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Published by PsyPost New research suggests that interest in BDSM (bondage, domination, and sadomasochism) is fairly common in Finland. The findings have been published in The Journal of Sex Research. BDSM has been considered deviant and pathological in the past, but attitudes towards the practices have shifted in recent times. Despite this change in attitudes, the prevalence of BDSM is still unknown in several European countries. The authors of the new study sought to explore the prevalence of BDSM interest and BDSM-related activities in a large, population-based sample of Finnish adults. “I had previously done my… Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News Nearly two-thirds of adults in the United States say they would be comfortable if their child came out as lesbian, gay or bisexual, according to a new survey, but only half would be comfortable with having a transgender or nonbinary child. The poll released Thursday by The Trevor Project, a nonprofit group focused on suicide prevention and mental health for LGBTQ and questioning youth, analyzed overall knowledge, understanding and comfort regarding sexual orientation and gender identity among U.S. adults. More than 2,200 respondents answered questions on family acceptance, personal knowledge o… Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News Nearly two-thirds of adults in the United States say they would be comfortable if their child came out as lesbian, gay or bisexual, according to a new survey, but only half would be comfortable with having a transgender or nonbinary child. The poll released Thursday by The Trevor Project, a nonprofit group focused on suicide prevention and mental health for LGBTQ and questioning youth, analyzed overall knowledge, understanding and comfort regarding sexual orientation and gender identity among U.S. adults. More than 2,200 respondents answered questions on family acceptance, personal knowledge o… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Maria Caspani (Reuters) – Alabama lawmakers passed a bill on Thursday that would criminalize gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth, with a threat of 10 years in prison for medical providers. The legislation, passed 66-28 by the state’s House of Representatives on the last day of the legislative session, is the latest in a flurry of measures in Republican-led states dealing with transgender youth. The American Civil Liberties Union called it the first bill of its kind to make healthcare for transgender youth a felony and said it would challenge the bill in court if Republican Governor Kay Ivey signed it into law. The bill http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/ALISON/SearchableInstruments/2022RS/PrintFiles/SB184-eng.pdf would make it a felony punishable with up to 10 years in prison to provide medical care including hormone treatment, puberty blockers and gender reassignment surgery to minors. Democrats in the minority tried to fight the bill in part by arguing it contradicted Republican principles on the role of government. “This is not small government; this is not a conservative bill,” Democratic Representative Neil Rafferty told the chamber. But Republican Representative Wes Allen likened the initiative to laws that prevent minors from getting tattoos or buying nicotine products. “We make decisions in this body all the time that are to protect children from making decisions that could permanently harm them,” Allen said. Ivey has not said whether she would sign the bill, but last year she signed one banning transgender athletes from school sports. Ivey’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The bill would also compel school personnel to disclose to the parent or legal guardian that a “minor’s perception of his or her gender or sex is inconsistent with the minor’s sex.” Last week, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed a bill banning irreversible gender reassignment surgery for minors. Mainstream medical and mental health professionals say gender-affirming care saves lives by reducing the risk of depression and suicide. Gender-reassignment surgery for people under 18 is extremely rare and would take place only after years of treatment in cases where the patient’s wishes are unwavering, according to medical experts. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly opposed the bill and urged Ivey to veto it. “This legislation targets vulnerable young people and puts them at great risk of physical and mental harm,” Mark Del Monte, the academy’s chief executive, said in a statement. “Criminalizing evidence-based, medically necessary services is dangerous.” The Alabama Senate has also passed a bill that would require students in public schools to use bathrooms or changing rooms that match the gender on their original birth certificates. An amendment was attached to the bill, which now has to go back to the House for a vote, prohibiting classroom discussion on sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grades. Transgender rights have emerged as one of the issues at the forefront in the culture wars ahead of the November mid-term congressional elections. Lawmakers have introduced hundreds of bills across state legislatures, the majority of them dealing with trans youth. Many Republicans and conservative activists promote the laws as safeguards for children and parental