violence – but finally visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort home in Florida and posed for a photograph with him. McCarthy’s political fate will depend largely on Trump, who remains the most powerful figure in the Republican Party more than a year after he left office. The Post cited two unnamed sources as saying that McCarthy and Trump spoke on Thursday night and that the former president was glad the Republican leader did not follow through with his plan to ask him to resign, seeing it as a sign of his continued grip on the Republican Party. (Reporting by David Morgan in Washington, Additional reporting by Alexandra Ulmer in San FranciscoEditing by Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis and Matthew Lewis) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English ‘E.T.’ was inspired by the divorce of Steven Spielberg’s parents. The 75-year-old director was at the helm of the 1982 sci-fi fantasy film – which told the story of a boy and his siblings who befriend an extraterrestrial dubbed E.T who has been left behind on Earth – and claimed that the end scene made him think of his parents Arnold and Leah, who divorced in 1966, and had been working on a script about it when he decided to make it into a story about children. He said: “What if that little creature never went back to the ship? What if the creature was part of a foreign-exchange program? What if I turn my story about divorce into a story about children, a family, trying to fill the great need and creating such responsibility?” The veteran director – who was married to actress Amy Irving from 1985 until 1989 and has son Max with her but is currently married to Kate Capshaw and has Mikaela, 26, with her – went on to explain that divorce creates “great responsibility” and was inspired to use his experiences of divorce with his siblings Anne, Sue and Nancy in the script for his multi-Academy Award winning film. Speaking at at a special 40th anniversary celebration during the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival’s opening night, he said: “”A divorce creates great responsibility, especially if you have siblings; we all take care of each other What if Elliott, or the kid – I hadn’t dreamed up his name yet – needed to, for the first time in his life, become responsible for a life form to fill the gap in his heart? I had been working on an actual literal script about my parents’ separation and divorce and I had been working on ideas about that and what it did to my sisters and myself.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Maria Starkov KYIV/MARIUPOL, Ukraine (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned that Russia’s invasion of his country was just the beginning and that Moscow has designs on capturing other countries, after a Russian general said it wants full control over southern Ukraine. “All the nations that, like us, believe in the victory of life over death must fight with us. They must help us, because we are the first in line. And who will come next?” Zelenskiy said in a video address late on Friday. Rustam Minnekayev, deputy commander of Russia’s central military district, was quoted by Russian state news agencies as saying full control over southern Ukraine would give it access to Transnistria, a breakaway Russian-occupied part of Moldova in the west. That would cut off Ukraine’s entire coastline and mean Russian forces pushing hundreds of miles west beyond current lines, past the major Ukrainian coastal cities of Mykolaiv and Odesa. The statement was one of the most detailed about Moscow’s ambitions in Ukraine and suggests Russia does not plan to wind down its offensive there anytime soon. On Twitter, Ukraine’s defence ministry said Minnekayev’s comments showed Russia was no longer hiding its intentions. Moscow, it said, had now “acknowledged that the goal of the ‘second phase’ of the war is not victory over the mythical Nazis, but simply the occupation of eastern and southern Ukraine. Imperialism as it is.” Russia says it is conducting a “special military operation” to demilitarise Ukraine and liberate its population from dangerous nationalists. Ukraine and its Western allies call Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion an unjustified war of aggression. Moldova’s foreign ministry said it had summoned Moscow’s ambassador on Friday to express “deep concern” about the general’s comments. Moldova was neutral, it said. Moldova last month applied to join the European Union, charting a pro-Western course hastened by Russia’s invasion. U.S. State Department spokesperson Jalina Porter said Washington firmly supported Moldova’s sovereignty. