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Published by AFP Truckers and their supporters gather in Adelanto, California ahead of a 'People's Convoy' across the United States to Washington DC Barstow (United States) (AFP) – Hundreds of truckers and their supporters set off from southern California on Wednesday on a convoy headed across the United States towards the capital Washington to protest against pandemic restrictions. Inspired by the demonstrations that crippled Canada’s cities for weeks, organizers of “The People’s Convoy” want an end to mask mandates, vaccination requirements and business shutdowns that are intended to slow the march of Covid-19. “Let’s get back to normal,” said Bryan Brase, whose rig was near the front of the caravan that had gathered in the small town of Adelanto, northeast of Los Angeles. “I think everybody’s here for different reasons, but it all boils down to the same thing: Freedom and liberty,” said Shane Class, who had travelled from Idaho to join the rally. “It’s time for our government to start understanding that people want that freedom in the Constitution back.” The caravan, which began Wednesday as a few dozen vehicles, was expected to take 11 days to get to the Washington, DC area, arriving on March 5, though organizers say they do not intend to enter the city itself. That assurance has not prevented the mobilisation of 700 National Guard to provide added security around the nation’s capital, as authorities fret over a possible repeat of the January 6, 2021, invasion of Congress by supporters of former president Donald Trump. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Guardsmen would not be armed and would not be empowered to arrest people, but would be reporting wrongdoing to local police. A number of large vehicles, including snow-ploughs and garbage trucks have been deployed on the streets of the capital to prevent access to sensitive sites. Debunked theories Convoy organizers stress on their website that it is a non-partisan movement that includes both Republicans and Democrats, though there were plenty of flags signifying support for Trump among participants in Adelanto and along the route. Paul Alexander, a health adviser under Trump who suggested letting the coronavirus spread unchecked in the population to prompt “herd immunity,” was among those who revved up the crowd, claiming that vaccines do not work. Scientists say the extensively tested shots are safe and effective, and represent the single best protection against death or serious illness from Covid-19. Vaccine adoption is uneven across the United States, with some on the political right distrustful of the science and holding to debunked conspiracy theories pushed on the internet. Crowds gathered on bridges along the route to cheer the convoy on, with some holding banners calling for the arrest of government health experts. Donations Many of those AFP spoke to in the flag-waving crowd voiced arguments common on the right. “I can no longer work at my facility, a major health organization, without submitting a religious exemption,” said one Los Angeles-based nurse, who did not wish to give her name. “So in order for me to earn a living for my family, I have to call on the holy and righteous name of Jesus.” The movement has attracted more than $450,000 of donations, according to thepeoplesconvoy.org, which organizers say will be used to reimburse fuel and other costs borne by participating truckers. The convoy starting from Adelanto is just one of a number of planned truckers’ events beginning in various parts of the country. Others are due to depart from Texas, North Dakota, Washington state and Ohio over the coming days, according to greatamericanpatriotproject.org. View the full article

Published by AFP This illustration photo shows Washington (AFP) – The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday authorized the first condom for use during anal intercourse, in what was hailed as a victory for sexual health by experts. Although people already use condoms for anal sex — as is recommended by health agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — regulators across the world had only previously allowed companies to officially market their products as “safe and effective” for vaginal use. Sexual health advocates considered this an unmet public health need since unprotected anal intercourse carries the greatest risk of HIV transmission via sexual exposure, with one study finding that 69 percent of men who have sex with men would use condoms more frequently if they were FDA-indicated. Wednesday’s authorization of Global Protection Corp’s One Male Condom follows a clinical trial involving more than 500 people, carried out by Emory University. “The FDA’s authorization of a condom that is specifically indicated, evaluated and labeled for anal intercourse may improve the likelihood of condom use during anal intercourse,” said agency scientist Courtney Lias in a statement. The condom is also indicated to prevent sexually transmitted infections — and as a contraceptive — during vaginal sex. “We want people to have lots of sex — but we also want them to be empowered and informed,” said Davin Wedel, president of Global Protection Corp, which makes the condom brand that is available in 54 sizes, and incorporates a paper template to help each user find the right size. The clinical trial involved 252 men who have sex with men and 252 men who have sex with women, aged between 18 and 54. The FDA had said it would accept a five percent failure rate, which previous trials had failed to accomplish. The limit was easily surpassed in the new study, with the failure rate 0.68 percent for anal and 1.89 percent for vaginal intercourse. The researchers behind the study, which was published in The Lancet’s eClinicalMedicine, said one of the reasons the trial succeeded where others failed in the past was likely due to the provision of lubricant and inclusion of instructions on how to use the product. Lubricant reduces friction, which in turn causes condom failure from slippage and breakage. Another reason could be that participants were asked to keep mobile phone-based daily diaries, whereas past trials had asked volunteers to recall failure events up to several months later. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease doctor and medical director of an HIV clinic in San Francisco, welcomed the finding. “The important thing about condoms is they don’t just prevent HIV, but they prevent gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis,” she told AFP, adding it was surprising that such an authorization had taken so long to achieve. In its statement, the FDA said the green light could pave the way for more makers to apply for similar authorization if they show equivalent results. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Elton John‘s private plane was forced to make a scary emergency landing after experiencing hydraulic failure 10,000 feet in the sky. Fire trucks and medical personnel rushed to Farnborough Airport in the United Kingdom on Monday in response to the mid-air drama. In photos obtained by The Sun, a raddled Rocketman can be seen eagerly climbing out of the plane once it touched down on its third attempt. Mega An eyewitness described the terrifying incident, telling the outlet, “The jet was being buffeted and couldn’t land. It was horrible to see.” Elton’s private jet — worth $89 million — had already left the airport and was heading to New York City when the incident occurred. An hour after wheels went up, the pilot was forced to turn back around when the small plane began suffering hydraulic failure. According to The Sun, the pilot used his radio to declare the emergency landing to air traffic control — but the severe winds hitting 80 MPH made it difficult to control the plane. Plumber Philip Thomson was at the scene working when the emergency landing happened. He described the scary ordeal, stating, “The terrible weather and epic gusts made it almost impossible to land. Two attempts to touch down failed.” “The plane was being buffeted and couldn’t make it. The aircraft’s nose was far too vertical. The plane was descending and was halfway along the runway when it gave up trying to hit the tarmac. It soared back in the air.” Mega Revealing the storm made their second attempt worse, he continued, “The airport’s windsock was horizontal and the aircraft was being rocked from side to side by the wind.” “The pilot made a valiant attempt to get down with the jet ‘crabbing’ into the storm. But it didn’t make it and had to head back upwards.” The third time’s a charm because the pilot finally got the plane to land. According to another source, Elton was visibly shaken. “It was a white-knuckle ride and Elton was shaken. But he put aside any personal anguish to get back on a plane. For Elton, quite literally, the show must go on,” they said. Elton ended up getting on a different plane later that day and making it to NYC. His Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour kicks off at Madison Square Garden tonight. