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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

Janelle MonáeMonáe: “I’m Nonbinary” Two years after stating they were “exploring” their gender identity, LGBTQ award-winning singer, actor and author Janelle Monáe came out as nonbinary publicly. Monáe revealed how they identify during an interview on the season premiere of “Red Table Talk,” the Facebook Watch talk show hosted by Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith and Adrienne Banfield-Norris, on Wednesday. “I’m nonbinary, so I don’t just see myself as a woman solely,” Monáe said. “I feel all of my energy. I feel like God is so much bigger than the ‘he’ or ‘she.’ And if I am from God, I am everything. I am everything. But I will always, always stand with women. I will always stand with Black women. But I just just see everything that I am. Beyond the binary.” “My whole family is church, church, church and I’m just like, ‘Well what does it mean to go against your whole family on this thing?’ But I was ready. I was like, ‘You know what? If they don’t love me, don’t call me asking me for no money.’ You will not get my LGBTQIA+ money,” Monáe continued. “But, yeah, I needed to have those conversations. I needed to talk to my dad who was just great. My sister knew already because I’ve been in monogamous relationships, I’ve been in polyamorous relationships. But I knew I couldn’t be ‘Little Pumpkin,’ I couldn’t be little Janelle,” they added. “I had to be where I was. I know who I am. I’ve been playing a version of some parts of me, but now I’m owning all of me. I had to own all of me to really be able to talk about it publicly.” The conversation with Monáe also touched on their ability to overcome past traumas connected to their family and issues with acceptance even as their career was taking off. “I was thinking back to when I first started and I was like, man, as free as I was onstage, when I came off stage, I was still that scared little girl. Like, ‘I’m not good enough.’ That was always in the back of my mind. ‘Will they love me,'” Monáe said. “I’ve been doing a lot of healing … we just have to be fine with letting go.” [This post contains video, click to play] Janelle Monáe: Previously on Towleroad Janelle Monáe Comes Out As Nonbinary: ‘I Am Everything’… And A Book Of Short Science Fiction Collaborations Brian Bell April 21, 2022 Read More Billy Porter Vogue Slam Is About Who Did It First. Harry Styles In A Dress On The Cover? ‘All He Has To Do Is Be White And Straight’ Towleroad October 18, 2021 Read More ‘Two years ago I was so worried I’d be ostracized … or worse. Today my community elected me Mayor’ –World’s First Non-binary Mayor Brian Bell May 15, 2021 Read More Major Airlines To Offer Non-Binary Options For Passengers Savas Abadsidis February 19, 2019 Read More Maine Becomes Third State to Offer Non-Binary Gender Identification on Driver’s Licenses and IDs Andy Towle June 11, 2018 Read More California Legalizes Non-Binary Gender Option for Driver’s Licenses, Government IDs Towleroad October 17, 2017 Read More Screenshot via Red Table Talk/Facebook Watch View the full article

Jorge Diaz-JohnstonRoommate Charged A grand jury in Leon County, Florida formally indicted Steven Yinger for the murder of LGBTQ and gay marriage activist Jorge Diaz-Johnston last week. According to court documents, Yinger is accused of “strangling and/or choking” Diaz-Johnston sometime between Jan. 3 and Jan. 5 in addition to stealing Diaz-Johnston’s car, using his personal identification and tampering with evidence. Diaz-Johnston’s body was found in the Springhill Landfill, roughly 90 miles from his workplace in Tallahassee where he was last seen on Jan. 3. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, Tallahassee Police believe Yinger disposed of the body in a dumpster outside of the apartment complex where the two had lived together for months and moved the dumpster down the street. Diaz-Johnston met Yinger at an alcohol-recovery program while separated from his husband, Don, with whom he became a public face for LGBTQ marriage equality in the state back in 2015. Diaz-Johnston offered to let Yinger stay at his apartment rent-free in order to get back on his feet and find employment after getting out of prison in Oct. 2021. “[T]hat’s who Jorge was,” Don told local news outlet WPLG. “I am so angry. After all those years of trying to get my husband back, to have him ripped form me for such an utterly senseless reason.” Yinger is being held without bail in a Leon County prison. Diaz-Johnston was brother of former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and the uncle of former University of Miami football coach Manny Diaz II. Murder: Previously on Towleroad Former Roommate Indicted For Murder Of Florida LGBTQ Activist Jorge Diaz-Johnston, One of the Public Faces In State Fight For Marriage Equality Brian Bell April 21, 2022 Read More Suspect Charged In Shocking, Brazen Brooklyn LGBTQ Bar Fire. Caught on Video Pouring Gasoline and Setting the Blaze Brian Bell April 21, 2022 Read More Ed Buck Sentenced to 30 Years For For Injecting Gemmel Moore and Timothy Dean With Fatal Doses Of Drugs In WeHo Sex Assaults; Towleroad April 15, 2022 Read More Alabama Sued In Federal Court By Families, Doctors After Anti-Trans Healthcare Bill Signed Into Law Brian Bell April 13, 2022 Read More Jussie Smollett Song Drops; Produced Since Prison Release Pending Appeal, ‘Thank You God’: LISTEN Towleroad April 9, 2022 Read More Kentucky Clerk Who Denied Same-Sex Marriage Licenses Can Be Sued As An Individual For Damages in Jury Trial. Towleroad March 20, 2022 Read More Photo courtesy of Tallahassee Police Department View the full article