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment when asked if Russia had expanded the goals of its operation and how Moscow saw the political future of southern Ukraine. As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Washington, Zelenskiy said allies were finally delivering the weapons Kyiv had asked for. President Joe Biden said on Thursday he had authorized a further $800 million in military aid for Ukraine, including heavy artillery, ammunition and drones. Canada said on Friday it had provided more heavy artillery to Ukraine. A senior EU official said the next couple of weeks would likely be decisive. “We are likely to see a very significant increase in the intensity of Russian military attacks in the east (and on) the coast,” he told reporters. Ukraine’s military said Russian forces had increased attacks along the frontline in the east and were attempting an offensive in the Kharkiv region, north of their main target, the Donbas. Ukrainian military commands in the south and east said they had repelled 11 Russian attacks, killing up to 130 soldiers while destroying 12 tanks and 27 other armoured vehicles, details Reuters could not independently confirm. Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had captured a large arms depot in the Kharkiv region. It also reported hitting dozens of targets in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions on Friday. Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Russia’s Chechnya region who has often described himself as Putin’s “foot soldier”, wrote on his official Telegram account late on Friday that Chechnya was deploying hundreds of additional volunteers to fight for Russia in Ukraine. WAR CRIMES In Geneva, the United Nations human rights office said there was growing evidence of Russian war crimes, including indiscriminate shelling and summary executions. It said Ukraine also appeared to have used weapons with indiscriminate effects. Russia denies targeting civilians and says, without evidence, that signs of atrocities committed by its soldiers were faked. Ukraine has previously said it will punish any soldiers found to have committed war crimes. Russia said it had “securely blockaded” thousands of Ukrainian troops holed up in a huge steel works in Mariupol, the main port of the Donbas, a day after President Vladimir Putin said the army would not bother rooting them out. Putin declared victory in the city after a nearly two-month siege. In a Russian-held section of Mariupol, dazed-looking residents ventured out this week to a background of charred apartment blocks and wrecked cars. Volunteers in white hazmat suits and masks roved the ruins, collecting bodies from apartments and loading them on to a truck marked with the letter “Z”, symbol of Russia’s invasion. Ukraine estimates tens of thousands of civilians have died in Russia’s siege of the city and says 100,000 civilians are still there and need full evacuation. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk on Friday said “there is a possibility” a humanitarian corridor out of Mariupol could be opened up on Saturday. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will visit Moscow on Tuesday to meet Putin and discuss urgently bringing peace to Ukraine, a spokesperson said, adding that Guterres will then head to Kyiv for talks with Zelenskiy. (Reporting by Maria Starkova in Lviv and other Reuters journalists; Writing by David Brunnstrom and Kim Coghill; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien and William Mallard) View the full article

How many gas-lit lies, inappropriate insinuations can one Trump candidate fit in a campaign ad? But he has black friends… and a Photoshop fail to really drive the hideous home. Twitter Tore Into It. Malcolm Kenyatta, Conor Lamb, John Fetterman in Democratic Party Primary Debate To Become Senator from Pennsylvania View the full article

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Published by BANG Showbiz English ‘Express Yourself’ was inspired by Jennifer Grey. The 62-year-old actress – who is best known for playing the role of Baby opposite Patrick Swayze in 1987 musical movie ‘Dirty Dancing’ – alleged that pop superstar Madonna was inspired to write her 1989 hit ‘Express Yourself’ about her breakup with Matthew Broderick. Jennifer said: “Madonna and I did [1989 film] ‘Bloodhounds of Broadway’ together. She told me she wrote ‘Express Yourself’ about me breaking up with Matthew.” The ‘Red Dawn’ star – who by then was dating Johnny Depp – went on to claim that Madonna asked her to get into her Mercedes car where she played her the record. She told PEOPLE: “She played it for me in her car. I was in my log cabin with Johnny and she said, ‘Come into my car.’ And I got in her Mercedes where she had a really good sound system and she was like, ‘Listen to this song I just did. It’s about you!” However, Jennifer went on to reveal that – without confirming whether she had received a reply – she has recently written Madonna an email as to whether she really meant it. She said: “I wrote her an email where I asked, ‘Did you just tell that to everyone?!” The star – who has 20-year-old daughter Stella with ex-husband Clark Gregg – “learned so many things” about life during her relationship with Matthew, who is now married to ‘Sex and the City’ star Sarah Jessica Parker. Jennifer said: “I learned so many things about myself from my relationship with Matthew. First of all, we were really young. We were in our mid-twenties when we got together. And from where I sit now, that’s pretty young. And we were, I don’t know, I can only speak for myself. I was really in love with him.