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) – A U.S. judge signaled on Tuesday he may not let Donald Trump countersue E. Jean Carroll, a writer who accused the former president of raping her in the mid-1990s and is suing him for defamation. At a hearing in Manhattan, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan suggested it might be futile for Trump to claim that Carroll’s lawsuit violated a New York “anti-SLAPP” law protecting free speech, citing several courts that found similar laws did not apply in federal court. “I question whether you have the right to do what you are seeking to do, because it seems to me it’s entirely inconsistent with the notion of futility,” Kaplan told Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba. “It may not be the way I resolve this matter.” Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, accused Trump in a June 2019 book excerpt of having raped her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Midtown Manhattan. She sued five months later, claiming that Trump defamed her when he told a reporter he did not know Carroll, said “she’s not my type,” and accused her of concocting the rape claim to sell her book. New York’s anti-SLAPP law, short for “strategic lawsuits against public participation,” was enacted in Nov. 2020. It was meant to protect journalists and others from wealthy companies and people who file frivolous lawsuits to silence critics. How the law might apply to public officials, or former public officials like Trump, remains unclear. Kaplan questioned why Trump waited until January, 14 months after New York’s law took effect, to invoke it, which Carroll’s lawyers said reflected Trump’s pattern of delaying the case. “This is about giving us the right to litigate these issues,” Habba said. “That is all I’m asking.” Kaplan did not say when he will rule. Both sides are awaiting a decision from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan on whether Carroll’s lawsuit should be dismissed because Trump was immune from being sued. In that appeal, the Biden administration essentially adopted an argument by Trump’s Justice Department that the government should be substituted for Trump as the defendant, which could doom Carroll’s case. Carroll’s lawyers want to question Trump under oath and compare his DNA with a dress Carroll said she wore during the alleged rape. The case is Carroll v Trump, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 20-07311. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Howard Goller) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sir Elton John was left “shaken” after his private jet suffered hydraulic failure. The 74-year-old singer was on his way to New York on Monday (21.02.22) morning when his personal aircraft got into difficulty at 10,000 feet about an hour into the trip, with the pilot having to make a U-turn close to the coast of southern Ireland but attempts to land the plane were aborted twice because of the strong winds. The pilot radioed air traffic control to declare an emergency landing, with emergency services alerted and firefighters from six stations called to Farnborough Airport, Hants, ready for the plane. Plumber Philip Thomson, who was working when the twin-jet Bombardier Global Express came into view, told The Sun newspaper: “The terrible weather and epic gusts made it almost impossible to land. Two attempts to touch down failed. “The plane was being buffeted and couldn’t make it. The aircraft’s nose was far too vertical. The plane was descending and was halfway along the runway when it gave up trying to hit the tarmac. It soared back in the air. “A crowd had gathered after word went around that Elton was in difficulty. And as the plane came around again for a second attempt to land, the storm was doing its worst. “The airport’s windsock was horizontal and the aircraft was being rocked from side to side by the wind. “The pilot made a valiant attempt to get down with the jet ‘crabbing’ into the storm. But it didn’t make it and had to head back upwards. “It was only at the third attempt to land that the plane got down. The pilot made a flatter approach and the wind had dropped slightly. Everyone watching was mightily relieved. “It was a horrible thing to see, and you wouldn’t have swapped places with Elton on that small plane for anything. I bet he said a few prayers of thanks… “It was so serious that I counted at least six fire engines that attended, along with the airport’s own incident team. The police and ambulance services were there, too.” Despite the terrifying ordeal, Elton caught a later flight to the US and still made it on stage for his ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ show at Madison Square Garden. A source said: “It was a white-knuckle ride and Elton was shaken. But he put aside any personal anguish to get back on a plane. For Elton, quite literally, the show must go on.” Local fire fighters confirmed they were asked to attend the scene. A spokesperson for Hampshire Isle of Wight Fire Rescue Service said of the private jet drama: “Firefighters from Rushmoor, Hartley Wintney, Basingstoke, Fleet, Yateley and Surrey FRS were called at 11.16 on Monday morning to an incident at Farnborough Airport. “No action was taken by HIWFRS with the incident dealt with by the airport fire service.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Daniel Radcliffe says portraying ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic is “a huge responsibility”. The ‘Weird: The ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Story’ star is “honoured” to be playin the parody song legend in his upcoming bio-pic. The 32-year-old actor told PEOPLE: “Wearing the Hawaiian shirt is a huge responsibility that I don’t take lightly, and I’m honored to finally share with the world the absolutely 100 percent unassailably true story of Weird Al’s depraved and scandalous life.” The ‘Ebay’ hitmaker has injected his signature sense of humour during the production of the movie, jokingly tweeting ‘a spoiler’ Al shared a page from the scripton the social media site that read: “Cut to Black. Credits Crawl.” The tweet’s caption read: “SHOOT DAY #7: Oh man, I am really, REALLY going to get in trouble with @TheRokuChannel over this, but I’m just so proud of this script, and I wanted to leak part of it. So…[siren emoji}SPOILER ALERT [siren emoji]… This is the ACTUAL ENDING of #WEIRDTheAlYankovicStory.” The movie – which is written by Al and Eric Appel – is the ‘Eat It’ funny man’s first go at executive producing a movie since 1987’s ‘UHF’ and will be available for streaming on Roku, after the company purchased the back catalogue of Quibi, the now-bust service. In a statement, Al said: “When my last movie UHF came out in 1989, I made a solemn vow to my fans that I would release a major motion picture every 33 years, like clockwork. I’m very happy to say we’re on schedule. “I am absolutely thrilled that Daniel Radcliffe will be portraying me in the film. I have no doubt whatsoever that this is the role future generations will remember him for.” The ‘Harry Potter’ star has found it “liberating” to do more creative roles after shooting to fame as a kid on the wizarding franchise. Daniel said: “I’ve actually found it’s an incredibly liberating thing, to do the biggest thing you’re ever gonna do really f***** early. The financial success thing, that’s done. So just do things that make you happy.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Omar Younis ADELANTO, Calif. (Reuters) -Taking a cue from demonstrations that paralyzed Canada’s capital city for weeks, U.S. truckers on Wednesday plan to embark on a 2,500-mile (4,000-km) cross-country drive toward Washington D.C. to protest coronavirus restrictions. Organizers of the “People’s Convoy” say they want to “jumpstart the economy” and reopen the country. Their 11-day trek will approach the Beltway around the U.S. capital on March 5 “but will not be going into D.C. proper,” according to a statement. The Pentagon said on Tuesday it had approved 400 D.C. National Guard troops to “provide support at designated traffic posts, provide command and control, and cover sustainment requirements” from Feb. 26 through March 7. About 50 large tactical vehicles were also approved to be placed at traffic posts. Brian Brase, a truck driver who is one of the organizers, said regardless of where the trucks stop “we’re not going anywhere” until the group’s demands are met. Those demands include an end to COVID-19 vaccine and mask requirements. Most U.S. states are already easing some restrictions. In California, where the convoy begins, universal mask requirements were lifted last week while masks for vaccinated people are required only in high-risk areas such as public transit, schools and healthcare settings. Another convoy was expected to leave Scranton, Pennsylvania – President Joe Biden’s hometown – on Wednesday morning and arrive on the 495 Beltway (highway) in Washington sometime during the afternoon. Organizer Bob Bolus told WJLA news, an ABC affiliate in Washington, that his convoy has no intention to break laws or block traffic, but warned this could happen if their demands regarding pandemic mandates and the cost of fuel are not meant. “They are not going to intimidate us and they are not going to threaten us. We’re the power, not them,” he said. In Canada, pandemic-related protests choked streets in the capital Ottawa for more than three weeks and blocked the busiest land crossing between Canada and the United States – the Ambassador Bridge connecting Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario – for six days. