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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

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Biden administration is expected to announce on Wednesday an extension of the student loan repayment pause through Aug. 31, an administration official familiar with White House’s decision making said on Tuesday. The repayment moratorium has been extended multiple times since it was first put in place in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The current pause was set to expire on May 1. Nearly 41 million borrowers have benefited from a freeze on interest accruals and about 27 million borrowers have not had to pay their monthly bills since the forbearance began. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing by Eric Beech; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Aurora Ellis) View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA Magic Johnson is reflecting on one moment in his career where he wanted to get physical — but luckily held himself back. In 1998, the NBA superstar, 62, hosted a short-lived late night show entitled The Magic Hour where shock jock Howard Stern — who publicly criticized the program — made a much talked about appearance. During the sit-down, the “King Of All Media” made horrific comments about race and more specifically, Johnson’s HIV diagnosis. MEGA “The thing you need to work on, in my estimation, is that you’ve gotta stop trying to talk like the white man,” Stern, 68, told the former Los Angeles Lakers player 24 years ago, per Variety. “Everybody’s anti-Ebonics. I say, let it fly! What you need to do, ‘my brotha,’ is to really get down with it. You talk Ebonics all you want.” HOWARD STERN DECLARES AARON RODGERS SHOULD BE THROWN OUT OF THE NFL FOR VACCINATION STANCE: ‘NO TIME FOR IDIOTS’ The radio DJ reportedly continued his out-of-touch remarks stating: “Listen, you’re a Black man. I grew up in a Black neighborhood. I’m Blacker than you are, trust me. I’m the Blackest Black man you’ll ever meet. And I’m telling you right now, when I lived in Roosevelt, Long Island, which is a Black ghetto, everybody talked like this.” Stern then delivered the most shocking statement of the interview, where he told Johnson — who went public with his HIV diagnosis in 1991 — “You had the life I wanted. These were white chicks? Black chicks? What do we got? What did you prefer? You would have sex with everybody?” “At least you had fun getting AIDS,” Stern concluded. MEGA Johnson corrected the out-of-line Private Parts actor, noting he had HIV, not AIDS, and that “nobody has fun” contracting it. Stern smugly responded, “Believe me, brother, you did. It sounds like fun to me.” ANDY COHEN TO THE RESCUE! BRAVO STAR ‘PITCHING HIMSELF’ TO FILL IN FOR HOWARD STERN WHILE SIRIUS XM HOST TAKES SUMMER BREAK Johnson looked back on the controversial chat with Stern during a recent interview with Variety, confessing to the outlet that he was so furious over Stern’s disastrous appearance that it almost got physical: “So many times, I wanted to say something and hit him at the same time — on air.” MEGA “I was mad when they booked him. But there’s nothing you can do. When people look for ratings, this is what happens,” the Michigan State University alum noted. “It is what it is. I learned a lot from that. I’ve never put myself — or HIV and AIDS, or my race — in that position again, ever again.” Johnson — who has been promoting his Apple TV documentary, They Call Me Magic — confirmed he has not spoken to the SiriusXM star since the shocking interview. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Ahmed Aboulenein and Julie Steenhuysen WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced a national action plan to be developed by the U.S. health department to tackle the looming health crisis of long COVID, a complex, multi-symptom condition that leaves many of its sufferers unable to work. Long COVID, which arises months after a COVID-19 infection, affects nearly 7% of all U.S. adults and 2.3% of the overall population and has cost an estimated $386 billion in lost wages, savings and medical bills, according to an analysis by the Solve Long Covid Initiative, a non-profit research and advocacy group. More than 200 symptoms – many lasting for months – have been associated with the condition, including pain, fatigue, brain fog, breathing difficulty and exhaustion after minimal amounts of physical activity. The plan will expand research, care and disability services for people suffering from the condition, the White House said. Secretary Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra will release the jointly developed National Research Action Plan within 120 days, Biden said in a presidential memorandum. It addresses some concerns raised by patient advocacy groups, which have criticized the slow speed of the National Institutes of Health’s $1.15 billion RECOVER research program, and aims to accelerate the enrollment of 40,000 people with and without long COVID. Under the plan, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will