rights. Opponents, including Democrats and LGBTQ+ organizations, say the legislation is harmful, unnecessary and unfairly targeting vulnerable and underrepresented communities. (Reporting by Maria Caspani; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Bradley Perrett) View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Everyone wants a piece of the King of Pop. It has been over 12 years since Michael Jackson had passed away, and articles of clothing from his estate are still being valued at astronomical amounts. Mega According to recent legal documents obtained by The Blast, the late pop star’s estate currently lists Jackson’s one-of-a-kind outfit used in the filming of the Bad music video as worth $271,875. The black leathered, multi-belt, and buckle laded fit had been hanging in Michael’s closet since the ’80s but is now considered one of the most sought-after pieces of Jackson memorabilia out there. The MJ Estate and its executors spent over a decade following the pop star’s death cleaning up the father of three’s financiers and eventually got it to a place where it earns hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue each year. It’s currently unclear whether or not the estate is holding on to the piece or if it is displayed in some other location as there are multiple Jackson museum exhibits and collectors around the world. Mega This isn’t the first of the King of Pop’s many iconic outfits to be valued at high amounts. The red and black jeans and jacket he wore in the Thriller music video fetched $1.8 million during an auction held in recent years. The jacket was worn during Michael’s first solo tour, even selling for over a quarter-million to a Texas businessman with many believing the $298k price tag to be a bit too conservative. The entirety of Jackson’s estate is valued at over $2 billion since his tragic death. Mega Following MJ’s death, executors of his estate set up his finances to continue providing for his three children, Paris, Prince, and Bigi aka “Blanket”, as well as his mother Katherine. “Michael Jackson provided the sole financial support for his children and was Mrs. Jackson’s primary source of support. The Executors have endeavored to continue to meet the financial needs of Mrs. Jackson and the children. The Executors have done so through a family allowance for Mrs. Jackson and the children as well as various other means,” the document stating the handling of Michael’s belongings reads. It continues, “Mrs. Jackson resided in the Estate’s real property on Hayvenhurst Avenue in Encino, California for more than thirty years. At the time of Michael Jackson’s death, the mortgage on Hayvenhurst was in default. The Executors paid the mortgage in full. The Executors made and continue to make from time to time necessary repairs and improvements to Hayvenhurst to address maintenance and other issues. The Executors have continued to provide for the maintenance of Hayvenhurst, including estate management, security, and staff.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Vladimir Putin’s Russian invasion of Ukraine is moving into disturbing territory as Russian troops have allegedly been ordered to slaughter entire villages of civilians. A furious commander allegedly screamed “kill them all” after his own soldiers warned the military leader that they had innocent villagers in their sight. Mega Ukrainian spies claim to have hacked a call during the battle of Mariupol, which led to 150,000 people trapped by a Russian siege. At least 5,000 innocent people are thought to have been killed in the relentless bombardment of Russian troops firing at the neighboring nation. In the alleged call — which has yet to be verified — a Russian soldier tells his commander that he can see two people wearing civilian clothes. Their commander allegedly yelled at the soldier to “Take them all out! Kill them all!” The soldier then replied “Understood.” The commander allegedly asked, “What are you waiting for?” before being told, “it is a village of civilians”. The Russian chief was then heard yelling to “Shoot the civilian cars.” Mega The recent claim emerged on the heels of Ukrainian troops being accused of killing Russian prisoners of war. A video posted online appears to show four Russian paratroopers lying on a road in pools of blood with one man being getting shot by a Ukrainian soldier. The validity of this video is also up in the air as the BBC’s team suggests that the video was filmed before March 29th, the date it was allegedly filmed. In the latest reports from the war front, Russian forces are currently marching from the north at Izyum, the east in Donbas, and are poised to advance from the south. Women, children and the elderly have been urged to flee from Dnipro as it had been given similar warnings for civilians to “flee or face death” in the frontline regions of the war-torn nation. Western officials warned that Russia is focusing on the Donbas region, which had been partly controlled by Russian-backed separatists since 2014. Mega Russia was recently suspended from the UN Human Rights Council as 93 of the 193 members voted in favor of the U.S.-led proposal with only 24 against and 58 abstentions. It was only the second-ever suspension of a country since the international organization’s inception. Russia has been hard-pressed to find any support from the developed nations. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega House Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene reported Jimmy Kimmel to the Capitol police over a joke about Will Smith during Wednesday night’s episode of his late-night show. Mega The Republican from Georgia tweeted a clip from Kimmel’s show where, during the opening monologue, he brought up Greene’s comments on the recent Supreme Court vote. In the short clip, the comedian said: “This woman, “Klan mom” is especially upset with the three Republican senators who said they’ll vote yes on Ketanji Brown Jackson, who’s nominated for the Supreme Court. She tweeted, ‘Murkowski, Collins, and Romney are pro-pedophile. They just voted for KBJ.'” He then went on to joke, “Wow, where is Will Smith when you really need him?” The joke is in reference to Will slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars last week. Mega Greene said, “ABC, this threat of violence against me by Jimmy Kimmel has been filed with the Capitol Police.” Kimmel retweeted Greene’s post writing “Officer? I would like to report a joke.” Many have been calling out Greene for her blatant “hypocrisy.” Many on Twitter argued Kimmel didn’t even make an actual threat while others called the 47-year-old politician a “Karen.” Mega One individual not impressed commented, “weird how fast the free speech brigade shapeshifts into a giant snowdrift the moment anyone says something they don’t like.” Mega The Capitol Police have yet to comment on the matter. View the full article

Published by Chicago Tribune In the war for the hearts, minds and corporate relocations of businesses, Chicago has fired another shot across the bow at three Sun Belt rivals over recent legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community, such as the Florida education law critics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.” World Business Chicago, the city’s public-private economic development arm, bought full-page ads Thursday in the Orlando Sentinel, Dallas Morning News and Phoenix Business Journal to launch a new marketing campaign and promote Chicago as a more inclusive business climate. “In Chicago, We Believe,” takes on a lightning rod issu… Read More View the full article

Published by uInterview.com Internet star JoJo Siwa confirmed that the film Bounce, which was set to be her feature film acting debut, “got put on hold, and then went away,” and that “it wasn’t the one,” for her. While the film was backed by Will Smith’s production company Westbrook, insiders said that the dissolution of the project happened months ago and had nothing to with Smith’s Oscars controversy. Bounce, an adaptation of the 2016 YA novel written by Megan Shull, would have starred Siwa as Frannie, a teenager that wishes for a different life, and then ends up getting a new one every day and has to try and find her … Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online 2006 Kathy Hutchins / Hutchins/Newscom/The Mega Agency Sharkboy and Lavagirl actress Taylor Dooley, who portrayed Lavagirl alongside costar Taylor Lautner in the 2005 film, is taking a firm stance against Disney by protesting outside of their Burbank headquarters. The We Can Be Heroes star took to Instagram Stories with a statement on Wednesday, reading, “Disney has grossly underestimated the power of the parents. What’s going on with Disney & their agenda is so sad & disgusting. As a parent, it’s our job to protect our children. In Jesus’ mighty name, this is where we take back the family. God has called all of us to stand up for such a time as this!!” JE2/John Cronise/ WENN/Newscom/The Mega Agency Dooley is supporting a movement started by Hold the Line founder Sean Feucht, who has spoken out in protest of what many critics call the corporation’s “woke” agenda. Disney has faced backlash in recent weeks after CEO Bob Chapek denounced the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida, prohibiting teachers from addressing gender identity and sexual orientation to kids in kindergarten through third grade. Debates have also started over Disney World and Disneyland deciding to ban the use of “gender greetings” within their parks. For instance, the greeting “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” was removed from Magic Kingdom’s fireworks show last year. 2006 Kathy Hutchins / Hutchins/Newscom/The Mega Agency Dooley posted a supportive “YES” while reposting one of Feucht’s messages, reading, “The sexualization & indoctrination of 4-year-old children SHOULD BE a line in the sand for every sane person. You don’t wanna be on the wrong side of this issue.” She followed up with another statement alongside a selfie before the rally, which read, “Let’s protect our children. Let’s protect this next generation. In Jesus’ mighty name, it’s time to stand up for what is right … it’s time to take back the family.” 2006 Kathy Hutchins / Hutchins/Newscom/The Mega Agency Feucht stopped by for an interview on Fox & Friends Wednesday and shared his thoughts leading up to the gathering. “Most of the employees… they’re good,” Feucht said. “They’re Christians, they love America, and they just want to create safe content for children, and they see that their corporations being hijacked by a bunch of woke… crazy people that are trying to indoctrinate kids with this crazy sexualization.” “Disney has entertained our kids for decades,” Feucht added. “We’ve loved it … but they crossed a line in the sand when they began to enable those who want to fight to sexualize our kids.” View the full article

