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Don’t Say Gay Bill Passes in Florida Legislature. The situation in Florida has garnered due attention throughout the journey of it’s Don’t Say Gay Bill. Lost with the focus on Ukraine and Florida are the collection of bills similar to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill that are currently being advanced in multiple states. Idaho and Alabama Followed Texas’ Anti-Trans, so… Just as states including Idaho and Alabama took lead from Texas to criminalize providing gender-affirming care to trans and gender-diverse minors, a number of state legislatures are falling in line with the conservative leaders of Florida to silence LGBTQ-centric conversations in schools. (Idaho’s anti-trans bill KILLED by State Senate earlier this week. ) Georgia “Don’t Say Gay”: BLOCKED Georgia lawmakers made headlines last week by introducing its own version of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, the Common Humanity in Private Education Act. Unlike Florida’s bill, the measure focuses squarely on private and nonpublic schools. The bill states that those schools cannot “promote, compel or encourage classroom discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not appropriate for the age and developmental stage of the student.” It also mentions Critical Race Theory as a topic that should be removed from school curriculums, saying it encourages the notion that “an individual, solely by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex.” “The Georgia Don’t Say Gay bill is government sanctioned censorship, explicitly targeting LGBTQ students,” Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality, told WSB-TV. The bill made little movement prior to the end of Georgia’s legislative session on Tuesday, but it did help solidify the issue as one that will likely be revised as Gov. Brian Kemp runs for reelection later this year. Impact is Likely Huge Florida’s bill is drawing the most eyes and outcry, but, as with any new push to limit the civil liberties of LGBTQ minors and adults, the legislative web it belongs to runs much deeper. And it threatens far more than just LGBTQ students. “We know that what happens in schools impacts mental health and suicide risk,” said The Trevor Project director of advocacy and government affairs Sam Ames in an interview with Changing America. “We know that youth learning about themselves, being able to see themselves reflected in their curriculum, being able to speak openly about who they are to their classmates and their teachers reduces suicide risk significantly.” “We are seeing entire chapters of textbooks being erased. Do you not talk in a civics class about Pete Buttigieg? Do you not talk in a history class about Harvey Milk or Marsha P. Johnson,” Ames said. “These are fundamental moments, not just in LGBTQ history, but in American history, that are being written out of existence.” Don’t Say Gay bill: Previously on Towleroad Sponsor of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Says Quiet Part Out Loud — Too Many [Damn] Gay Kids Nowadays; Herald Editorial Nails “reminiscing of a Grandpa” Towleroad March 9, 2022 Read More Disney Employees Furious CEO Bob Chapek Touts Disney Pride, Recent Characters of Color, Won’t Condemn ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill, And Can’t See That Makes It Worse Towleroad March 7, 2022 Read More ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Passes Florida House, 69-47; Law Would Limit School Discussions; Reps Voting in Favor Told: ‘You Are Voting To Be An Opponent’ Of LGBTQ Community Towleroad February 24, 2022 Read More Amid Book Challenges Predominantly Against LGBTQ Materials — One A Memoir By a Black and Gay Writer–Parents, Activists Sound The Alarm in Florida Towleroad February 16, 2022 Read More Florida’s Peekaboo Republicans Used Toddler Logic To Craft Their ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Legislation — In Effect A Gag-Order-Plus-Eye-Cover Mandate To Make Gays Disappear. Good Luck. Brian Bell January 27, 2022 Read More Well-Known Florida Marriage Plaintiff Found Dead In Landfill; Investigations Ongoing To Identify Who Killed Jorge Diaz-Johnston Brian Bell January 19, 2022 Read More Photo by Mercedes Mehling on Unsplash View the full article

Published by Reuters By Trevor Hunnicutt and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) -The Biden administration made a carefully orchestrated gamble this week, issuing a series of public and private threats to Beijing that it will face consequences if it supports Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The strategy was capped by a tense, seven-hour meeting in Rome on Monday between U.S. President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, and China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi. Having fired loud diplomatic salvos at Beijing, Biden administration officials are still debating the next steps to take to ensure China does not help Russia evade Western sanctions or supply weapons to Moscow as casualties mount in Ukraine. One result of the Rome meeting was announced on Thursday – Chinese President Xi Jinping will speak with Biden on Friday about “managing the competition between our two countries as well as Russia’s war against Ukraine,” the White House said. It is not likely to be an easy conversation. Beijing was combative in the Rome talks, people briefed on the interactions say. One U.S.