invest $20 million next year to investigate how healthcare systems can best help those with long COVID, mentor primary care practices, and develop multi-specialty clinics across the country. The plan calls for allocating an additional $25 million to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from Biden’s 2023 budget – in addition to the agency’s $50 million investment – to better understand and find solutions to characteristics, risk factors, underlying mechanisms, and health impacts of long COVID. Other provisions include adding more long COVID programs to the 18 Department of Veterans Affairs facilities that already offer them. HHS also will launch a new project, Health+, aimed at gaining insights into the experiences of those living with the often debilitating condition to help inform high-quality care and contribute to standardized best practices at long COVID clinics. The plan also aims to translate its findings into actionable disability policies with the Social Security Administration, and work with the Department of Labor on helping affected workers who are deciding if they are able to return to their jobs. (Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein in Washington and Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien) View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Magic Johnson said he almost pulled a Will Smith whenHoward Stern was on his short-lived show, The Magic Hour. The 62-year-old NBA legend spoke out about Stern’s off-color remarks during their 1998 sitdown in which the shock jock threw out comments about the Black community and hurled jokes about Magic’s HIV diagnosis, as well as incorrectly referring to his condition as AIDS. “The thing you need to work on, in my estimation, is that you’ve gotta stop trying to talk like the white man,” Stern told Magic more than two decades ago. “Everybody’s anti-Ebonics. I say, let it fly! What you need to do, ‘my brotha,’ is to really get down with it. You talk Ebonics all you want.” Stern then declared he was “Blacker” than the athlete. Mega “Listen, you’re a Black man. I grew up in a Black neighborhood. I’m Blacker than you are, trust me. I’m the Blackest Black man you’ll ever meet. And I’m telling you right now, when I lived in Roosevelt, Long Island, which is a Black ghetto, everybody talked like this,” Stern stated. The controversial Sirius XM host followed his crude comments with the biggest insult of all — poking fun at Magic’s diagnosis. The Basketball Hall of Famer was diagnosed with HIV in 1991, just 7 years before Stern appeared on his show. “You had the life I wanted. These were white chicks? Black chicks? What do we got? What did you prefer? You would have sex with everybody?” Stern asked intrigued. “At least you had fun getting AIDS,” he said. Mega When Magic corrected him by stating he had HIV, not aids, and “nobody has fun” contracting the condition, Stern doubled down. “Believe me, brother, you did. It sounds like fun to me,” he responded. Looking back on that interview, Magic confessed to Variety that it took major self-control not to punch Stern over his insensitive remarks. “So many times, I wanted to say something and hit him at the same time — on air,” he recalled. “I was mad when they booked him. But there’s nothing you can do. When people look for ratings, this is what happens,” Magic told the outlet, vowing, “It is what it is. I learned a lot from that. I’ve never put myself — or HIV and AIDS, or my race — in that position again, ever again.” The retired pro-athlete said that was the last time he ever spoke to Stern. Mega Magic’s confession comes just weeks after Smith slapped Chris Rock during the live broadcast of the 94th annual Academy Awards. The comedian joked about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head during the Oscars, causing her famous husband to lose his cool. Smith jumped up on the stage, smacked Rock, and when screamed profanities at the shocked comedian when he returned to his seat. Smith now faces backlash for not having control over his emotions like Magic. He has already resigned his membership from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, but now the organization is meeting with its board members to discuss to future in Hollywood. Several of Smith’s projects have been put on hold as his career sits in limbo. View the full article