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked rarely used emergency powers to end the protests, and Canadian police restored a sense of normalcy in Ottawa over the weekend. “We plan to stay a while and hope they don’t escalate it the way Trudeau did with his disgusting government overreach,” Brase said from Adelanto, California, where the convoy will begin, about 80 miles (130 km) northeast of Los Angeles. Brase said he expected thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, would participate. Organizers bill the convoy as nonpartisan, trucker-led, and supported by a wide range of ethnic minorities and religious faiths. Economic growth in the United States – as in other countries – was brought to a juddering halt by the imposition of lockdowns in 2020 to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The economy has boomed since the federal government pumped in trillions of dollars in relief, growing 5.7% in 2021, the strongest since 1984 albeit from a low ebb in 2020, the Commerce Department reported in January. Meanwhile, unemployment stands at 4%, close to the 3.5% rate of February 2020, just before the pandemic took hold, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But headwinds related to strained supply chains and inflation remain. “It is now time to reopen the country,” the protest organizers said in a statement. Among other demands, the protesters want an immediate end to the state of emergency in California – the most populous U.S. state with one of the world’s largest economies – that Governor Gavin Newsom has extended. Nationwide, new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations due to the coronavirus have plummeted from all-time highs hit a month ago, though nearly 2,000 people per day are still dying from the disease and the number of total deaths is closing in on 1 million since the pandemic began. (Reporting by Omar Youis in Adelanto; Additional reporting and writing by Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien and Mark Heinrich) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Dmitry Antonov and Polina Nikolskaya MOSCOW/DONETSK (Reuters) -The United States and its allies unveiled more sanctions against Russia on Wednesday over its recognition of two separatist areas in eastern Ukraine, while making clear they were keeping tougher measures in reserve in case of a full-scale invasion by Moscow. European Union sanctions to take effect on Wednesday would add all members of Russia’s lower house of parliament who voted to recognise the separatist regions in Ukraine to a blacklist, freezing their assets and banning travel. Britain followed the United States in announcing new restrictions banning Russia from the issuing of new bonds in its security markets. The steps follow measures announced on Tuesday, including freezing the approval of a new Russian gas pipeline by Germany, and imposing new U.S. sanctions on Russian banks. But none of the measures announced so far directly targets President Vladimir Putin himself, or is expected to have severe medium-term consequences for Moscow, which is sitting on more than $630 billion in international reserves. Oil prices eased from Tuesday’s seven-year highs as it became clear the first wave of sanctions were unlikely to disrupt oil supplies. Global stocks broke a four-day slide and demand for safe-haven assets waned. Western countries fear Russia plans a full-blown invasion of Ukraine after Putin announced on Monday he was recognising two small breakaway regions controlled since 2014 by separatists viewed by the West as Moscow’s proxies. Putin also signed a decree allowing Russian forces to be deployed there. Washington has described Russia’s actions as the start of an “invasion” but because the massed military assault they predicted has not materialised, they have had to calibrate their response. “There will be even more tough sanctions on key oligarchs, on key organisations in Russia, limiting Russia’s access to the financial markets, if there is a full scale invasion of Ukraine,” British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said. She announced plans to bar Russia from issuing new foreign debt in London, a step taken years ago by the United States. Moscow said it would respond by issuing any new debt in roubles at home for now. Some Western leaders have faced criticism at home for the response so far. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was ridiculed in parliament when he announced the blacklisting of three billionaires already under U.S. sanctions for years, and five obscure banks. Leaders say the most serious sanctions must be held in reserve to deter a larger assault. STATE OF EMERGENCY Putin has as many as 190,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders, according to U.S. estimates. More ominous signs pointed to possible war: Moscow announced it had started evacuating its diplomats from Kyiv, while Ukraine declared a 30-day state of emergency and has announced the conscription of men of fighting age. Ukraine’s military said one soldier had been killed and six wounded in increased shelling by pro-Russian separatists using heavy artillery, mortar bombs and Grad rocket systems in the two breakaway areas over the previous 24 hours. New satellite imagery showed several fresh troop and equipment deployments in western Russia and more than 100 vehicles at a small airfield in southern Belarus, which borders Ukraine, according to U.S. firm Maxar. For months, Russia has presented the crisis mainly as a dispute with the West, demanding security guarantees, including a promise never to allow Ukraine to join NATO. But this week’s recognition of the separatist regions was accompanied by much stronger language against Ukraine, including personally from Putin, raising Western concerns he will not stop at an intervention in the separatist areas. In a TV address on Monday described by Washington as “delusional”, Putin rambled across centuries of history to characterise the Ukrainian state as an artificial construct wrongly carved out of Russia by its enemies. Ukrainians consider such views ominous and false. Europe’s second biggest country by area after Russia, Ukraine has a history older than Russia’s, and its people voted overwhelmingly for independence when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Russia was making a strategic mistake by heading down a path that would make it a global pariah. “The action that is taking place now may follow a strategy in the short-term, but it is not a medium or long-term strategy to completely isolate yourself worldwide,” she said. The diplomacy of recent weeks has now faltered. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian cancelled separate meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. A summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and Putin, floated by France at the start of the week, now seems unlikely. Putin said he was always open to finding diplomatic solutions but that “the interests of Russia and the security of our citizens are unconditional for us.” Germany said on Tuesday it was halting the $11-billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline owned by Russian state-owned gas giant Gazprom, a move likely to raise gas prices in Europe. Built and awaiting German approval, the pipeline had been set to ease the pressure on European consumers facing record energy prices but critics including the United States have long argued it would increase Europe’s energy dependence on Russia. (Reporting by Reuters bureaus, Writing by Peter Graff, Editing by Timothy Heritage) View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Faye Dunaway is firing back at her gay ex-assistant who is suing her for allegedly being a terror to work with — and demanding his lawsuit be thrown out of court. According to court documents obtained by Radar, the 81-year-old actress is asking a New York judge to dismiss claims against Rocha. MEGA Back in 2019, the legendary Hollywood actress was sued by her former personal assistant Michael Rocha. “[Rocha] has suffered as a result of being discriminated against on the basis of [Rocha’s] sexual orientation and retaliated against by termination of [Rocha’s] employment after he complained of being discriminated against as a gay man,” the suit read. In the suit, Rocha claims he was hired to help Dunaway while she worked on the play Tea at Five. His duties included making sure the actress made it at and from rehearsals, did not forget to take her medicine and working on her schedule. Rocha worked out of Dunaway’s apartment and was paid $1,500 a week. However, he claims it was hell working for her. The suit states the actress “regularly and relentlessly subjected plaintiff to abusive demeaning tirades.” Rocha says his former boss used his sexual orientation to “demean and humiliate him at work.” Dunaway reportedly called Rocha and other employees “little gay people” and Rocha specifically “a little homosexual boy.” He claims to have a recording of the latter. The assistant took the issue to the general manager and lawyer for the play but ended up being fired weeks later. He was told Dunaway was not “comfortable” with him anymore. Other employees reportedly spoke out to The Post claiming Dunaway was a terror on set. Rocha is suing Dunaway for discrimination and retaliation. Now, Dunaway is denying the majority of allegations in the complaint. The response also states, “Dunaway denies calling [Rocha] “a little homosexual boy.” She is asking the court to dismiss all claims. On top of that, the actress wants the court to order Rocha to cover her legal bills for having to defend herself in this action. Fun fact — Dunaway ended up being fired from the play after being accused of slapping another cast member. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Chet Hanks/YouTube Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson‘s son, Chet Hanks, decided to open up about growing up the child of a famous and beloved actor – and his vulnerability came back to bite him. Earlier this week, the 31-year-old rapper/actor took to his new YouTube channel to get candid about “the truth about growing up as a Hanks.” In the lengthy video, Chet said repeatedly he felt “blessed” and “grateful” to have the parents he has but admitted that being the son of such an adored man is a “double-edged sword.” With that fame-by-association came expectations from everyone around him – family, friends and the public. People automatically assumed he was an “arrogant,” “entitled,” “spoiled brat.” He explained how those “preconceived notions” resulted in bullying and therefore a lack of trust on his part in basically everyone around him. And all of that, said Chet, created a lot of “contempt,” “disdain” and “animosity.” Chet Hanks/YouTube He explained what he really felt inside was “shame” for how “privileged” and “sheltered” he grew up, embarrassment over how “unprepared” he felt to “deal with real life,” and insecurity about his self-worth. And then came the self-destruction. Chet said he went in the complete opposite direction of how he grew up out of numerous resentments he just wasn’t equipped to manage. But the part that left him vulnerable to internet trolls was when he said he always had the “it factor;” he was handsome, talented, popular and “good with girls.” He said envy was also a huge factor in his negative experiences growing up and wishes he had had “a strong male role model” to tell him, ”Hey, bro, f–k these people. They are just jealous of you.'” Critics feel Chet is blaming his shortcomings on his father instead of taking accountability for his own behavior, with many pointing out that “America’s Dad” has other children who don’t seem as troubled. “Chet Hanks has a lot of problems. Ask Colin Hanks about the ‘strong male role model,’ he turned out fine,” read one of thousands of tweets mercilessly mocking Chet. “Just because you didn’t listen to your parents/dad, doesn’t mean that you didn’t have a strong male role. Take some responsibility of your own behavior,” read another. Mega Someone else tweeted, “Rough life, unless you compare it to: not being raised wealthy, having to pay back student loans, having to compete for a real job, not having health insurance, having to help your family out financially, etc.” “Awww, poor privileged little rich boy!” yet another critic posted. “I can tell you many stories about my childhood and truly having no strong male role model growing up, but I’ve faced those demons and moved forward with my life.” “Chet’s parents are well known in the industry as two of the most kind and down-to-earth stars in the business. I don’t buy what he’s selling. My guess is that they enforced rules and boundaries and Chet was having none of that,” remarked another Twitter user. Others think Chet has “disassociated from reality. I think he got called rich boy so many times that he’s taken on the stereotypical persona of trailer park wanna be rapper who grew up without a dad. Reality, [he] came from a loving home and when to top schools including, Northwestern.” “Sounds like Chet wanted a father who would lie to him and tell him to keep doing whatever he wanted,” read another tweet, while an umpteenth dissenter added, “What is Chet’s definition of a ‘strong male role model.’ Because @tomhanks does have 3 other children, all of whom seem to be gainfully employed.” View the full article

Published by The Seattle Times An organizational psychologist formerly employed by Amazon on the management team of a Spokane, Washington distribution center claims he was fired for speaking up about bullying and inappropriate behavior by a key leader at the massive, roboticized warehouse. Jonathan Fahlberg, formerly a senior business partner for human resources, contends Amazon management failed to respond when he raised concerns about his supervisor, who he claims propositioned him and then retaliated against him. Instead, they were both summarily fired in late 2020 after Fahlberg made a formal request for support. In an … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Cheryl Hole thought it was a joke when she was told Adele wanted to meet her backstage at G-A-Y’s Porn Idol event. The ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’ star had thought it was “strange” when she went to her dressing room at London’s Heaven nightclub earlier this month to find the area deserted and couldn’t believe it when G-A-Y owner Jeremy Joseph told her there was a special guest on the way. She said: “I walked up and there was no one there, and I was like, ‘This is strange! Normally there are people here already, it’s like quarter-past twelve’, and I was like, look let’s just crack on, let’s just do the damn thing, and all of a sudden, I’m putting my last three nails on, and then they say ‘Adele’s at the back door’, and I’m like ‘What?’, they’re like, ‘THE Adele is here’, and I was like, ‘Nah, I don’t believe you, you’re just trying to pull my leg Jeremy’. “Then all of a sudden, you know the voice, you can’t mistake that voice… I just hear ‘Hello Babes!!’, this cackling coming round the corner, and I went ‘F***, F***, F***, F***, F***”, I could not believe it.’ Adele went on stage with Cheryl and even pole danced for the stunned crowd. And the drag star admitted she is going to “sell” the moment forever to help her own career. Speaking to Rylan Clarke on his ‘Ry-Union’ podcast, she said: “I’m going to put that on every poster that I’ve got and sell that until the end of time, I mean I have hugged and shared a stage with Adele, and I sang her song! Not with her but I sang it to her!” Listen to ‘Ry-Union with Rylan’, brought to you by Sky Bingo, on Apple, Spotify and all podcast providers Cheryl Hole Adele Gay Club London on Towleroad Lamar Odom Lashes Out At ‘Fake Friend’ Todrick Hall Following ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ Eviction More Annual conservative gathering puts Trump’s sway vs rising DeSantis under scrutiny More Explainer-How Western sanctions might target Russia More Ahmaud Arbery’s killers convicted on all federal hate-crimes charges More Kyle Rittenhouse Reveals Plans To Sue Whoopi Goldberg Over ‘Murderer’ Label More US Supreme Court rejects Trump bid to shield Capitol attack records More US women’s soccer reaches landmark $24 mn settlement in equal pay dispute More EU agrees sanctions ‘to hurt Russia’ over Ukraine crisis More Minneapolis police officers lacked ‘human decency’ in Floyd arrest, prosecutor says More Mayor Adams hires ex-NYC Councilman Fernando Cabrera as faith adviser after he apologizes for anti-gay views More U.S. Supreme Court takes up web designer’s bid to rebuff gay weddings More ‘RHOM’ Star Alexia Echevarria Clarifies That Her Late Ex-Husband & Father Were Bisexual, Not Gay More Sarah Jessica Parker Privately ‘Admits Fans Miss’ Kim Cattrall’s ‘Sex And The City’ Character In Reboot Ahead Off Possible Season 2 More Load More View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Lamar Odomhas a bone to pick with Todrick Hall. After getting sent home from Celebrity Big Brother, the 42-year-old retired NBA star lashed out at the 36-year-old American Idol alum-turned-social media influencer. Khloé Kardashian‘s ex-husband was voted out in the first part of Monday night’s double-elimination episode. He was nominated by the Head of Household, Hall, who’s been catching heat online for some of his behind-the-scenes commentary. Odom took to Instagram late Monday to share an illustration that read, “You should have played Chess Not checkers Todrick.” “So I was booted off of @bigbrothercbs by my fake friend Todrick,” he captioned the post, adding a wide-eyed emoji. “He should have been a bit more strategic as he must have forgotten I get a jury vote for the winner!” Lamar added, “I still need you all to vote me for FAN FAVORITE. Text: LAMAR to 21523 from your mobile device! Tell a friend to tell a friend and if I win I will do another CASH APP GIVEAWAY.” Mega No stranger to sometimes winning and sometimes losing, Odom elaborated on his stance with regard to Hall on Tuesday morning. “I know how much social media and his fans and the people mean to him. I don’t really think he wished to rub anyone the wrong way,” the former athlete told Us Weekly of the singer. “He just took the wrong approach to winning and playing a game. I think that was kind of obvious when he won the HOH. And then he even, after he won the HOH, he comes downstairs still singing. ‘HOH!’ I thought that was a gloat. There’s a certain way to win and a certain way to lose.” “Because when I lost, after I was disappointed with my performance, he was one of the people that always come up to me and be like, ‘Are you OK? Are you OK? Are you OK?'” he went on. “And I’m like, ‘No, I just lost.’ Your energy can be that much discerning, even when you win, it can be kind of negative.” Admittedly, Lamar had “never even heard of” Todrick before CBB. However, he claims he was warned about the YouTuber prior to coming into the house. “[My friend] told me that he was a person that I would have to keep my eye on,” he said. When asked about the “most surprising thing” he learned after his eviction, Lamar said it was getting his phone back and seeing “the hit that Todrick is taking from the outside world.” Mega Other eliminated houseguests have mentioned that they feel Hall often plays the victim. While Odom said he could see that, he doesn’t necessarily feel it’s intentional. “I think that’s the position that maybe he’s used to being in from being a gay African American man in society,” he said. “I could see how it was hard, but in the house, that’s where you have a clean slate. I don’t think anybody was judging him.” “I don’t think __Carson [Kressley]__ had that same problem. But he’s a white gay man, because it depends on how you look at it,” he added. “But I think he had a clean slate in the house so he could have just been whoever Todrick is.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Alexandra Ulmer (Reuters) – The leading photo on the website of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), the annual get-together of American rightwing notables, is of a grinning Donald Trump. When the conference kicks off in Orlando, Florida, this week, the former president will be counting on an adoring crowd to cement his dominance of the Republican Party ahead of November’s congressional elections – as well as a potential presidential run in 2024. The photo next to Trump’s on the speakers’ list is of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose rising national profile is driving speculation that the 43-year-old former federal prosecutor is also eyeing a run for the White House. The juxtaposition is symbolic of the Republican Party’s looming choice: Does it coalesce around a fresh face or Trump, who would be 78 in 2024 and whose presidency was marked by turmoil? “I’m sure Trump will be received as a hero,” said Mike DuHaime, a Republican strategist. “The question will be: Are there any cracks in that armor?” If in his Saturday speech Trump belabors false assertions that election fraud was to blame for his loss against Democratic President Joe Biden in 2020, it will reinforce party fears that he is backwards-looking, DuHaime added. While polls show a significant percentage of Republicans believe the 2020 election was stolen, half of Republicans also said it was time to “move on” from Trump’s 2020 fraud claims, according to a Politico-Morning Consult survey conducted Feb. 12-13. Trump’s fixation on 2020 has fanned concerns among establishment Republicans that he is putting personal revenge above party success by endorsing challengers running against incumbent Republicans who have crossed him. But given Trump’s pull with voters, concerns among Washington, D.C., insiders may not carry that much weight: Trump’s rallies attract large crowds, congressional candidates covet his endorsement, and his fundraising operations have left him with over $100 million in cash. He is widely considered the 2024 frontrunner, should he throw his hat in. Even so, Trump’s presidential aspirations could yet be stymied by several investigations involving him, including a New York state civil probe into his family business and a congressional panel looking into the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. DeSantis, meanwhile, has earned conservative plaudits for opposing COVID-19 mask mandates and being on the forefront of “culture war” issues like abortion and how much say parents should have over their children’s education. While neither man has said he is running for the White House in 2024, attending the Feb. 24-27 CPAC meeting, which touts itself as the “largest and most influential” worldwide gathering of conservatives, will be important for both of them. It will give DeSantis access to national media coverage and exposure to conservatives from across the country. For Trump, “it’s a chance to see if his base is still solid or showing cracks,” DuHaime said. Representatives for Trump and DeSantis did not respond to requests for comment. CPAC will hold a straw poll of who should run for president. Last year in Orlando, Trump reportedly garnered 55% of votes, more than twice as many as DeSantis, who was also a featured speaker. Trump then reportedly received 70% of votes at CPAC’s summer gathering in Dallas last July. A NEW ‘TRUMPISM’? Trump last month slammed “gutless” politicians who don’t disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status, in what was seen as a dig at DeSantis, who has not revealed whether he has received a booster shot. Trump later said reports of a rift with DeSantis were “fake news.” Dan Eberhart, a prominent Republican donor and the CEO of oilfield services company Canary, LLC, said any more verbal broadsides at CPAC would be a sign of how “seriously” the former president takes DeSantis as a challenger. Eberhart said he supports both men. But, he added: “DeSantis would present Trumpism with a newer, less divisive gloss.” Some Trump supporters, like political strategist Roger Stone, stress that DeSantis owes Trump for his 2018 endorsement that helped propel the then-low-profile U.S. congressman to Florida’s top office. “Therefore I would hope that Governor DeSantis gives the president wide berth,” Stone, who has openly criticized DeSantis and called on him to endorse Trump in 2024, said in an interview. Stone, a former Trump adviser, does not currently have a role in Trump’s operation. Trump pardoned Stone in December 2020, sweeping away the most important convictions under the long-running Russia election probe. DeSantis’ camp is seeking to tone down talk of tension and keep the focus on Florida. DeSantis’ CPAC speech will seek to highlight the state’s unrestrictive approach to COVID-19 to anyone “looking to flee lockdown and mandate states,” said Nick Iarossi, a Tallahassee lobbyist and DeSantis fundraiser. (Reporting by Alexandra Ulmer; additional reporting by Jason Lange; editing by Ross Colvin and Leslie Adler) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Karin Strohecker (Reuters) -The United States and its allies are coordinating new sanctions on Russia after Moscow recognised two regions in eastern Ukraine as independent, officials said. Details have started to emerge on the steps taken or planned by the United States, European Union, Britain and other western powers. Below are details on the curbs proposed so far and on what other sanctions could target Russia: BANKS & FINANCIAL FIRMS Britain announced sanctions on five banks – Bank Rossiya, Black Sea Bank, Genbank, IS Bank and Promsvyazbank – all are smaller lenders, with only Promsvyazbank on the central bank’s list of systematically important lenders. Bank Rossiya is already under U.S. sanctions from 2014 for its close ties to Kremlin officials. A European Union sanctions package has been drafted to include curbs on banks involved in financing separatist activities in eastern Ukraine. EU foreign ministers will discuss the measures in Paris from 1500 GMT and aim to finalise “without delay”. While Washington has yet to announce exact measures it plans to take, sources have said President Joe Biden’s administration has prepared sweeping measures to hurt the Russian economy which would cut the “correspondent” banking relationships between targeted Russian banks and U.S. banks that enable international payments. Washington also will wield its most powerful sanctioning tool against certain Russian individuals and companies by placing them on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, effectively kicking them out of the U.S. banking system, banning their trade with Americans and freezing their U.S. assets. Sources familiar with the planned measures said VTB Bank, Sberbank, VEB, and