-based person briefed on the meeting described Chinese officials’ response as “tough” and “offensive.” Another said simply that the talks did not go well. Washington is now sorting through a host of unanswered questions, including where any “red line” regarding Ukraine that China would need to cross to trigger a U.S. response is, and what exactly that response would be, administration officials say. The Biden administration is waiting to see what China does before deciding on a course of action. “We’re going to be watching closely,” said White House spokesperson Jen Psaki on Monday. A senior U.S. official said they would be looking at what military, economic, or other support is being provided to Russia. The United States on Monday told allies in NATO and several Asian countries that China had signaled its willingness to provide military and economic aid to Russia to support its war in Ukraine, an accusation that China denies. Sullivan had warned before the talks that China would “absolutely” face consequences if it helped Moscow evade sweeping sanctions over Ukraine. China, which announced a “no limits” strategic partnership with Russia in February, may find it hard to change course and back down after a threat was made public, said Kevin Gallagher, who leads the Global Development Policy Center at Boston University. “This wasn’t a good strategic move,” he said. “Like the United States, China has a domestic constituency.” He Weiwen, senior fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Beijing’s Renmin University said: “The U.S. has an intention to crackdown on China, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict provides a reason for it to do so,” describing the U.S. warnings as “blackmail.” Sources in the Biden administration and diplomats in Washington and Europe say Western countries had been sending private warnings to Beijing about China’s support for Russian President Vladimir Putin for weeks before the Rome meeting. Russia has denied asking China for military assistance, and China warned this week of “false information,” in apparent reference to U.S. statements. “China firmly opposes any words and deeds that spread false information and distort and smear China’s position,” Yang said, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Beijing’s official newspaper, the People’s Daily, carried a column noting the inaccurate U.S. intelligence that led to the Iraq invasion. Some U.S. allies also quietly questioned the intelligence Washington was relying upon regarding the Russian and Chinese conversations, several European diplomatic sources said. SANCTIONS DISCUSSIONS NOT ADVANCED Discussions between the United States and its military allies of any coordinated sanctions that could apply to Beijing are not advanced, according to one person involved in those conversations. A move to sanction China over Ukraine would have potentially dire consequences, not just for China, but for the U.S. and global economies, analysts say. China trades vastly more with the United States and its NATO than it does with Russia, and the Chinese economy relies heavily on international markets and capital. However, the talks between Sullivan and Yang did not focus on trade, one U.S. official noted. Biden entered office regarding China as the key foreign policy challenge of the era, one that required a more hardline defense of democratic values against autocratic competitors. But Biden hoped that his candid personal relationship with China’s leader could defuse the likelihood of a Cold War or a direct military clash between the world’s current superpower and its rising superpower, including over the status of Taiwan. “China is either going to side with Russia and reinforce the sense that it has joined an ‘axis of autocracy,’ or it is going to put significant space between Moscow and Beijing and demonstrate that it genuinely cares about preserving even a basic relationship with the rest of the world,” said Scott Kennedy, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “If it turns down this opportunity, it’s not clear to me there will be a next time to meet and set aside differences. The ball is entirely in Beijing’s court.” (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt, Andrea Shalal, Michael Martina, Steve Holland, David Brunnstrom, Alexandra Alper, Humeyra Pamuk, Phil Stewart, and the Beijing bureau; Writing by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Heather Timmons and Alistair Bell) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Gabrielle Union has blasted the Walt Disney Company’s soft stance regarding Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. The ‘Cheaper By the Dozen’ actress hit out at the studio – who are facing walkouts from staff in protest at their lack of response to the controversial bill, which bans teachers in classes up to third grade in the state from discussing LGBTQ+ issues with their students – and voiced her dismay following the news the company had donated money to every sponsor and co-sponsor of the legislation. She told Variety: “Somebody asked me, ‘Are you disappointed?’ I’m disappointed when my order isn’t right at In-N-Out. I don’t even think that’s a word that you could use for something like this, where children’s lives are literally hanging in the balance. “We need to own that if you truly are taking stands against hate and oppression, you should not fund hate and oppression. Period. The damage is done.” And Gabrielle – whose stepdaughter, Zaya, is trans – warned the lack of public challenge to the bill in Florida will see other states follow suit. She said: “There are so many states that are following suit [with Florida’s legislation], because there is no pushback, because no one in positions of power [or] corporations are taking a hard stance. “Let’s look who’s donating to what and let’s call people out… I think a lot of people like to confuse accountability and consequences for cancel culture. And as long as you have a microphone and a stage that’s not cancel culture, honey… We have to campaign and fund for those people who stand for all of us.” Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek reportedly received a letter from LGBTQ+ employees at the firm requesting he publicly condemn the bill, and Gabrielle thinks he has had a “lot of people” voice their objection. She said: “I think a lot of people reached out to him. And if you have to see my child for that to be to be the difference maker, that’s not enough. There’s a lot of kids out there, not just famous ones.” Bob previously wrote to Disney employees to apologise for letting them down, but has yet to publicly criticise the legislation, which was passed by the state’s House of Representatives on 24 February and the state Senate earlier this month. He wrote: “Thank you to all who have reached out to me sharing your pain, frustration and sadness over the company’s response to the Florida ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. “Speaking to you, reading your messages, and meeting with you have helped me better understand how painful our silence was. It is clear that this is not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights.” He added, “You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I let you down. I am sorry.” The executive pledged $5 million to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) LGBT advocacy group, but the organisation rejected the donation and called on Disney to take “meaningful action” against the bill instead. View the full article

Published by Reuters By James Mackenzie, Natalia Zinets and Oleksandr Kozhukhar KYIV/LVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday called Russian leader Vladimir Putin a war criminal in comments the Kremlin said were “unforgivable” as it insisted the war in Ukraine was “going to plan” amid talk of compromise at peace talks. Kremlin forces kept up their bombardments of besieged cities, including intensified shelling of the capital Kyiv, and civilians waiting in line for bread and sheltering in a theatre were killed, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials Moscow has yet to capture any of Ukraine’s biggest cities following its invasion that began on Feb. 24, the largest assault on a European state since World War Two, raising fears of wider conflict in the West. Putin on Wednesday said he would discuss neutral status for Ukraine and that what he calls a “special military operation” to demilitarize the country was “going to plan”. Kyiv and allies say his actions are an unprovoked incursion, and more than 3 million Ukrainians have fled and hundreds have died. The United States announced an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine to fight Russia, with the new package including drones, anti-armour and anti-aircraft systems. “More will be coming as we source additional stocks of equipment that … we are ready to transfer,” Biden said, later condemning Putin. “He is a war criminal,” he told reporters. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the comment was “unacceptable and unforgivable rhetoric”, according to Tass news agency. Ukraine still hopes for a diplomatic solution. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said negotiations were becoming “more realistic” and Russia said proposals under discussion were “close to an agreement.” The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said Russian forces had shot dead 10 people waiting in line for bread in Chernihiv, northeast of Kyiv. Russia denied the attack and said the incident was a hoax. Emergency services said rescue workers had found the bodies of five people during searches of shell-hit buildings. In the besieged southern port of Mariupol, the city council said Russian forces bombed a theatre where civilians were sheltering. The number of casualties was not known. Russia denied it had carried out an air strike against the theatre. Reuters could not independently verify the information. Maxar Technologies, a private U.S. company, distributed satellite imagery that it said was collected on March 14 and showed the word “children” in large Russian script painted on the ground outside the red-roofed Mariupol Drama Theatre. FACEBOOK POSTS REMOVED The governor of Zaporizhzhia region said Russian forces had fired artillery at a convoy of evacuees from Mariupol, wounding five people on Wednesday. Three people were killed and five wounded after shelling caused a fire at a market in eastern Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, emergency services said. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said 400 staff and patients were being held hostage at a Mariupol hospital that Russian forces captured on Tuesday. Moscow denies targeting civilians. Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Russian shelling caused a fire and damaged private homes and a gas line in the evening after early morning barrages. Russian troops have halted at the gates of the capital after taking heavy losses. Ukraine handed over nine captured soldiers to secure the freedom of the mayor of the city of Melitopol, who was detained last week, the Interfax Ukraine news agency quoted a senior official as saying on Wednesday. And as an information battle goes on alongside fighting, Facebook on Wednesday removed official Russian posts that falsely claimed reports of Russia bombing a children’s hospital in Ukraine were a hoax. Russia has shifted its stance over the bombing that caused outrage around the world with a mix of statements that veered between aggressive denials and a call to establish clear facts. ‘DARKEST TIME’ In a speech to the U.S. Congress by video link, Zelenskiy repeated a request for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, something the West won’t introduce. “In the darkest time for our country, for the whole of Europe, I call on you to do more,” he said. NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels pledged more arms supplies to help Ukraine. The U.N. Security Council is due to vote on Friday on a Russian-drafted call for aid access and civilian protection, but diplomats say the measure is set to fail because it does not push for an end to the fighting or withdrawal of troops. Delegations from the two sides were meeting via video conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday as efforts continued for a diplomatic solution. The Kremlin said negotiators were discussing a status for Ukraine similar to that of Austria or Sweden, both members of the European Union that are outside the NATO military alliance. Ukraine’s chief negotiator said Kyiv was still demanding a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops, with guarantees. Zelenskiy has said Ukraine could accept international security guarantees that stopped short of its longstanding aim to join NATO. That prospect has been one of Russia’s primary concerns. “Neutral status is now being seriously discussed along, of course, with security guarantees,” Lavrov said. “There are absolutely specific formulations which in my view are close to agreement.” Vladimir Medinsky, Russia’s chief negotiator, told state TV: “Ukraine is offering an Austrian or Swedish version of a neutral demilitarised state, but at the same time a state with its own army and navy.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the idea “could really be seen as a compromise”. Austria and Sweden, the biggest of six EU members outside NATO, both have small militaries that cooperate with the alliance. DAMAGE TO RUSSIA’S ECONOMY Ukrainian forces have withstood an assault by a much larger army but the humanitarian toll is rising. Ukraine said about 20,000 people had escaped besieged Mariupol in cars, but hundreds of thousands remain trapped. The economic fallout is also being felt around the world. The Biden administration has authorized additional exports of liquefied natural gas from Texas-based Cheniere Energy in a move that could help Europe deal with a worsening crunch. Meanwhile, Russia was due to pay $117 million in interest on dollar-denominated sovereign bonds but may pay in roubles instead, amounting to its first default on foreign debt since the Bolshevik revolution. Moscow said it had the money, and Washington would be to blame if it cannot pay. In his most explicit acknowledgment of the pain inflicted by Western sanctions, Putin said inflation and unemployment would rise, and structural changes to the economy would be needed. (Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Peter Graff, Angus MacSwan and Costas Pitas, Editing by Tomasz Janowski, Philippa Fletcher, Grant McCool and Cynthia Osterman) View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Ellen DeGeneres is making sure her staff is well taken care of after her syndicated talk show ends. The 64-year-old comedian is allegedly gifting the employees of The Ellen DeGeneres Show nearly $3 million in bonuses, depending on how long they’ve been apart of her team. This comes nearly one year after her career nearly tanked after she was accused of running a toxic work environment. According to Deadline, DeGeneres’ bonuses are structured like this: staff members who have worked one-four years on her show will reportedly receive an extra two weeks of pay. Those who have served 5-8 years under her wing will get three weeks of pay, and so on. Veterans of the long-standing show will be capped at 6 weeks of additional pay. The outlet also notes that 30% of DeGeneres’ staff has been with her for 10 or more years. Mega Bonuses aren’t the only thing employees are getting. Warner Bros./Telepictures allegedly sent letters to staffers informing them that the company was extending their healthcare for 6 months after the program ends. They will also enjoy a condensed work schedule as the season comes to a close. Besides bonuses, healthcare coverage, and a shorter production schedule, DeGeneres’ talk show employees will also get free workshops on how