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Published by Radar Online Mega Amazon has suspended Black Lives Matter from their charity platform AmazonSmile due to the organizations’ failure to prove where up to $60 million in donations was spent. According to Daily Mail, Amazon suspended the BLM organization on Tuesday due to their inability to disclose where the millions of dollars donated to their cause had gone. While this is hardly the first time the social justice organization has been scrutinized in regard to their financial transparency, they will reportedly be without funds raised by AmazonSmile “until they’re back in compliance,” a spokesperson for the charity platform recently revealed. Mega The suspension also reportedly comes following an incident in which auditors for the Amazon charity became alarmed after the social justice organization was hesitant to disclose who was handling their finances. BLM was also reportedly hesitant to hand over their financial records to the AmazonSmile auditors. “People have to know we didn’t go out and solicit the money,” Patrisse Cullors, the BLM co-founder who resigned in May, said last week regarding the missing millions. “This is money that came from white guilt, white corporation guilt, and they just poured money in.” But the financial scrutiny BLM is currently under from AmazonSmile is just the least of the group’s problems, because in early February they were reportedly issued legal threats from both California and Washington in connection to the millions and millions of dollars the organization received in donations in 2020. Mega “Charitable organizations must meet the requirements outlined in our participation agreement to be eligible for AmazonSmile,” an Amazon representative recently revealed following BLM’s suspension. “Among other eligibility requirements, organizations are required to be in good standing in their state of incorporation and in the states and territories where they are authorized to do business,” the spokesperson continued. “Organizations that don’t meet the requirements listed in the agreement may have its eligibility suspended or revoked. Charities can request to be reinstated once they are back in good standing.” Mega Due to California and Washington’s legal threats, the social justice group has reportedly been deemed not “in good standing” in either state, leading AmazonSmile no choice but to suspend the organization until they legally and properly disclose who is currently in charge of their finances, and where the $60 million in donations went to. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Nathan Layne (Reuters) -A Minnesota judge on Friday sentenced former police officer Kimberly Potter to two years in the fatal shooting of Black motorist Daunte Wright during a traffic stop, a lighter sentence than the roughly seven years in prison sought by prosecutors. Potter, 49 — who mistook her handgun for her Taser in firing on Wright, 20, as he resisted officers who pulled him over in a Minneapolis suburb last April — was found guilty by a jury in December of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter. “This is a cop who made a tragic mistake,” said Judge Regina Chu, who became emotional as she handed down the 24-month sentence, two-thirds of which is to be served in prison and the remaining third on supervised release. Chu said Potter was required to make a split-second decision during a “chaotic and tense” encounter with Wright and that the evidence presented at trial justified the veteran policewoman’s intended use of a Taser to protect another officer at the scene. But she said a sentence of probation, which Potter’s lawyers had argued for, was not enough to account for the loss of life. “In this case, a young man was killed because Officer Potter was reckless,” Chu said, calling the case one of the saddest in her career. “Rightfully, there should be some accountability.” The shooting in Brooklyn Center triggered multiple nights of protests there. It occurred just a few miles north of where Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, was standing trial for killing George Floyd, a Black man whose 2020 death during an arrest helped set off demonstrations around the nation and the world over racism and killings by police. In rendering her decision, the judge made a point of distinguishing Potter’s actions from those of Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes and was convicted of murder. Both former officers are white. Daunte Wright’s mother Katie Wright expressed anger that Chu was emotional in delivering the sentence but not during Wright’s victim-impact statement in court on Friday. She blasted the two-year punishment as too lenient and questioned the sincerity of Potter’s tearful testimony at trial. “Kim Potter murdered my son, and he died April 11. Today the justice system murdered him all over again,” Wright said outside the courthouse. “White woman tears trumped justice.” Prosecutors had sought a sentence of seven years and two months, in line with state guidelines for first-degree manslaughter. Under state law, defendants facing multiple charges for the same act are sentenced only for the most serious count. But Judge Chu appeared to side with the arguments for leniency put forward by Potter’s lawyers, who cited her lack of a prior criminal record and her complaint-free 26 years on the police force. One of her attorneys, Paul Engh, said on Friday that Wright had been an “aggressor” in resisting arrest. Chu also said she believed that Potter, who broke down in giving brief remarks on Friday, had shown deep remorse. “I am so sorry that I hurt you so badly,” Potter said in court on Friday in comments directed at Wright’s family. “My heart is broken and devastated for all of you.” Potter has not appealed her conviction, and has not indicated she plans to appeal. Potter and a second officer pulled Wright over because there was an air freshener illegally hanging from his mirror and his vehicle registration tab had expired. They then learned of a warrant for his arrest on a misdemeanor weapons charge and tried to detain him. Wright resisted, breaking free from the second officer. Potter then shouted, “Taser, Taser, Taser!” and fired at Wright with her handgun, video from her body-worn camera showed. Potter