Gazprombank are possible targets. It is unclear whether Russian banks would be added to the SDN list, but both types of sanctions could hit Russia hard and make it difficult to transact in U.S. dollars. Russia’s large banks are deeply integrated into the global financial system, meaning sanctions could be felt far beyond its borders. Data from the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) shows that European lenders hold the lion’s share of the nearly $30 billion in foreign banks’ exposure to Russia. According to data from Russia’s central bank, total Russian banking foreign assets and liabilities stood at $200.6 billion and $134.5 billion respectively with the U.S. dollar share amounting to around 53% of both, down from 76-81% two decades ago. SOVEREIGN DEBT & CAPITAL MARKETS The package of measures under discussion by the EU aims “to target the ability of the Russian state and government to access the EU’s capital and financial markets and services, to limit the financing of escalatory and aggressive policies,” according to a statement by the bloc. Britain threatened last week to block Russian companies from raising capital in London, Europe’s financial centre for such transactions, though has stopped short of doing so in its announcements on Tuesday. Even before the latest events, access to Russian bonds had become increasingly restricted. U.S. sanctions imposed in 2015 made future Russian dollar debt ineligible for many investors and key indexes. In April 2021, Biden barred U.S. investors from buying new Russian rouble bonds over accusations of Russian meddling in the U.S. election. The curbs have cut Russia’s external debt by 33% since early 2014 — from $733 billion to $489 billion in the third quarter of 2021. Lower debt improves a country’s balance sheet on the surface, but deprives it of financing sources that could contribute to economic growth and development. INDIVIDUALS Sanctioning persons via asset freezes and travel bans is a commonly used tool and the United States, the EU and Britain already have such sanctions in place against a number of Russian individuals. The EU on Monday imposed sanctions on five people who were involved in a Russian parliamentary election in annexed Crimea in September 2021. The package drafted by the EU on Tuesday could see curbs on those who were involved in the decision to recognise the breakaway regions – which could mean all members of the lower house of the Russian parliament who voted in favour of the recognition, according to one official. Meanwhile Britain has imposed sanctions on three men, Gennady Timchenko and billionaires Igor and Boris Rotenberg – all of whom are allies of President Vladimir Putin from St Petersburg whose personal fortunes grew precipitously following Putin’s rise to the presidency. All three men are already sanctioned by the United States. Detailed measures from Washington are yet to come. While the U.S. has used the SDN designation in the past to sanction oligarchs deemed to be “bad actors”, it has become more cautious in recent years after 2018 sanctions on the owner of Rusal saw aluminium prices skyrocket and forced Washington to backtrack. A bill unveiled by U.S. Senate Democrats in January aimed for sweeping sanctions against top Russian government and military officials, including Putin, and President Biden has said he would be ready to consider personal sanctions on the Russian president. Moscow has said any move to impose sanctions on Putin himself would not harm the Russian president personally but would prove “politically destructive”. ENERGY CORPORATES & NORD STREAM 2 The United States and the EU already have sanctions in place on Russia’s energy and defence sectors, with state-owned gas company Gazprom, its oil arm Gazpromneft and oil producers Lukoil, Rosneft and Surgutneftegaz facing various types of curbs on exports/imports and debt-raising. Sanctions could be widened and deepened, with one possible option being to prevent companies settling in U.S. dollars. Nord Stream 2, a recently completed pipeline from Russia to Germany, was awaiting regulatory approval by EU and German authorities before Berlin put its certification on ice. Europe’s dependence on Russian energy supplies weakens the West’s hand when considering sanctions in this sector. CURBING CHIPS The White House has told the U.S. chip industry to be ready for new restrictions on exports to Russia if Moscow attacks Ukraine, including potentially blocking Russia’s access to global electronics supplies. Similar measures were deployed during the Cold War, when technology sanctions kept the Soviet Union technologically backward and crimped economic growth. SWITCHING OFF SWIFT One of the harshest measures would be to disconnect the Russian financial system from SWIFT, which handles international financial transfers and is used by more than 11,000 financial institutions in over 200 countries. In 2012, SWIFT disconnected Iranian banks as international sanctions tightened against Tehran over its nuclear programme. Iran lost half its oil export revenue and 30% of its foreign trade, the Carnegie Moscow Center think tank said. Among Western countries, the United States and Germany would stand to lose the most from such a move, as their banks are the most frequent SWIFT users with Russian banks, said Maria Shagina at the Carnegie Moscow Center. Calls to cut Russia’s SWIFT access were mooted in 2014 when Moscow annexed Crimea, prompting Moscow to develop an alternative messaging system, SPFS. The number of messages sent via SPFS was about one fifth of Russian internal traffic in 2020, according to the central bank, which aims to increase this to 30% in 2023. However, SPFS has struggled to establish itself in international transactions. (Reporting by Karin Strohecker and Catherine Belton in London, Katya Golubkova and Andrey Ostroukh in Moscow; editing by Timothy Heritage and Jason Neely) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Rich McKay BRUNSWICK, Ga. (Reuters) -The three white men convicted of chasing down and murdering a young Black man, Ahmaud Arbery, as he was out jogging in their suburban Georgia community, were found guilty on Tuesday of committing federal hate crimes and other offenses in the 2020 killing. A predominantly white jury deliberated for about four hours over two days before returning the verdict against Travis McMichael, 36, his father, former police officer Gregory McMichael, 66, and a neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, 52, in U.S. District Court in Brunswick, Georgia. “Ahmaud will continue to rest in peace but he will now begin to rest in power,” Wanda Cooper-Jones, Ahmaud’s mother, said outside the courthouse after the verdict was read. All three men were found guilty of violating Arbery’s civil rights by attacking him because of his race, and of attempted kidnapping, capping the latest high-profile trial to probe issues of vigilantism and racial violence in America. The McMichaels were additionally convicted of a federal firearms charge. Bryan was not charged with a weapons offense. The hate-crimes felony, the most serious of the charges the defendants faced, carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. The three men were convicted last year of murder and other crimes in state court and sentenced to life terms for the shotgun slaying of Arbery, 25, a onetime high school football star who worked for a truck-washing company and his father’s landscaping business. Prosecutors in the state trial avoided characterizing the killing as racist, seeking only to prove that the McMichaels and Bryan were responsible for his death. Cooper-Jones on Tuesday railed against the Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors, who had originally reached a plea deal with the defendants to avoid a trial. In a rare move, the judge last month rejected the plea deal https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-prosecutors-reach-hate-crime-plea-deals-ahmaud-arbery-murder-court-filings-2022-01-31 after Ahmaud’s family implored her not to accept it. “What we got today, we wouldn’t have gotten today if it wasn’t for the fight that the family put up,” Cooper-Jones said. “What the DOJ did today, they was made to do today. It wasn’t because it’s what they wanted to do.” LAG TIME ON CHARGES Arbery was shot to death on Feb. 23, 2020, by the younger McMichael after all three defendants had chased him down in pickup trucks as the victim was out for an afternoon jog through the community of Satilla Shores, near the southeastern coastal town of Brunswick. The McMichaels insisted they did not act out of racial animus but out of self-defense and a belief that Arbery appeared suspicious when they saw him running through the streets after a series of neighborhood break-ins. But trial testimony revealed there had been no burglaries, but thefts from unlocked cars. And federal prosecutors presented testimony from 20 witnesses and other evidence they said showed that the three men had long histories of using slurs and making racist statements. The defense rested its case after calling just one