Published by AFP A red fox is captured by DC animal control officers outside the US Capitol in Washington on April 5, 2022 Washington (AFP) – Being outfoxed in Congress usually means losing a vote on an amended resolution or being too late for the donut line in the Senate cafeteria. So spare a thought for the politicians and staff at the US Capitol in Washington, where a highly aggressive red fox spent at least two days stalking frightened humans, including a Democratic congressman. Police officers warned Tuesday that they had received multiple reports of people “being attacked or bitten” by an aggressive canine at the seat of US democracy — in a statement first reported by none other than… Fox News. The force quickly dispatched animal control officers to “trap and relocate” any foxes they found — and within hours they posted pictures on social media of the beast, finally taken into custody, sitting in an animal cage above the caption: “Captured.” Online political magazine Punchbowl News reported that congressman Ami Bera had to be rescued by police late Monday after squaring up to a fox that had just bitten him in an “unprovoked” attack. “I didn’t see it and all of a sudden I felt something lunge at the back of my leg,” Bera, a physician by profession, told Punchbowl. The 57-year-old Sacramento Democrat wasn’t hurt, but agreed “out of an abundance of caution” to get a series of rabies shots. Bloodlust sated “I expect to get attacked if I go on Fox News, I don’t expect to get attacked by a fox,” he told Punchbowl. Ximena Bustillo, a Congress reporter for Politico, said she was bitten on the ankle from behind as she was leaving the complex. “I’m from Idaho. I know to not try and pet it!!” she tweeted. Witnesses flooded social media with sightings, with several reporting seeing it munching on a squirrel or merely enjoying the sun — its bloodlust apparently sated — in the Senate gardens. Fifteen months after a violent mob stormed the Capitol to disrupt the certification of last presidential election, one wag even referred to the ongoing animal threat as an “infurrection.” Inside the Capitol, reporters spent the weekly leaders’ press conferences in a breathless interrogation about possible action on the four-legged menace. Top Republican Mitch McConnell ignored the inquiries, but Iowa’s intrepid two-term senator Joni Ernst was proud to report that she had spotted the animal, without revealing how close the encounter was. Red foxes — the most common of several North American species — are regularly found in towns and cities but tend to avoid people, according to the city environmental department. They typically eat insects, small birds, squirrels and rabbits, and are not known for their predilection for legislators or their intimidated staffers. The species has thrived during the pandemic, according to wildlife experts in the nation’s capital. “Less ambient noise, less traffic, less interference… right now, life is better for them,” Bill McShea, a wildlife ecologist with the Smithsonian National Zoo, told DCist magazine. “If there’s an upside to Covid, it’s on the wildlife.” View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA The White House is divided into two — Team Biden and Team Harris — but one was left “peeved” at the other after former President Barack Obama’s visit on Tuesday, OK! has learned. As we previously reported, the fight inside the West Wing for who is the No. 1 woman has exploded into a battle royale between First Lady Jill Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris. Both have accused each other of destabilizing the administration, OK! has learned. MEGA Harris chuckled as Obama made his first public appearance at the White House since leaving office in 2017, telling the crowd: “Feels good, doesn’t it?” VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS WASN’T HAPPY WITH ANNA WINTOUR OVER VOGUE COVER: ‘SHE FELT BELITTLED,’ NEW BOOK REVEALS Said one source: “It was a comment that simply wasn’t needed. Peeved? Yes, I think many aides to Biden were. That the Vice-President would undercut the credibility of President Biden with the suggestion that it feels good to have him back in the most powerful place in the United States truly does beggar belief. She was fawning over him.” The tension rising comes just days after Harris refused to support Biden, who advocated for regime change in Russia. As OK! previously reported, while talking with MSNBC host Joy Reid on Friday, April 1, the Veep attempted to avoid the direct question about whether she agreed with the head of the nation. MEGA “Listen, I think you frame the point quite accurately and well, which is America’s policy has been and will continue to be focused on the real issue at hand,” Harris noted. “There are serious consequences for Vladimir Putin and Russian aggression as it relates to Ukraine.” FLORIDA NURSE PLEADS GUILTY TO THREATENING TO KILL VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS, FACES UP TO 5 YEARS IN PRISON After Reid pressed her yet again, the Democrat emphasized, “Listen, let me be very clear, let me be very clear, we are not into regime change and that is not our policy. Period.” As far as the rift between Harris and the first lady of the U.S., a source exclusively told OK! last month, “Jill despises Kamala — make no mistake about it.” MEGA “Dr. Biden told her husband that he should never have chosen Kamala as his running mate, and she believed he would have won regardless of who else was on the ticket,” the insider detailed. “When the new administration started, Dr. Biden tried to reset but soon realized the Vice-President had not changed,” the source went on to note. “The Vice-President has been cantankerous and constantly raising race as an issue for her failings as a leader.” View the full article