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Madonna is selling her Los Angeles mansion for $26 million. The ‘Material Girl’ hitmaker has put her Hidden Hills pad on the market after purchasing it from The Weeknd in April 2021 for $19.1 million. According to the Multiple Listing Service, the property – which has a guide price of $25.995 million – sits on three acres and includes a barn that hosts a freshly built gym complete with a dance and Pilates studio and a two bedroom guest house. The main house – which boasts 12,500 square feet and 11 bedrooms – includes a number of amenities, such as a cinema, music room and an indoor/outdoor bar. Seven of the bedrooms are ensuite and the primary bedchamber includes two closets, a steam shower and a stone bath. The Outside of Madonna’s home includes a driveway surrounded by olive trees, a regulation basketball court, an al fresco kitchen and a zero-edge salt water pool, complete with a 10-person hot tub. Before the 63-year-old pop legend – who is mother to Lourdes, 25, Rocco, 21, David, 16, Mercy, 16, and nine-year-old twins Estere and Stella – became the deed holder, the ‘Blinding Lights’ hitmaker lived there for four years before listing it for $25 million in 2020. Madonna is working with Trevor Wright of the Beverly Hills Estates, who she worked to buy the mega mansion. Meanwhile, earlier this week, Jennifer Grey revealed that the ‘Like A Prayer’ hitmaker was inspired to pen of her greatest hits – the female empowerment anthem ‘Express Yourself’ – on the ‘Dirty Dancing’ star’s break-up with 80s heartthrob Matthew Broderick. The 62-year-old actress said: “Madonna and I did [1989 film] ‘Bloodhounds of Broadway’ together. She told me she wrote ‘Express Yourself’ about me breaking up with Matthew.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jeff Mason and Trevor Hunnicutt SEATTLE (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden marks Earth Day on Friday with a trip to lush but fire-prone Washington state and the signing of an executive order to protect old-growth forests. The order Biden signs will create the first-ever inventory of old-growth forests on federal lands and develop a plan to conserve them. It will also task diplomats with doing more to combat deforestation abroad, the White House said. The massive, sometimes ancient trees that dot the Western U.S. landscape absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, cutting the emissions that cause climate change and also make wildfires more likely. They’re at risk. A single fire in 2020 in California killed more than 10% of the world’s giant sequoia trees, National Park Service scientists concluded. “Wildfires and extreme weather events are growing in frequency and ferocity, engulfing communities in the West and across the country and costing lives, homes, and money,” the White House said in a fact sheet announcing the executive order. Biden’s visit to Washington state marks the latest in a series of trips aimed at touting the administration’s accomplishments ahead of November’s mid-term elections. He is set to deliver his Earth Day remarks at Seattle’s forested Seward Park at 10:30 a.m. Pacific time (1730 GMT) before visiting Green River College in Auburn, an hour’s drive outside of Seattle and part of Washington’s 8th Congressional District. That district will stage one of the three dozen or so competitive races that will determine whether Biden’s Democrats retain control of the House of Representatives in November. Democrats are counting on high levels of participation by young and climate-focused voters to lift them to victory. The $1 trillion infrastructure law Biden negotiated includes $8 billion for forest and land management activities. But much of Biden’s climate agenda remains stalled, awaiting sufficient legislative support to secure Senate passage. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell) View the full article

Published by DPA After losing Neil Young's music, Spotify is set to also lose its collaboration with the Obamas on exclusive podcasts. Fabian Sommer/dpa Higher Ground, the Obamas’ production company, and Spotify will not renew their exclusive partnership, according to three people familiar with the matter. Higher Ground has produced a number of exclusive shows distributed on the streaming platform since it partnered with Spotify in 2019. Those include “The Michelle Obama Podcast” and “Renegades: Born in the USA,” featuring discussion between former President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen. “The Michelle Obama Podcast” was the fourth-most popular podcast globally on Spotify in 2020. But Spotify opted to not make an offer to renew the deal, which extends through October, said sources familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment. The Obamas were seeking a deal in which Higher Ground’s podcasts would be widely available and not exclusive to one platform, the