to tailor their resumes and one-year memberships to free LinkedIn Learning. While that sounds fine and dandy, not everything smelled like roses behind the scenes at The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Mega Radar spoke with an ex-staffer who said their time as an employee of the show was “emotional psychological abuse.” “It’s a relief because, I was there for multiple seasons, and I could tell a majority of the staff was very unhappy. I could tell that the allegations, of course, were transpiring; they were true,” the source told us after DeGeneres announced her show was ending. “From my perspective, a lot of what wasn’t reported was verbal harassment and emotional psychological abuse, and I know that takes a very large toll on people. I’m really happy that that’s finally coming to an end.” DeGeneres later addressed the allegations but seemed to do more harm than good. “When it started, with that stupid ‘someone couldn’t look me in the eye’ or whatever the first thing was, it’s like a crest of a wave,” she stated. “Like, ‘This isn’t going to be that big of a wave.” And then it just keeps getting bigger and bigger until it was out of control.” She doubled down on her innocence, claiming, “And I really, honestly, felt like, ‘I don’t deserve this. I don’t need this. I know who I am. I’m a good person.’ And I was sitting back going, ‘If I was someone watching this, I would think, Well, there must be some truth to it because it’s not stopping.'” The Ellen DeGeneres Show‘s last episode is set to air on May 26. View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] The Essentials A parody of “Dentist” from “Little Shop of Horrors” Target: Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert … and a few others. Most Risky Lyric: “Your privilege is whiter than Anderson Cooper” YouTube Reviews: “Another masterpiece of comedic musical scathing tell-it-like-it-is parody extravaganza!!! ” –Blathering Bear Love the line about accusing non—Nazis of being Nazis while honoring the actual Nazis. Sad and sick but true. Gazpacho indeed. ” –Harry Hart-Browne “I’m glad someone finally gave a complete definition of a Karen, and no one could’ve done a better job than Randy. I love it , and I love your videos, thank you for lifting my day, and keep it up.” –Gartheo Breeding “Watching Randy’s brilliance made it tolerable to have to see&think about these vile creatures.Thank you Randy for being our light in these dark times ” –Diana Swan Connect with Randy Rainbow: Pre-order Randy’s new MEMOIR “Playing with Myself” (Available 4/19/22) TICKETS TO SEE RANDY LIVE! (Book Tour & Pink Glasses Tour): Book Randy Rainbow on CAMEO: Buy official t-shirts and other fun merch here (new merchandise coming soon): Support Randy’s Patreon page and get lots of fun rewards: LIKE Randy on Facebook for more:… Follow @RandyRainbow on TWITTER: Follow @RandyRainbow on INSTAGRAM: Randy on TikTok!@randyrainbowofficial Randy Rainbow Qaren Gurl You’re a Karen on Towleroad Beyoncé’s Mom Tina Knowles Goes Off About Jussie Smollett’s Jail Sentence: ‘They Want To Destroy This Man’ More Netflix brings back hit Ukrainian comedy show starring Zelensky More Biden: It’s time to change U.S. culture on violence against women More Idaho Senate halts healthcare bill targeting trans youth More Jaden Smith recalls ‘beautiful’ experience on psychedelic mushrooms More Jussie Smollett moved off psych ward More Billie Lourd honoured Mother Carrie Fisher, Grandmother Debbie Reynolds at her wedding More Britney Spears wants to be ‘feared’ rather than loved More Matt Bomer in early talks to board Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic More More than 10,000 couples marry in Ukraine since start of war More State TV protester tells Russians: open your eyes to Ukraine war propaganda More Ukraine President Zelenskiy asks U.S. Congress to help ‘protect our skies’ More Megan Rapinoe Changes the Game in More Ways Than One More Load More View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Jussie Smollett, who is spending 150 days in jail in addition to 30 months’ probation after he claimed that he was part of a racist and homophobic hate crime by two brothers in Chicago, has one person in his corner: Beyoncé‘s mom, Tina Knowles. On Wednesday, March 16, Knowles stuck up for the Empire actor, who was found guilty on five counts of felony disorderly conduct for lying to the police, and he was also charged with a sixth count of felony disorderly conduct for lying to a detective in the weeks following the “attack.” Mega “No matter what opinion you have of whether or not Jussie Smollet did what he is accused of or not. The punishment does not fit the crime,” she began via Instagram. “People walk away free from killing our people everyday. How many instances of our young Black people have been murdered in the last year, and the people whom they were with are walking free! And what about the people involved in the treason at the White House? Most went unpunished!” She continued, “And then they give this man five months in Jail. Are you kidding me? This is unjust. This man is not a threat to society. This is an example of the disparities between how we are treated as opposed to our white counterparts. Black people we cannot afford to let this slide! Trust me you and your family might be next! So let’s make some noise about