Published by Sports Illustrated By Naya Samuel The shot put star reflects on her journey to the global stage and her hopes for other athletes like her to see themselves competing at the Olympics. Sports Illustratedand Empower Onyx are putting the spotlight on the diverse journeys of Black women across sports—from the veteran athletes, to up-and-coming stars, coaches, executives and more—in the series, Elle-evate: 100 Influential Black Women in Sports. Two-time Olympian and track and field superstar Raven Saunders is used to all of the attention. A 5’5” queer, Black woman, the self-proclaimed “Hulk” had to defy the odds to be… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Lawrence Hurley, Andrew Chung and Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court in a milestone for the United States and a victory for President Joe Biden, who made good on a campaign promise as he seeks to infuse the federal judiciary with a broader range of backgrounds. The vote to confirm the 51-year-old federal appellate judge to a lifetime job on the nation’s top judicial body was 53-47, with three Republicans – Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney – joining Biden’s fellow Democrats. A simple majority was needed, as Jackson overcame Republican opposition in a Supreme Court confirmation process that remains fiercely partisan. Jackson will take the 83-year-old Breyer’s place on the liberal bloc of a court with an increasingly assertive 6-3 conservative majority. Breyer is due to serve until the court’s current term ends – usually in late June – and Jackson would be formally sworn in after that. Jackson served early in her career as a Supreme Court clerk for Breyer. Democrat Raphael Warnock, one of the Senate’s three Black members, said in debate before the vote: “I’m the father of a young Black girl. I know how much it means for Judge Jackson to have navigated the double jeopardy of racism and sexism to now stand in the glory of this moment. … Seeing Judge Jackson ascend to the Supreme Court reflects the promise of progress on which our democracy rests. What a great day it is in America.” Of the 115 people who have served on the Supreme Court since its 1789 founding, all but three have been white. It has had two Black justices, both men: Clarence Thomas, appointed in 1991 and still serving, and Thurgood Marshall, who retired in 1991 and died in 1993. Current Justice Sonia Sotomayor is the only Hispanic ever to serve on it. Jackson is set to become the sixth woman justice ever. Presidential nominations to the Supreme Court have become a flashpoint in American politics. The court wields great influence in shaping American policy on hot-button issues including abortion, guns, voting laws, LGBT rights, religious liberty, the death penalty and race-based practices. Before Jackson joins the bench, the Supreme Court is due to rule in major cases including one that could overturn the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide and another that could expand gun rights. Mitch McConnell, the Senate’s top Republican, criticized Jackson in the debate before the vote, calling her the choice of the “radical left” and saying her “disturbing” judicial record included injecting personal policy biases in rulings and treating convicted criminals as gently as possible in sentencing. Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the first Black woman to hold that post after Biden selected her as his 2020 election running mate, presided over the vote. A Harris spokesperson said the vice president believes Jackson will become an “exceptional” justice. ‘EQUAL JUSTICE’ Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer noted the country’s legacy of slavery and past struggles to bring rights to women and Black Americans, adding: “Today we are taking a giant, bold and important step on the well-trodden path toward fulfilling our country’s founding promise.” Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, the Judiciary Committee chairman, said, “We are beginning to write another chapter in our nation’s quest for equal justice under the law, and that chapter begins with three letters: KBJ,” using her initials. Biden appointed Jackson last year to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit after she spent eight years as a federal district judge. Like the three conservative justices appointed by the Democrat Biden’s Republican predecessor Donald Trump, Jackson is young enough to serve for decades in the lifetime job. During her March confirmation hearings, Jackson said what she hopes to bring to the Supreme Court is similar to what the prior 115 justices have delivered: their own life experiences and perspectives. She said hers included time as a federal judge, a court-appointed lawyer for criminal defendants who could not afford an attorney, a member of a federal commission on criminal sentencing and “being a Black woman, lucky inheritor of the civil rights dream.” Jackson noted that she was born in 1970 in the aftermath of congressional passage of major civil rights laws aimed at curbing discrimination against Black people and other minorities and referenced the fact that her parents had experienced lawful racial segregation first-hand in their hometown of Miami. Biden has aimed to bring more women and minorities and a broader range of backgrounds to the federal judiciary. His appointment of Jackson fulfilled a pledge he made during the 2020 presidential campaign to name a Black woman to the Supreme Court. The other women to have served on the Supreme Court include current members Amy Coney Barrett, Elena Kagan and Sotomayor, the retired Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died in 2020. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley and Richard Cowan in Washington and Andrew Chung in New York; Editing by Will Dunham) View the full article