witness. There was never any dispute that the younger McMichael fired his shotgun three times at Arbery at close range. The killing was captured in a graphic cellphone video recorded by Bryan, stoking public outrage when it surfaced on social media more than two months later with no arrests yet made, even though Travis McMichael had admitted to police at the scene that he gunned down Arbery. Civil rights activists pointed to the lag time in arrests of the three men as the latest example of law enforcement allowing white perpetrators to go unpunished in the unjustified killing of Black people. Arbery’s name became entwined with a host of others invoked in a summer of protests against racial injustice across the United States after another unarmed Black man, George Floyd, was killed by a white police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck until he could no longer breathe in May 2020. The federal prosecution of Arbery’s killers is the first in which those who committed such a high-profile murder are facing a jury in a hate-crime trial. The two McMichaels had agreed last month to plead guilty to the federal hate-crimes offense, and the son acknowledged at a federal court hearing that he singled out Arbery because of his “race and color.” But Judge Lisa Wood rejected the plea bargain because it bound her to a 30-year sentence that prosecutors had agreed would be served in a federal lockup before the men were returned to the Georgia prison system, widely perceived as a tougher environment for inmates compared with federal penitentiaries. The plea deals were then withdrawn, and all three defendants proceeded to trial. (Reporting by Rich McKay in Brunswick, Ga.; Additional reporting by Brad Brooks in Lubbock, Texas; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Donna Bryson and Alistair Bell) View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Kyle Rittenhouse is gearing up to sue Whoopi Goldberg, in addition to a whole “list” of other celebrities and politicians, over comments they made regarding him being a “murderer” before he was ultimately found not guilty of the charges and cleared of all wrongdoing. According to the 19-year-old’s appearance on Monday’s episode of Tucker Carlson Tonight, Rittenhouse revealed his plans to sue Goldberg and a slew of others when he told the Fox News host: “We’re gonna be holding them accountable, Tucker.” Mega “I want to hold them accountable for what they did to me ’cause I don’t want to see anybody have to go through what I did,” Rittenhouse continued before revealing he allegedly has a “list” of names made up of famous celebrities, politicians, and even athletes who falsely accused him. Besides Goldberg, the teenager then named Cenk Uygur, the founder of the left-wing news and commentary program The Young Turks, as another person he plans on suing for reportedly “lying” about him in the past. “We’re going to hold everybody who lied about me accountable, such as everybody who lied and called me a white supremacist,” he said. “They’re all going to be held accountable. And we’re going to handle them in a courtroom.” Mega As Radar previously reported, Rittenhouse faced five different charges in connection to his fatally shooting of two men and the injuring of a third during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin on August 25, 2020 when he was 17-years-old. Although the Illinois native was ultimately cleared of all charges – one of which being first-degree intentional homicide – he made headlines throughout the country and was the subject of much debate regarding whether or not he acted in self-defense. On November 19, 2021, the teenager was acquitted of all charges. Now, he is vowing to exact his revenge on all those who allegedly called him a “murderer” and “white-supremacist” before he was given his right to a fair trial. Mega Rittenhouse has also since launched what he and his team are calling the Media Accountability Project, which will reportedly act as a plan to raise money and “hold the media accountable” when they lie on their news networks. The money raised will then be used to bring legal action to the news organizations Rittenhouse and his team see fit. View the full article

Published by AFP The US Supreme Court rejected a bid by former president Donald Trump to block the release of documents to a congressional committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol Washington (AFP) – The US Supreme Court on Tuesday formally ended former president Donald Trump’s bid to block the release to congressional investigators of White House records related to last year’s attack on the Capitol. The court’s decision, issued in an unsigned order that made no comment, followed its rejection last month of Trump’s emergency request to shield the documents held by the National Archives. Trump, who has been accused of fomenting the deadly January 6 assault by a mob of his supporters, had asked the nation’s highest court to stay a ruling by a federal appeals court rejecting the petition. But it refused in a decision issued on January 19, and Tuesday’s announcement marks the definitive end of the line for Trump’s legal fight. “We expected this to happen after the Court voted 8-1 to deny Trump’s request to block documents while they considered his petition for review,” the public accountability watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said in a statement. “But even though it was expected, it’s still good to see it happen.” The House select committee is scrutinizing the attempt by hundreds of Trump supporters to block congressional certification of President Joe Biden’s November 2020 election victory by storming the Capitol. The development will be seen as a victory for investigators looking into how the riot took place, and whether Trump and members of his circle had any part in encouraging it. The ex-president had sought to exercise his privilege as a former president to keep under wraps White House records and communications that might relate to the attack. In a filing with the Supreme Court, Trump’s lawyers had argued that “a former president has the right to assert executive privilege, even after his term of office.” Biden waived executive privilege on the Trump records so they could be handed over to the committee and the appeals court decided that “the right of a former president certainly enjoys no greater weight than that of the incumbent.” The appeals court said the public interest was greater than Trump’s own in relation to the records. View the full article

Published by AFP The US women's soccer team first launched a lawsuit in 2019 demanding equal pay Washington (AFP) – The US national women’s team has won a $24 million payout and a promise of equal pay in a landmark settlement with US Soccer, the two sides announced Tuesday in a joint statement. “US Soccer has committed to providing an equal rate of pay going forward for the Women’s and Men’s National Teams in all friendlies and tournaments, including the World Cup,” the terms of the deal, sent to AFP, said. The question of World Cup prize money had formed a prominent part of the lawsuit filed by the US women’s soccer team in 2019, which accused the federation of “stubbornly refusing” to pay its men and women’s players equally. “I think we’re going look back on this day and say this is the moment that, you know, US Soccer changed for the better,” women’s star Megan Rapinoe said in an interview with ABC after the deal was announced. “Obviously we can’t go back and undo the injustices that we faced but … we know that something like this is never gonna happen again,” she continued, adding she hopes that they can now “move forward” with “setting up the next generation so much better than we ever had it. So it’s a great day.” Her teammate Alex Morgan, also speaking on ABC, called the deal “a monumental step forward in feeling valued, feeling respected and just mending our relationship with US Soccer.” The agreement stipulates that $22 million will be distributed to the players, while $2 million will go into an account to benefit them “in their post-career goals and charitable efforts related to women’s and girls’ soccer.” The settlement is contingent on a new collective bargaining agreement, which needs to be ratified before the deal can be finally approved by a court. A federal judge had rejected the claim of pay discrimination, but the US women then launched an appeal. The 2019 lawsuit cited the discrepancy in World Cup prize money payments paid to the two teams in 2014 and 2015. The US men received $5.375 million for reaching the round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup, while the women received $1.725 million for winning the 2015 tournament. ‘Not easy’ The US Soccer Federation had argued that its hands were tied because the prize money is set by FIFA, which awarded $38 million to France for winning the 2018 men’s World Cup in Russia, but only $4 million to the American women for winning the 2019 Women’s World Cup. “Getting to this day has not been easy,” both sides admitted in a statement announcing the deal. “The US Women’s National Team players have achieved unprecedented success while working to achieve equal pay for themselves and future athletes… We look forward to continuing to work together to grow women’s soccer.” In September last year USSF president Cindy Parlow Cone said the body hoped to equalize the World Cup prize money for its players. “Until FIFA equalizes the prize money that it awards to the Men’s and Women’s World Cup participants, it is incumbent upon us to collectively find a solution,” she wrote in an open letter addressed to fans. She said the gulf in prize money paid out by FIFA was “by far the most challenging issue” facing US Soccer in pay negotiations with men’s and women’s teams. View the full article