this and ask for probation! The judge was obviously biased and very disrespectful and they wanted to disrespect and discredit the previous District Attorney Kim Fox, who was a Black woman. Please do your research about the case and look at the crime he is accused of and look at the time given him. They want to destroy this man. BTW If you have a difference in opinion I totally understand that but keep it positive .” Mega Of course, people immediately backed up Knowles’ statement. One person wrote, “FREE JUSSIE!!!” while another added, “The punishment definitely doesn’t fit the crime, but I do believe he lied and probation & fines are enough.” A third user stated, “I so agree Mama Tina. This is terrible and I’m praying for him!! #FreeJussieSmollet.” One day earlier, Smollett’s brother Jocqui Smollet revealed that his brother is no longer in the psych ward, and he was moved to a different jail cell. “I just got to see him. I just want to give you all an update. Thank you so much for the support, for the #FreeJussie movement. It’s working. He has now been moved to a new jail cell, out of the psych ward that has a bed. Before he was sleeping on a restrained bed and now he has moved into a jail cell that actually has a bed, so thank you so much, that is really because of all the #FreeJussie that has been going on. It’s all the pressure that we’re applying on Cook County Jail,” he told his followers. Mega He added, “There is no evidence linking Jussie to this crime. There is absolutely no evidence, no emails, no letters, no phone calls, no text messages, none of that, of Jussie saying, ‘I am planning an attack on myself.’ There is none of that happening, so please continue to fact check people, to fact check the media wherever possible, and thank you so much for the folks who have sent letters to him. You have no idea how great that is to keep him going and keep him strong and keep him focused on the task at hand. He is so, so grateful for the letters. He has read all of them, and he is going to reply to every single one of them.” View the full article

Published by DPA Before becoming real-life president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky (right) acted out the role in a show that is now being picked up on streaming platforms around the world. Arte/dpa The TV comedy that launched the political career of Ukraine’s president is fast becoming a global streaming hit amid the prolonged international focus on actor-turned-president Volodymyr Zelensky, the main player resisting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “You asked and it’s back,” Netflix wrote on Wednesday, announcing the return of the 2015 satirical show “Servant of the People”, which stars Zelenksy as a teacher who unexpectedly becomes president after becoming famous on YouTube. Zelenksy, whose character is elected president after a clip in which he complains about corruption goes viral, was himself elected president in real life after the show was widely watched across Ukraine. While Netflix is launching the show for US viewers, in Europe, the French-German broadcaster Arte says it has registered an increasing interest in the TV show. “Due to the high level of public interest in the person of Volodymyr Zelensky, Arte decided to buy the series in autumn 2021,” the broadcaster told dpa. “The current developments in Ukraine have significantly increased this interest.” In the UK, broadcaster Channel 4 has snapped up the series and has been streaming it online to viewers. Distributor Eccho Rights has also sold the show to MBC in the Middle East, ANT 1 in Greece and PRO TV in Romania, according to entertainment industry news website Deadline. The show loaned its name to Zelensky’s political party, the Servant of the People party, whose pro-NATO and pro-EU policies have become the target of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The first two seasons of “Servant of the People” are also available free to watch on YouTube. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jeff Mason and Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden on Wednesday said it is time to change the culture and not just U.S. law to stop violence against women as he celebrated expanded protections for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. A day earlier, Biden signed a spending bill that included a renewal of the Violence Against Women Act, which also provides more resources and training programs for law enforcement, among other steps. Every month, an average of 70 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner in the United States, according to a new report https://everytownresearch.org/report/guns-and-violence-against-women-americas-uniquely-lethal-intimate-partner-violence-problem/#the-nexus-of-intimate-partner-violence-and-guns that claims intimate partner violence and gun violence in the U.S. are inextricably linked. Experts say stay-at-home orders linked to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak appear to have contributed to a spike in domestic violence. “Change the culture, not just the law,” Biden said at a White House event attended by advocates, survivors of abuse and lawmakers. “It really wasn’t so long ago this country didn’t want to talk about violence against women, let alone it being a national epidemic – something government had to address. As