sources said. Higher Ground has held conversations with other rival podcast companies, including Amazon’s Audible and iHeartMedia, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the news. Other podcasts that have had exclusive deals with Spotify have gone on to make their podcasts widely available later. For example, “Last Podcast on the Left” is no longer exclusive to Spotify, but it is still available on the platform. More podcasters want to be widely available on multiple platforms “because the distribution network is much bigger and they want to get beyond Spotify’s audience,” said Ray Wang, principal analyst of Palo Alto-based Constellation Research. Representatives for Spotify and Higher Ground declined to comment. Spotify signed a deal with the Obamas as part of the company’s ambitious foray into podcasting. The Swedish music streaming giant also has exclusive deals with other high-profile figures such as as Joe Rogan and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Archewell. When the Higher Ground-Spotify deal was announced, Michelle Obama said she was thrilled to “have the opportunity to amplify voices that are too often ignored or silenced altogether, and through Spotify, we can share those stories with the world.” But there were some creative tensions with Spotify over how prominent the Obamas would be in the podcasts, compared with other voices that are not as well-known, sources said. Rob Enderle, a principal analyst with advisory services firm Enderle Group, said he believes the Obamas will be able to garner a lot of demand for their podcasts. “They are incredibly savvy with regard to their social media presence, and wherever they go, they will undoubtedly be a king maker for whatever service picks them up,” Enderle said. Spotify has quickly grown to be a major podcast hub, but not without some controversy. Earlier this year, some musicians, including rocker Neil Young, boycotted the streaming service due to concerns about misinformation and racially insensitive language on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” a popular exclusive podcast on Spotify. The protest pushed Spotify to publish its content moderation policies and to address what Rogan said on his podcast. Rogan apologized for using the N-word. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jan Wolfe WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene will face a challenge in a Georgia court on Friday by a group of voters trying to block her from the ballot, citing a post-Civil War policy aimed at keeping insurrectionists from serving in office. In a novel legal challenge filed with the office of the Georgia secretary of state, the voters said Greene, a supporter of former President Donald Trump, has violated a provision of the U.S. Constitution known as the “Insurrectionist Disqualification Clause.” The clause, passed after the U.S. Civil War in the 1860s, prohibits politicians from running for Congress if they have engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” or “given aid or comfort” to the nation’s enemies. Greene is seeking re-election this year, with the Republican primary scheduled for May 24 and the general election on Nov. 8. During media interviews, Greene has downplayed and justified the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters in their failed bid to block congressional certification of President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Greene this month said Democrats and journalists have pushed an “over-dramatization” of that day’s events. The voter challenge is being spearheaded by a group called Free Speech for People that advocates for campaign finance reform. A similar challenge backed by the same group against Republican U.S. Representative Madison Cawthorn failed when a federal judge in North Carolina dismissed that suit on March 4. “This hearing is about more than just Marjorie Taylor Greene,” Free Speech for People said. “This is about ensuring that any elected official who takes an oath to defend our Constitution and then engages in insurrection is barred from holding public office again.” Greene on the conservative TV outlet Newsmax on Wednesday rejected that claim. “I can’t believe this judge has not thrown this case out and seen this case for what it is: nothing but a big, funded scam for the Democrats trying to control our elections,” Greene said. An administrative judge in Atlanta, Charles Beaudrot, is scheduled to begin the hearing at 9:30 a.m. ET (1330 GMT). It is unclear if Beaudrot will rule in the case on Friday. Greene is expected to testify under oath during Friday’s hearing, and to argue that removing her from the ballot would be both unfair to her and to voters in her conservative-leaning district. Greene is expected to appeal any ruling against her, and has already brought parallel litigation in U.S. federal court seeking to halt the administrative proceeding. In a recent court filing, Greene’s lawyers said she “vigorously denies that she aided and engaged in insurrection to obstruct the peaceful transfer of presidential