testified that she feared for the life of a third officer who had entered the car through the passenger side. (Reporting by Nathan Layne in Wilton, Connecticut, Doina Chiacu in Washington and Tyler Clifford in New York; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by AFP Guacamole lovers can relax: the US government has allowed avocado imports from Mexico to resume Washington (AFP) – Avocado imports from the western Mexican state of Michoacan have resumed following a week-long suspension after steps were taken to ensure the safety of American inspectors, the US government said Friday. Shipments were halted after a US inspector received a threatening phone call a week ago, prompting fears among lovers of guacamole and avocado toast that prices could spike. But the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said security and industry organizations “have enacted additional measures that enhance safety for APHIS’ inspectors working in the field.” As a result, the avocado inspection program “has restarted and avocado exports to the United States have resumed,” APHIS said in a statement. Michoacan is the world’s largest avocado producer, with 85 percent of its crop exported to the United States, but it is also one of the Mexican states hardest hit by violence linked to organized crime. Last year a group of avocado producers formed a self-defense group they said was needed to prevent kidnapping, extortion and theft by criminal groups. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Monday that “economic and political interests” afraid of competition also played a part in the US decision to pause exports. In the statement Friday, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said employee safety “is of paramount importance” and noted the “positive, collaborative relationship” between the neighboring nations to resolve the issue. In 2021, 92 percent of the $3 billion in avocados imported into the United States came from Mexico, and Michoacan is the only Mexican state with approval to export to the US market, which it has done for some 25 years, according to APHIS. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Ottawa police officers have begun arresting leaders of the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa — with police doing a massive sweep of the bridge this morning. Mega Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned the truckers parked on the Ottaway bridge — that links Canada to the United States — they would be removed weeks ago. Now, the chickens are coming home to roost. A fleet of tow-trucks began removing big rigs, campers, and other vehicles blocking passage across the bridge. Ottawa Police released a statement to reporters in the area covering the protest. “All media who are attending the area, please keep a distance and stay out of police operations for your safety. Anyone found within areas undergoing enforcement may be subject to arrest. There will be a media availability later today.” Some of the protesters have been surrendering while others struggle with the police as they’re being arrested. Mega Footage of truckers being detained was captured with one trucker smiling as he yelled to a friend filming “Call my wife!” Trudeau originally needed Parliament approval to continue using his executive powers under the Emergencies Act. The vote had been scheduled for Monday but has since been moved to be held sometime next week. Trudeau is taking advantage of the postponement and is doing what he can to restore the flow of trade the blockade was causing. Mega The leaders of the trucker revolt Tamara Lich, 47, and Christopher Barber, 46, were arrested the night before the removal of the trucks. Both have been charged with “counseling to commit the offense of mischief.” Police are doing everything in their power to bring an end to the three-week long blockade over Canada’s vaccine mandates. The truckers have been garnering a lot of attention from both countries through their protest splitting support down the aisles. Several big name conservatives like senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul have voiced their support for the blockade – Democrats in power such as President Joe Biden have been working with Trudeau and the Canadian government to bring an end to it and bring trade back to where it was before the protest View the full article

Published by Reuters By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Former President Donald Trump took classified information to his Florida home after leaving the White House, the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration said in a letter to Congress on Friday about the 15 boxes of documents it recently recovered. The Archives said it had informed the Department of Justice, which would handle any investigation. “NARA has identified items marked as classified national security information within the boxes,” David Ferriero, the archivist of the United States, said in a letter to Democratic U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney, chair of the House of Representatives oversight committee. Maloney’s committee has been looking into Trump’s handling of records by the Republican president, who left office in January 2021. “These new revelations deepen my concern about former President Trump’s flagrant disregard for federal records laws and the potential impact on our historical record,” Maloney said in a statement. “The National Archives did not ‘find’ anything, they were given, upon request, presidential records in an ordinary and routine process to ensure the preservation of my legacy and in accordance with the Presidential Records Act,” Trump said in a written statement. “If this was anyone but “Trump,” there would be no story here.” The letter from Ferriero also said that some White House staff conducted official business using nonofficial electronic messaging accounts that were not copied or forwarded into official electronic messaging accounts and that it was in the process of obtaining some of those missing records. The Washington Post reported last week that some of the documents taken to Trump’s home were marked as classified, which could intensify the legal pressure Trump or his aides could face. The Presidential Records Act requires the preservation of memos, letters, notes, emails, faxes