RashRash Arson Suspect Captured On Video A suspect in the arson of Brooklyn LGBTQ bar Rash has been charged for allegedly starting a fire in the nightclub that left two employees injured and heavily damaged the building. The Department of Justice on Thursday charged John Lhota with the April 3 arson after security camera footage showed Lhota purchasing a gasoline canister and filling it with gasoline at a gas station before proceeding to Rash and pouring the substance on the bar’s floor. “The video showed Lhota tossing a lit cigarette on the floor, but the gasoline didn’t ignite,” read the DOJ’s statement. “Lhota then used a cigarette lighter to ignite the gasoline, causing an explosion and a fire.” Security footage also showed Lhota fleeing the scene. “This Office strongly condemns such acts of violence, and will vigorously prosecute this case. The victims, and all LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, should be able to enjoy their nights out in peace and without fear of such a dangerous attack,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. In his first court appearance Thursday, Lhota pleaded not guilty. If convicted, Lhota faces up to 40 years in prison. Brooklyn LGBTQ: Previously on Towleroad Suspect Charged In Shocking, Brazen Brooklyn LGBTQ Bar Fire. Caught on Video Pouring Gasoline and Setting the Blaze Brian Bell April 21, 2022 Read More Ed Buck Sentenced to 30 Years For For Injecting Gemmel Moore and Timothy Dean With Fatal Doses Of Drugs In WeHo Sex Assaults; Towleroad April 15, 2022 Read More Alabama Sued In Federal Court By Families, Doctors After Anti-Trans Healthcare Bill Signed Into Law Brian Bell April 13, 2022 Read More Jussie Smollett Song Drops; Produced Since Prison Release Pending Appeal, ‘Thank You God’: LISTEN Towleroad April 9, 2022 Read More Kentucky Clerk Who Denied Same-Sex Marriage Licenses Can Be Sued As An Individual For Damages in Jury Trial. Towleroad March 20, 2022 Read More Jussie Smollett Gets 150 Days For Faking Hate Crime; “If Anything Happens To Me … I Did Not Do It To Myself. I Am Not Suicidal!” He Yelled Leaving Court Towleroad March 11, 2022 Read More Photo courtesy of DICE View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Will Young “kept quiet” about his traumatic experiences at boarding school because he didn’t want to upset his parents. The 43-year-old singer revealed last year he was left with PTSD because of the “appalling” experiences he had as a child and he’s now acknowledged he felt pressured not to confide in his mother and father because he was constantly told how “fortunate” he was to be there as a result of his parents’ hard work. Speaking to Times Radio, he said: “One of the things about when you’re a child is you can often… I felt very fortunate, ironically, to be sent to the school. My parents actually didn’t have a lot of money at the time. We were there on a deal. “And so the messaging coming – and this often happens when people are in abusive situations – is that you’re very fortunate to be in that situation. So you keep shtum. What that can lead to is survivor’s guilt. People feeling, ‘Well, I could have done more.’ But of course you can’t as a child. “‘Now, if my parents had known, they would have taken me out of that school in two seconds. But you know, the messaging coming across from the school and from people around was, ‘Aren’t your parents working hard? You know, to send you.’ “‘My dad just set up his business. It was a recession in 87. You know, ‘Aren’t they working so hard?’ So you keep quiet as a child, Absolutely.” The ‘Leave Right Now’ hitmaker claimed last year staff at the school would throw children “against radiators”, watch them getting changed, and rip out the only phone they had to communicate with their guardians. He said: “We weren’t allowed to wear pants under our football shorts, so my d**k used to fall out of my football shorts when I got tackled. Less washing. “I saw kids being made to change on the football pitch because they had worn pants. Teachers looking at our penises in the shower, in the bath.’ “It was appalling. That’s why I’ve got PTSD. There was such a sense of injustice from things that I experienced and witnessed. I think I escaped – not that it didn’t damage me.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA NeNe Leakes is dragging the companies behind Real Housewives of Atlanta — along with Andy Cohen — to federal court. According to reports, Leakes is accusing Cohen, NBCUniversal, Bravo, True Entertainment and Truly Original of fostering a hostile and racist work environment. MEGA The iconic reality star claims she went to execs to complain about Kim Zolciak-Bierrmann making alleged racist remarks over the years — only to be retaliated against for speaking up. The RHOA star was one of the original cast members who launched the show in 2008. Her last appearance was in 2020. Leakes’ lawyer wrote, “NBC, Bravo, and True foster a corporate and workplace culture in which racially-insensitive and inappropriate behavior is tolerated – if not, encouraged.” In the suit, she points to several comments her former friend Bierrmann allegedly made during production. In 2008, Leakes says while the cast was preparing for a BBQ Biermann said, “words to the effect of: ‘I don’t want to sit around with NeNe and eat chicken.’” In the fifth season, she claims Biermann mocked new cast member Kandi Burruss by calling her “ghetto.” Leakes says her ex-BFF perpetuated a racial stereotype by questioning whether Burruss needed a swimming pool. Leakes then dropped a bombshell. She says around the same time, Biermann used the N-word when referring to her and the other cast members. The reality star says she complained about the comments. However, Leakes says Biermann wasn’t punished but instead, she got her own show. “From the day the series began filming, NeNe was the target of systemic racism from co-star Kim Zolciak-Biermann, which was tolerated by Bravo executive producer Andy Cohen and other executives,” Leakes’ lawyer writes. The shocking court docs also allege Leakes was forced out in 2020 — pointing out the star was a vocal supporter of Black Lives Matter at the time. “As the Black Lives Matter movement swept our nation, Mrs. Leakes — Bravo’s historically most successful Black female talent — should have been embraced by NBC, Bravo, and True,” Leakes’ suit read. “Instead, NBC, Bravo, and True forced her out of the ‘house she built,’ denying her a regular role.” The suit comes after years of Leakes trashing Cohen and Bravo publicly over her departure. Cohen has yet to respond to the lawsuit. View the full article