Published by AFP The United States led the push to suspend Russia from the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council as punishment for the invasion of Ukraine United Nations (United States) (AFP) – The UN General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council as punishment for the invasion of Ukraine. Of the 193 members of the assembly, 93 voted in favor of suspension as proposed by the United States while 24 voted against and 58 abstained, suggesting weakening international unity against Russia at the United Nations. It was the second ever suspension of a country from the council. Libya was the first, in 2011. Suspension required two-thirds of the votes for and against; the abstentions did not count. The countries voting against included China, a Moscow ally which has steadfastly abstained from criticizing the invasion. Others were Iran, the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan and communist Cuba, as well as Russia itself, Belarus and Syria. Despite pressure from Moscow for a no vote, several African countries only abstained, such as South Africa and Senegal. Also abstaining were Brazil, Mexico and India. The US argues that this punishment — suspending Russia from the Geneva-based organization that is the UN’s main human rights monitor — is more than symbolic and in fact intensifies Russia’s isolation after the assault on Ukraine that began February 24. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also called for Russia to be expelled from the UN Security Council “so it cannot block decisions about its own aggression, its own war.” But Washington has admitted there is little anyone can do about Russia’s position on the Security Council, where it has a veto. Match words with ‘action’ More than 11 million people have been displaced since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. The world has been outraged by images of scores of civilians apparently executed and left in mass graves in areas formerly controlled by Russian troops. This carnage has led to new rounds of sanctions against Russia. Journalists including from AFP last weekend found corpses in civilian clothes, some with their hands bound in the town of Bucha outside Kyiv. “The images out of Bucha and devastation across Ukraine require us to now match our words with action,” US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Monday as she pressed for Russia’s suspension from the rights council. “We cannot let a member state that is subverting every principle we hold dear to continue to participate” in the council, she said. The Kremlin has denied Russian forces killed civilians, and alleged that the images of dead bodies in Bucha were “fakes.” The UN Human Rights Council was founded in 2006 and is composed of 47 member states chosen by the General Assembly. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Blake Brittain (Reuters) – The Boy Scouts of America’s use of the word “Scouting” to advertise co-ed programs does not violate the Girl Scouts’ trademark rights, a Manhattan federal court ruled https://tmsnrt.rs/3x5O3QC on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein said a lawsuit by the Girl Scouts over the term was based on fear of competition from the Boy Scouts, and the Boy Scouts has the right to use “Scouts” and “Scouting” without reference to gender. The Girl Scouts said in a statement that the group was “deeply disappointed” by the ruling and planned to appeal. The Boy Scouts did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hellerstein had said at a September hearing that he planned to rule for the Boy Scouts. The Boy Scouts announced in 2017 that it would allow girls to join and later launched an ad campaign for co-ed scouting called “Scout Me In.” It changed the name of its main scouting program to “Scouts BSA” and officially started welcoming girls in 2019. The Girl Scouts sued in 2018, alleging the Boy Scouts’ use of “Scouts” and “Scouting” to market to girls violates its trademarks. It said the rebrand created confusion and threatened to marginalize the group. The Boy Scouts has called the lawsuit part of a Girl Scouts “ground war” to counter its entry into girls’ scouting. Both organizations have lost significant membership in recent years, and the Boy Scouts is trying to finalize a proposed $2.7 billion settlement of thousands of sex abuse claims in bankruptcy court. Hellerstein said in his ruling that there was no trademark confusion, and that the Girl Scouts’ lawsuit was not based on trademark concerns but out of “fear for their competitive position in a market with gender-neutral options for scouting.” (Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington, D.C.; Editing by Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by Reuters UK By Natalia Zinets and Max Hunder (Reuters) -Ukraine was trying to evacuate as many trapped civilians as possible on Thursday, warning of a new offensive by Russian forces pounding cities in the east and south of the country. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk announced agreement with Russia on opening 10 safe corridors, mostly in southern and eastern Ukraine, but said residents trying to leave the besieged city of Mariupol would have to use their own vehicles. Underlining the problems facing civilians, the head of the state railway company said three trains carrying evacuees had been block… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Sarah K. Burris Former President Donald Trump has faced a crisis in bank lending for his business operations. The Trump Organization was the company behind “The Apprentice” and business leaders clamored to “win” a competition that would legitimize their careers. Now it’s Trump who needs help appearing trustworthy to anyone who can lend him money and he’s going to a few odd places searching for capital. According to NBC News, Trump Tower was refinanced with a $100 million loan from Axos Financial, an obscure internet-only bank in San Diego and Las Vegas, financial documents from New York Cit… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Pentagon said on Wednesday it assessed that Ukraine could win the war against Russia, even as U.S. officials speak of the risk of a protracted conflict. “Of course they can win this,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told a news briefing. “The proof is literally in the outcomes that you’re seeing everyday … absolutely they can win.” (Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Howard Goller) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Kris Jenner is “still friends” with ex Caitlyn Jenner. The 66-year-old matriarch was married to Caitlyn – who was known as Bruce Jenner before transitioning into a woman – from 1991 until 2015 and admitted that they still see each other and that things have “settled down” since the divorce. She said: “We’re fine. We’re friends. I see her when she’s at a family thing. It’s settled down a lot.” Kris – who has daughters Kylie, 24, and Kendall, 26, with Caitlyn, as well as Kourtney, 42, Kim, 41, Khloe, 37, and Rob, 35, from her marriage to the late Robert Kardashian – went on to explain that Caitlyn’s transition in 2015 came as a “shock” because it was a subject she didn’t understand at the time. Speaking on the ABC interview special ‘The Kardashians’, she told Robin Roberts: “I think it was a big shock. It’s a scary thing to go through, because you know nothing about it. It’s a subject that I never thought I would have to directly deal with, confront, be understanding about something that I didn’t understand.” Caitlyn – who also has Burt, 43, and Cassandra, 41, with first wife Chrystie Scott, and Brandon, 40, and Brody, 38, with second spouse Linda Thompson – recently opened up about life since her transition, noting that these days her relationship with her family is “fine.” She said: “My relationship with the family is, you know, fine. I mean, we do things together, my kids, this and that. I just had my 20th grandchild a couple weeks ago and that’s my son, Burt, the oldest son. Of course, when you have 10 kids, you have different relationships with all of your children. Obviously, Kendall and Kylie, my flesh and blood, I’m very close to them. On the Kardashian side, I see them here and there, but I’m not really close. Kim is probably the closest. My other side, my other kids, my sons, Brandon, Burt, the whole group, they’re all there.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Betty White’s personal belongings are expected to fetch $1 million to $2 million at auction. The iconic actress passed away at her home in Los Angeles on December 31, at the age of 99, and in honour of her “incredible life and career”, a number of items, including awards, jewellery, scripts and her clothes are being sold. Among the lot is a “14-carat gold watch that was gifted to Betty Dec. 25, 1940 with the initials T.C.W. which, of course, is Tess White, Betty’s mom.” Martin Nolan, the executive director of Julien’s Auctions, said: “This is an auction representing an incredible life and career. It’s a lifestyle auction. “All these items came from her home in Brentwood or her residence in Carmel in northern California, where she lived with her husband Allen Ludden.” The screen legend received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, and a replica given to the actress will be part of the sale. There are also several paintings of animals and, the most unique of the lot, three paintings by a gorilla called Koko. The auction will take place between September 23 and 25 in Beverly Hills. Meanwhile, Jamie Lee Curtis just paid tribute to the ‘Golden Girls’ star during the Oscar’s In Memoriam segment. The 63-year-old actress – who starred alongside Betty in the 2010 movie ‘You Again’ – came on stage at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood with a puppy. She said: “She was not only a Golden Girl, she was a legend who brightened every room she walked in and brought a smile to the faces of all who watched on her on the screen and day in and day out for almost a century, she was a woman who cared not just for her two-legged friends but for animals just like this. “So the greatest gift you could give Betty White is to open your heart and home and adopt a rescue dog just like Mac’N’Cheese from Paw Works. Thank you Betty, for being a friend to us all.” View the full article