power.” U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg on Monday ruled that the challenge to Greene’s fitness for office can proceed. Greene has asked a federal appeals court to reverse that ruling and effectively end the dispute. Absentee ballots will start to be mailed on April 25. (Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Will Dunham and Scott Malone) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jeff Mason and Nandita Bose PORTLAND, Ore. (Reuters) -President Joe Biden on Thursday predicted that his fellow Democrats could win two more U.S. Senate seats in November’s midterms, strengthening the party’s majority to pass his agenda despite sagging approval ratings. Speaking at a political fundraiser in Portland during his first trip to the Pacific Northwest since taking office, Biden said he was increasing his travel schedule to make the case around the country about his administration’s accomplishments. “I’m determined to make sure we keep the House and the Senate,” Biden told the donors. He offered no prediction for the party’s prospects in the House. High inflation and the ongoing pandemic have contributed to low poll numbers for Biden and sparked concerns that Democrats may lose control of the House of Representatives and the Senate to Republicans after the November election. Addressing an evening fundraiser hosted in Seattle by Brad Smith, the president of Microsoft Corp, Biden weighed in on the clash between Republican state lawmakers in Florida and the Walt Disney Co. over legislation to limit the teaching of LGBTQ issues in schools. The state’s Republican-controlled legislature on Thursday voted to strip Disney of its self-governing authority on lands occupied by its Orlando theme parks in retaliation for Disney’s opposition to the school restrictions, derided by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential 2024 Republican presidential nominee who fiercely backs the ban on classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for children under age 9, is expected to sign the bill into law. Biden said Republican-led efforts to impose such constraints “have nothing to do with traditional conservative doctrine.” “I respect conservatives. There’s nothing conservative about deciding you’re going to throw Disney out of its present posture because Mickey Mouse … should … not be able to say, you know, gay.” Earlier on Thursday, Biden touted his administration’s progress on infrastructure, including new spending made possible by the passage of the roughly $1 trillion infrastructure law that includes investments in highways and broadband. The bill allocates $1.2 billion for Oregon and $8.6 billion for the state of Washington. Biden visited Portland’s airport to talk about investing in a runway that can withstand earthquakes. He was scheduled to spend Thursday night and Friday in Seattle, where he will observe Earth Day and talk about his administration’s plans to tame inflation. “We’re here today to talk about investments we’re making to modernize this airport,” Biden said in his earlier address. “So through the bipartisan infrastructure law, we’re investing $25 billion to upgrade and modernize American airports.” White House officials have said in recent weeks that they hope to shift their outreach strategy to voters by visiting more states to talk about the administration’s accomplishments rather than describing the need for legislation that remains stalled. Biden’s public approval rating stands at 43%, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll completed on Tuesday. The two-day national poll found 51% of Americans disapprove of Biden’s job performance as the country struggles with high inflation and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That compares with approval ratings hovering above 50% at the start of his term. (Reporting by Jeff Mason in Portland and Nandita Bose, Trevor Hunnicutt and Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Stephen Coates and Bradley Perrett) View the full article

Published by Miami Herald A forbidden relationship led to the attack of a Pompano Beach gay man that was so savage it left him blinded, according to court documents released this week. The arrest warrants offer new details of the brutal attack — and the suspected motive — in the case against members of the Makarenko family, who were charged last week with attempted murder under Florida’s “hate crime” law. Prosecutors say Inna Makarenko, 44, Yevhen Makarenko, 43, and two of their adult sons, Oleh and Vladyslav, stormed the man’s apartment in August, beating him and leaving him to die on the blood-covered floor for 13 ho… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Maria Caspani and Dawn Chmielewski (Reuters) -Florida lawmakers on Thursday gave their final approval to a bill ending Walt Disney Co’s designation as a self-governing entity in an apparent response to its opposition to a new state law limiting the teaching of LGBTQ issues in schools. Losing the designation may represent a big blow to Disney’s sprawling Orlando theme parks, which for over half a century have managed to operate with a high degree of autonomy, with the freedom to control everything from road maintenance to building projects. Even so, experts say the financial impact of the legislation on the company and the state is still unclear. Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential 2024 Republican presidential nominee who fiercely backs the ban on classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for children under age 9, is expected to sign the bill into law. The bill would effectively strip Disney of a status that allowed the company to self-govern an area of roughly 25,000-acres in Central Florida where Walt Disney World resort is located. The area called the Reedy Creek Improvement District https://www.rcid.org encompasses four Disney theme parks, two water parks and 175 miles of roadway, and functions like a county government, providing services such as fire-fighting, power, water and roads within the Orange and Osceola counties. Disney, whose Florida resort is known the world over for its pristine streets, colorful rides and family-friendly image, in turn gets relief from taxes and fees. The special status also allows the district to issue bonds with tax advantages to pay for improvements and for Disney to avoid the process of obtaining building permits for some projects. The Florida Parental Rights in Education legislation is one of a series of moves by Republican-controlled states to enact new restrictions on public education in the run-up to the midterm elections later this year. Supporters say such measures give parents more control over their children’s education, but opponents say they mostly unfairly infringe the rights of transgender and other marginalized students. Disney initially failed to publicly oppose the legislation, prompting criticism last month by many in the LGBTQ community and some employees. Later Disney condemned the law and said it would suspend political donations in Florida pending a review. In a surprise move, DeSantis asked the legislature to consider the bill to strip Disney of its status during a special session he called this week. It was filed and passed within just three days. The change would go into effect in June 2023. “By trying to bring California values to Florida, Floridians have said, ‘All right, you’re a guest in our state. Maybe you don’t deserve special privileges anymore,'” state Representative Randy Fine, a Republican who is lead sponsor of the bill, told CNBC. On Thursday, the Florida House of Representatives voted 70-38 to do away with the special tax district created by a 1967 law that allows Disney to self-govern the Orlando area. On Wednesday, the state Senate approved the measure by a 23-16 vote. DeSantis, an ally of former President Donald Trump who has also courted conservative voters on issues such as immigration and abortion, did not immediately comment on the bill’s passage, nor did Disney. WHOM WILL IT HARM MOST? Disney is historically a major political contributor in the state. In the 2020 election cycle, the company donated $4.8 million in total, including campaign funds to more than 100 individual Florida legislative members, some of whom sponsored Thursday’s legislation, state records show. The company also gave more than $900,000 to the state Republican party and more than $550,000 to the Republican senatorial campaign committee, along with $300,000 to the state Democratic party and $50,000 to DeSantis. But its opposition to the new law, dubbed “don’t say gay” by opponents, set off a storm of condemnation against the company by many Republicans. It takes effect on July 1 and also prohibits such teaching that “is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate” for older students. It is being challenged in court. It is unclear if the state or the company will be harmed most by Thursday’s move, as Disney is a major local employer and contributor to the state’s coffers, with around 70,000 staff. The Walt Disney Resort paid $780.3 million in state and local taxes in 2021, according to a fact sheet commemorating the 50th anniversary of the theme park. Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph said that legislation will punish local taxpayers more than Disney. “Yes, Disney pays a lot in taxes, but when you add up the numbers, it pushes a lot of the tax burden onto local taxpayers,” he said of the bill. Disney already received many of the benefits from the special district in getting the park built and could come out ahead financially by shifting the cost of maintenance and services to the local jurisdictions, said David Ramba, executive director of the Florida Association of Special Districts. “They get to control the level of service versus leaving it to a county government,” Ramba said. (Reporting by Maria Caspani in New York, Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles, Joseph Ax in Princeton, N.J., Rich McKay and Dan Trotta in Carlsbad, Calif.Writing by Costas PitasEditing by Leslie Adler, Matthew Lewis and Bernard Orr) View the full article