a society, we literally looked away.” Biden said the law will now do more for survivors in rural areas and in underserved communities. For example, tribal courts will now be able to exercise jurisdiction over non-native perpetrators of sexual assault and sex trafficking, he said. As a senator, Biden helped craft the bill, which was originally signed into law in 1994. It expired under then-President Donald Trump in 2019. In 2018, the United States was named as the only Western nation among the 10 most dangerous countries for women in a Thomson Reuters Foundation survey of global experts, after the #MeToo campaign triggered a flood of complaints about sexual harassment and assault. (Reporting by Nandita Bose and Jeff Mason in Washington; Additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – Idaho’s Senate has blocked a controversial bill that would have outlawed gender-affirming healthcare for transgender children under the age of 18. Republican leaders in the Idaho Senate halted the advancement of the bill on Tuesday, saying it undermined parental rights and amounted to government overreach, even as they affirmed their staunch opposition to any kind of trans-related medical care. “We believe in parents’ rights and that the best decisions regarding medical treatment options for children are made by parents, with the benefit of their physician’s advice and expertise,” Republican Senate leaders said in a statement https://idahocapitalsun.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Idaho-Senate-Republicans-Statement-on-HB-675-4.pdf released late on Tuesday. The Republican-sponsored legislation would have made it a felony for anyone to provide gender-affirming surgeries and medications like puberty-blockers by amending existing provisions on female genital mutilation. It also would have criminalized taking a child across state lines to receive that care. Idaho’s House had overwhelmingly passed the bill last week. The Senate’s action marked a victory for LGBTQ groups, medical professionals and civil liberties advocates opposing moves by conservative politicians in dozens of states to criminalize gender-affirming treatments for trans youth. Numerous medical associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, support these treatments, calling them potentially life saving. Republican lawmakers have sought this year to pass a number of measures limiting trans healthcare, an issue that has emerged as a key front in the culture wars ahead of the November mid-term congressional elections. Last week, a Texas judge temporarily blocked the state from investigating parents who provide their transgender children with gender-affirming care. Governor Greg Abbott has called such care “child abuse.” The state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, appealed the injunction. It remains unclear whether investigations into parents are continuing while the matter rests with the courts. In Alabama, legislation seeking to criminalize anyone who provides gender-affirming healthcare to minors could be voted on in the state’s House this week. (Reporting by Maria Caspani; Editing by Tim Ahmann) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jaden Smith thought everything was “so beautiful” when he took psychedelic mushrooms. The 23-year-old actor told how he took psilocybin with a group of friends in a park and felt like he “went inside of a tree”, which “looked like a rainbow” and felt just as “alive” as he did. He said: “I was with people who I really loved dearly. We go to a park, which was the best decision that we could have ever made. Everything just becomes so beautiful. “We look at the sky and everybody starts feeling like they want to cry, but no one says anything. We were running in the park. We’re sprinting. We’re talking fast. We decided to hug a tree and felt like we actually went inside of the tree. “I saw the inner workings of the tree and it looked like a rainbow. I could tell in that moment that trees were alive, but more alive than anyone could ever think. As alive as humans are.” The ‘Karate Kid’ actor’s experience with psychedelics has influenced his latest clothing collection, ‘Trippy Summer’, and he explained how the collection has “taken advantage” of what happens when people are in an altered state. He told Mr. Porter journal: “I believe that mushrooms are going to help us expand consciousness. The collection is not just clothes to sell. “It’s loaded with spiritual experiences and mystical states. We’re just making clothes that can go along with people’s journeys.’ “When you’re in that sensitive space, the wrong shirt can ruin things. “Whether the shirt says, “Oh, f*** you, you f****** f***,’ or, ‘Go to hell and die,’ it might scare somebody… We’re taking advantage of the certain visual cues that happen when you’re on mushrooms. Things slightly move. “If you give something the feeling of motion, when you’re on mushrooms and you look at it, your brain will finish the work and put it in motion so that you’re like, “Holy f***! His pants are moving.”