Published by DPA Jude Law stars as a younger Albus Dumbledore in "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore". Warner Bros. Entertainment/dpa Mads Mikkelsen is great at playing the bad guy. After much-acclaimed performances in incredibly successful films like “Rogue One: The Star Wars Story” and “Another Round”, the Dane now plays Grindelwald, the dark wizard in the “Fantastic Beasts” world. In the series’ latest sequel, “The Secrets of Dumbledore”, Grindelwald has set himself no lesser task than wiping out the muggles – as people without magical abilities are called in the Fantastic Beast universe. Not everyone was happy about the prospect that Mikkelsen would replace Johnny Depp who had starred as Grindelwald in the first two spin-off films, which also serve as prequels to the Harry Potter saga. However, the famous Hollywood star was asked to step back due to domestic violence allegations. Artistically speaking, stepping into Depp’s shoes is no simple task, but Mikkelsen seems to be doing it with ease. His portrayal of Grindelwald in “The Secrets of Dumbledore” is characterized by a cool malice that will have viewers paralyzed in their chairs. The third “Fantastic Beasts” film, out in Britain and the US in April, generally manages to emotionally engage the viewer more than its predecessor, “The Crimes of Grindelwald”. While many fans found the second film’s plot too complex, this time Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, together with Steve Kloves, managed to write a more coherent screen play. “The Secrets of Dumbledore” is directed by usual suspect David Yates, who already directed four Harry Potter films and the first two Fantastic Beasts films. In one of the first scenes, a young Albus Dumbledore, played by Jude Law, meets his then-friend Grindelwald, who doesn’t conceal his hatred for muggles. They are smelly creatures and he will destroy their world, Grindelwald tells his friend. Dumbledore, who later becomes Harry Potter’s most important mentor, is prevented from fighting with Grindelwald himself as the film proceeds, due to a blood pact they agreed on in the early years of their friendship. While we already know from the Harry Potter series that the friendship with Grindelwald took a dark turn at some point in Dumbledore’s life, the latest Fantastic Beasts film takes a closer look at this complex relationship between two of the greatest wizards of all time. And more of Dumbledore’s secrets will be revealed, as he recruits a group of outsiders to thwart Grindelwald’s plan for world domination. Once again, oddball magizoologist with a suitcase full of magical animals Newt Scamander, played again by Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne, takes a leading role. At his side is his friend from the first two films, muggle baker Jacob (Dan Fogler). Initially reluctant to join them, he is won over by the witch “Lally” Hicks, whose dry sense of humour adds a bit of levity to the film. Of course, other magical creatures from the first parts are also back, like the popular mole-like Niffler and Pickett, who resembles a green stick insect. In the end, many of Dumbledore’s secrets are revealed, and there is still time for feelings, friendships and even a wedding that no one expects. View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former President Donald Trump said he did not destroy records of phone calls from the official White House log or use so-called burner phones during his supporters’ deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, The Washington Post reported on Thursday. Trump, a Republican, told the newspaper he has not been contacted by congressional investigators about the assault, which occurred as then-Vice President Mike Pence and lawmakers gathered to certify the Nov. 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden. Just before the crowd marched to the Capitol, Trump repeated his false claims about election fraud at a raucous rally outside the White House. The Washington Post reported last week that there was a gap of nearly eight hours in the White House record of Trump’s calls as the rioting unfolded a few miles away. Trump told the newspaper he had a “very good” memory but could not remember whom he talked to that day. “From the standpoint of telephone calls, I don’t remember getting very many,” he said, according to the Post. “Why would I care about who called me? If congressmen were calling me, what difference did it make? There was nothing secretive about it. There was no secret.” Several U.S. lawmakers, including House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, have said they talked to Trump during the riot. Trump did not speak out until hours into the violence. Four people died on the day of the attack, and one Capitol Police officer who fought with rioters died the next day. On Wednesday, he defended his public silence and told the Post he did not regret urging supporters to come to Washington. The House of Representatives’ Democratic-led Jan. 6 Select Committee has interviewed about 800 people before expected public hearings in May. Trump, who has invoked executive privilege to try to block the Jan. 6 committee from White House records, said he did not know what he would do if contacted. “It depends what the request is,” he told the Post. The committee recently interviewed his daughter, Ivanka Trump, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, his top White House advisers. Trump confirmed reporting that he spoke with Ginni Thomas, a conservative activist and wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, during his presidency. He declined to comment on whether former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows should have given the panel text messages in which she urged Trump to work to overturn the election. (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Frank Jack Daniel) View the full article