Published by Reuters By John Chalmers, Sabine Siebold and Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union agreed new sanctions on Russia that will blacklist more politicians, lawmakers and officials, ban EU investors from trading in Russian state bonds, and target imports and exports with separatist entities. However, EU foreign ministers chose not to sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said following a meeting in Paris on Tuesday. Russia’s formal recognition of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine was an unacceptable breach of Ukraine’s sovereignty, Borrell said. “This package of sanctions that has been approved by unanimity by the member states will hurt Russia, and it will hurt a lot,” Borrell told a news conference alongside France’s foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian at a meeting in Paris. Separately, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told Reuters that further Russian aggression in Ukraine would result in more sanctions, in coordination with the United States. The package of sanctions includes all members of the lower house of the Russian parliament who voted in favour of the recognition of the breakaway regions, freezing any assets they have in the EU and banning them from travelling to the bloc. It was not immediately clear when the sanctions would take effect, but diplomats expect them in the coming hours or days, when names and details will be made public. Borrell also said: “We are going to target 27 individuals and entities who are playing a role in undermining or threatening Ukrainian territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.” Borrell said those individuals and entities were in Russia’s defence, banking and financial sector. “We target the ability of the Russian state and government to access our capital and financial markets and services,” Borrell said. Banks involved in financing separatist activities in eastern Ukraine would also be targeted. The two regions could also be removed from a free-trade deal between the EU and Ukraine, “to ensure that those responsible clearly feel the economic consequences of their illegal and aggressive actions,” an EU statement said. PRAISE FOR GERMANY Borrell congratulated Germany’s decision to put the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project on ice, arguably the most far-reaching reaction to Moscow’s move late on Monday. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also praised Berlin. Taking steps to limit or ban Russia’s access to the Belgium-based SWIFT global interbank payments system used for Russian money flows was not immediately part of the EU sanctions. The EU had repeatedly said it was ready to impose “massive consequences” on Russia’s economy if Moscow invaded Ukraine but has also noted that, given the EU’s close energy and trade ties to Russia, it wanted to move in stages. Not all of the bloc’s 27 member states have the same relation to Russia or dependency on its gas, which could eventually complicate the adoption of further sanctions. EU officials and diplomats have said some EU countries, including Austria, Hungary and Italy, Russia’s closest allies in the bloc, would prefer more limited sanctions in response to Putin’s move on eastern Ukraine. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, whose country relies on Russia for much of its gas, told a news conference in Rome that any sanctions should not include energy imports. (Reporting by John Chalmers, Robin Emmott, Sabine Siebold, Francesco Guarascio, Ingrid Melander, Marine Strauss, Bart Meijer, Padraic Halpin and Crispian Balmer, Andrius Sytas, writing by Ingrid MelanderEditing by Tomasz Janowski) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jonathan Allen ST. PAUL, Minn. (Reuters) -A federal prosecutor told a jury in closing arguments on Tuesday that three former Minneapolis police officers ignored their training and basic human decency by failing to intervene when their colleague knelt on George Floyd’s neck leading to his death. Tou Thao, 36; J. Alexander Kueng, 28; and Thomas Lane, 38, have all pleaded not guilty to charges they willfully denied Floyd’s right to receive medical aid in police custody during the May 2020 arrest even as they had what a prosecutor called “front-row seats” to Floyd’s murder beside a police car parked in a Minneapolis intersection. Thao and Kueng are also charged with willfully breaching the handcuffed 46-year-old Black man’s rights by not intervening while their colleague Derek Chauvin, who is white, knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes as horrified onlookers begged the officers to check Floyd’s pulse. Chauvin, 45, was sentenced to 22-1/2 years in prison after being convicted of Floyd’s murder at a separate state trial last year. The federal trial in the U.S. District Court in St. Paul hinges on when an officer has a duty to intervene in a colleague’s misconduct and has shone a light on a deeply hierarchical culture at police departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Manda M. Sertich said Thao was captured on video choosing to “argue and mock” with the people on the sidewalk begging him to help Floyd rather than trying to get Chauvin off Floyd’s neck. Kueng, she said, could be seen smiling at a shared joke with Chauvin as Floyd died beneath them, and picking gravel out of a police car’s tire. Lane could be heard worrying that they should turn Floyd on his side but did not get up from pinning down Floyd’s legs. She said the defendants did not do what “human decency and common sense required them to do: to stop the slow-motion killing unfolding right in front of them.” All three defendants testified in their own defense, saying they deferred to Chauvin’s many years of experience as the most senior officer on the scene. Lane and Kueng, who pinned down Floyd’s buttocks and legs as Thao stood nearby keeping onlookers on the sidewalk, have emphasized that they were rookies only a few days out of training. Sertich said that even the rookies could and should have asked Chauvin to get off Floyd or to check his neck for a pulse. “They want you to accept that it is too much to ask of them to say those things even though it was not too much for those regular people who were walking by,” Sertich said. “They made the choice not to upset their colleague rather than do their duty, even though that choice resulted in the death of a human.” The men said they did not grasp that Floyd was dying beneath Chauvin’s knee, and assumed that, with 18 years on the force, the officer knew what he was doing. Sertich argued that they could easily tell Floyd had passed out from a neck restraint, which they should have known from training, was dangerous. Prosecutors have repeatedly drawn attention to the horrified bystanders on the sidewalk, most of whom had no medical training but correctly observed that Floyd had fallen unresponsive and screamed at officers to check Floyd’s pulse. Some appeared on the stand during the near three weeks of testimony. Kueng can be heard in body-worn camera videos telling his colleagues twice that he cannot find a pulse. He told the jury he did not take from this that Floyd’s heart had stopped, but decided instead that the handcuffs were preventing him from checking the pulse successfully. The defendants’ lawyers will deliver their own closing arguments before the jury begins deliberating. All three men face years in prison if convicted, and are also due to stand trial in a Minnesota court in June on state charges of aiding and abetting Floyd’s murder. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Mark Porter) View the full article

Published by New York Daily News NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams tapped ex-City Councilman Fernando Cabrera late Monday to serve as a faith adviser in his administration after the controversial Bronx politician apologized for his history of anti-gay views and remarks. Cabrera, a Christian pastor who was initially under consideration to become the city’s top mental health official, will act as a senior adviser in the newly formed Office of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships, Adams said in a statement. “I hope New Yorkers will give Fernando the opportunity to show his commitment to bringing together all New Yorkers, regardless … Read More View the full article