‘ View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jussie Smollett has been moved out of a prison psychiatric ward. The former ‘Empire’ star’s brother, Jocqui Smollett, raised concerns over the weekend about his sibling’s incarceration but he’s now thanked fans for backing his campaign for the 39-year-old actor to be transferred to a different part of Cook County Jail and urged them to continue to “apply pressure” to officials at the prison. Offering an update on social media, Jocqui said: “I just got to see him. I just want to give you all an update. Thank you so much for the support, for the #FreeJussie movement. It’s working. “He has now been moved to a new jail cell, out of the psych ward that has a bed. Before he was sleeping on a restrained bed and now he has moved into a jail cell that actually has a bed, so thank you so much, that is really because of all the #FreeJussie that has been going on. It’s all the pressure that we’re applying on Cook County Jail. “Unfortunately, the county doesn’t really move until they get bad publicity, so we just have to keep applying pressure y’all. Keep reposting with #FreeJussie, keep continuing to call Cook County Jail, checking in on him and continue saying that he should be free.” The former ‘Empire’ star was convicted last December of lying to police over a hate crime attack and last week was jailed for 150 days, as well as ordered to pay over $120,000 in restitution and a $25,000 fine and placed on probation for 30 months. Jussie has denied the allegations against him, and his brother insisted it is “absolutely ridiculous” that he is in jail because there is “absolutely no evidence” to prove he orchestrated the attack on himself. He continued: “It’s absolutely ridiculous that he’s in there. This means that you could just be associated with two liars, and that is all it takes is their word to get you locked up. The state could lock you up, that should leave you terrified. “There is no evidence linking Jussie to this crime. There is absolutely no evidence, no emails, no letters, no phone calls, no text messages, none of that, of Jussie saying, ‘I am planning an attack on myself.’ “There is none of that happening, so please continue to fact check people, to fact check the media wherever possible, and thank you so much for the folks who have sent letters to him. “You have no idea how great that is to keep him going and keep him strong and keep him focused on the task at hand. He is so, so grateful for the letters. He has read all of them, and he is going to reply to every single one of them.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Billie Lourd honoured her late mother, Carrie Fisher, with her wedding outfit. The ‘Scream Queens’ actress tied the knot with Austen Rydell in an intimate beach ceremony in Mexico on 12 March and the 29-year-old star asked Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mlleavy to design her off-the-shoulder gown because of their connections to the ‘Star Wars’ actress, who died in 2016. Billie told Vogue magazine: “I discovered Kate and Laura after they interviewed my mom for an article in 2014 and immediately fell in love. “So when I started thinking about who I wanted to design my wedding dress, they were the first people who came to mind. “I have always been a massive fan of their work and thought their elegant, ethereal, unique style was a perfect fit for my — kind of —elegant, ethereal, unique personality. “I also felt a strong connection to them because of their connection to my mom and because they are California gals just like me!” Billie’s dress was teamed with Rene Mancini heels chosen by her father, Bryan Lourd, who had spotted the footwear when out shopping because they “reminded him of the shoes my mom used to wear in the ’90s.” She added: “It was a month before the wedding, and they told him they take four months to make the shoes. He talked to Mohamad, the manager of the store, and told him when the wedding was and asked him if he could somehow rush them, and he magically made it happen! When he came to pick up the shoes, it turned out my dad’s hunch about my mom was right. Mohamad told him that my mom used to shop at their store in New York City in the ’90s. The perfect shoe turned out to literally be the perfect shoe. It was serendipity!” For her jewellery, the ‘Booksmart’ actress wore her engagement ring – a diamond that was originally in her mom’s engagement ring which Austen had reset – Carrie’s favourite blue fire opal band as her something blue, and another ring which her mother had given to one of her closest friends for something borrowed. Billie’s something old came in the form of vintage Neil Lane diamond studs given to her by her dad. Carrie’s two best friends, Gavin DeBecker and Bruce Wagner, officiated the wedding, with the service offering more nods to the bride’s mother. Billie said: “It was the most hysterically brilliant and touching officiating in the history of officiating. And in true Carrie fashion, we threw glitter in the air at the end of the ceremony. It was magical. I could not have dreamed up a more perfect wedding.” At the reception, Billie changed into another Rodarte outfit, which paid tribute to her late grandmother, Debbie Reynolds. The bride said: “It was inspired by my glam-ma Debbie Reynolds’s iconic dance outfits that she used to wear in all of her shows and is probably the most fun party outfit of all time. “I am obsessed beyond belief. I’m probably going to make it into an art piece in my house because it’s way too legendary to just hang on a hanger in a closet. I have never had more fun in any dress ever!” View the full article