Published by AFP Former US President Donald Trump blamed Democrats for not stopping the violence at the Capitol Washington (AFP) – Former President Donald Trump defended his conduct during the US Capitol assault in an incendiary interview published Thursday, saying he did not regret summoning his rioting supporters to Washington. He told The Washington Post he would have accompanied his ultra-loyal followers as they marched on the complex on January 6 last year, but was stopped by his security detail. He offered no contrition for whipping up the crowd with bogus claims that victory was stolen from him through widespread fraud — although he was clear in his condemnation of the violence that ensued. “Secret Service said I couldn’t go. I would have gone there in a minute,” he said, in the wide-ranging interview, adding that it was the largest crowd he had ever spoken to. Thousands of Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol last year in an effort to halt the peaceful transfer of power after Joe Biden won a decisive victory in 2020, described by the government as one of the most secure elections in US history. Trump repeatedly boasted about the “tremendous” size of the crowd at his rally ahead of the riot and glossed over his explosive rhetoric that whipped up the crowd. “I don’t know what that means, but you see very few pictures. They don’t want to show pictures, the fake news doesn’t want to show pictures,” he said. The ex-president defended his long silence during the attack, deflecting blame to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, even though she isn’t responsible for policing at the Capitol and was a target of the mob herself. He also pointed a finger at Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, who “furiously tried to reach Trump’s team that day,” according to the Post. “I hated seeing it. I hated seeing it. And I said, ‘It’s got to be taken care of,’ and I assumed they were taking care of it,” Trump said of the violence, which has been linked to at least five deaths. The interview came after the House of Representatives voted to refer ex-Trump aides Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino for criminal contempt charges on Wednesday for defying congressional subpoenas to testify about the riot. View the full article

U.K. Trans Rights Protest80-Plus LGBTQ Orgs Pull Support The continued response to the Conservative Party-led U.K. government’s decision to exclude conversion therapy for transgender people from its proposed ban on the controversial practice has now claimed the nation’s dedicated LGBTQ rights conference. The “Safe To Be Me” conference that was scheduled to take place in London this June was canceled this week after more than 80 U.K. LGBTQ advocacy organizations (approximately 20% of the total membership of the umbrella consortium) pulled their support for the conference in response to the conversion therapy ban restructuring. People involved in organizing the conference labeled the entire event as “pinkwashing” and stated that they wished the government “would just cancel it.” “We’re less than three months away, and we have no speakers, no sponsorship, no budget. It’s a mess,” one planner told Vice. Vice also reported that an organizer at one LGBTQ advocacy group was told by government officials that the LGB Alliance “will take our space” if it didn’t participate in the conference. Conversion Therapy: Previously on Towleroad UK Cancels Global LGBTQ Conference After 80 UK Groups Refuse to Attend With Trans Conversion Therapy Left Out of Proposed Ban Brian Bell April 7, 2022 Read More Stonewall UK Critic Joins Equality Commission; Quidditch Renaming After J.K. Rowling’s Transphobia; Chile Elects Pro-LGBTQ President Brian Bell December 21, 2021 Read More UK Government Denies Request to Make Gay Conversion Therapy a Crime Michael Fitzgerald December 4, 2017 Read More Gay Moroccan Man Faces Deportation From the UK Michael Fitzgerald October 31, 2017 Read More Family Claims Hate Crime After British Man Left For Dead with Fractured Skull, Bleeding Brain Adam Rhodes August 21, 2017 Read More Survey: 31 Percent of British People Think Being Gay is a Choice Michael Fitzgerald February 27, 2017 Read More Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash View the full article

Published by Al-Araby The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is calling on the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) to cancel an event in May in Budapest featuring as its keynote speaker Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The Hungarian leader, who was re-elected earlier this month, is known for his xenophobic, Islamophobic, anti-Semitic and homophobic rhetoric and policies, as well as has friendly relations with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. During his time in office, Orban cracked down on the press, rolled back protections for the LGBTQ community, instituted policies that have helped erod… Read More View the full article