and other written communications related to a president’s official duties. Claiming executive privilege, Trump sued unsuccessfully to stop the release of records from his White House, including to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Additional reporting by Dan Whitcombl Editing by Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis & Simon Cameron-Moore) View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega;netflix The show everyone cannot stop talking about has been Netflix‘s Inventing Anna. The hit Shonda Rhimes series follows the inspired-by-true-events crime story of Anna Vadimovna Sorokina, who posed as wealthy German heiress Anna Delvey to scam her way into the most elite circles of New York society. Each episode of the drama begins with the disclaimer: “This whole story is completely true, except for all the parts that are totally made up,” which begs the question — who was the real life Anna Sorokin? The woman who managed to swindle wealthy investors as well as an established New York City banks to put together the art-focused social club entitled the Anna Delvey Foundation was actually a 31-year-old woman from Russia who grew up in a working class family. But what else was she up to? Scroll through the gallery to see who the real Anna Sorokin is: Sorokin Allegedly Had A Boyfriend Named Hunter Lee Soik mega Following the public’s fascination with the case and series, many speculated who the character Chase was based off of. In an Instagram post this week, Sorokin — who was released from Albion Correctional Facility in February and is now being held by ICE — offered to reveal the name of the man who inspired the character for a whooping $10,000. However, according to Page Six, her ex-boyfriend is allegedly entrepreneur Hunter Lee Soik. “Hunter is the person who got her into the scene,” a source told the outlet. “He is a social person globally. No one knew what he did, but he was always giving advice on how to climb the corporate ladder.” ‘INVENTING ANNA’ REAL LIFE COUNTERPART RACHEL WILLIAMS CALLS ANNA SOROKIN ‘SOCIOPATH,’ QUESTIONS NETFLIX FOR PROMOTING ‘DANGEROUS’ NARRATIVE Sorokin Comes From A Humble Working Class Family In Russia mega Sorokin was raised in Russia — despite claiming that she is of German descent — by her father, Vadim Sorokin, who ran a heating and cooling business in Moscow. In 2007, her family made the move to Eschweiler, Germany. However humble her beginnings, her scamming ways were not learned, according to Vadim. “I do not have any influence on her life and what she does,” her dad told the Daily Mail in 2019. “She has a selfish personality, we can’t do anything about it. We raised her well.” Sorokin Loved Fashion & Worked In The Industry mega From a young age, Sorokin knew she wanted a lavish and fabulous life. “She always loved fashion and bought glossy magazines from the age of 13,” a friend from her younger years told the British outlet. “She didn’t want to be a model, she wanted to be a [magazine columnist].” The aspiring writer then moved to Paris in 2013, where she became an intern at the French fashion magazine Purple before making her infamous venture to New York. Sorokin’s Favorite Movie Was ‘Mean Girls’ mega According to her former friend, Sorokin saw herself in quite a favorable light — even liking herself to characters from the infamous 2004 Lindsay Lohan film Mean Girls. “Our favorite film was Mean Girls,” her pal dished to the outlet. “She liked that they were mean, she and I were the brightest and the most popular at school, she found similarities between us and the film characters.” ‘INVENTING ANNA’ REAL LIFE COUNTERPART RACHEL WILLIAMS CALLS ANNA SOROKIN ‘SOCIOPATHIC,’ QUESTIONS NETFLIX FOR PROMOTING ‘DANGEROUS’ NARRATIVE Sorokin’s Strange & Unidentifiable Accent Is Real netflix In the series, actress Julia Garner evokes a strange shrill voice that sounds to be part Russian and part British, but unidentifiable as a whole. According to Sorokin herself, the actress was pretty accurate in her portrayal. “Some of it she gets right — but not everything,” the real-life scammer told Insider of the Ozark breakout star. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jacqueline Thomsen and Jan Wolfe WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday lost a bid to dismiss lawsuits accusing him of inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. In a lengthy written ruling https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/legaldocs/akpezndgovr/Mehta%20order%20Jan%206%202022.pdf, Judge Amit Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said three lawsuits by Democratic members of Congress and two police officers could proceed toward trial. Mehta agreed to dismiss Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani and Trump’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr., who were named as co-defendants, from the lawsuits. Looming large in the litigation is a Supreme Court case from 1982 holding that presidents are shielded, or immune, from lawsuits over their official acts. Mehta ruled Trump was not immune from the lawsuits, determining that the then-president’s fiery speech before the Capitol attack was not within the scope of his official presidential duties. “To deny a President immunity from civil damages is no small step. The court well understands the gravity of its decision,” Mehta ruled. “But the alleged facts of this case are without precedent, and the court believes that its decision is consistent with the purposes behind such immunity.” Jesse Binnall, a lawyer for Trump, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump and his co-defendants have argued that their remarks preceding the Jan. 6 attack were free speech protected by the U.S. Constitution. The Democratic lawmakers, including U.S. representatives Eric Swalwell and Jerry Nadler, have invoked an 1871 law passed to fight the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan that prohibits political intimidation. The lawsuits alleged a conspiracy between Trump and rioters to halt Congress’s certification of President Joe Biden’s election victory. Without ruling on the merits of that theory, Mehta said the allegation was sufficiently detailed to proceed toward discovery, a process in which litigants exchange evidence and take testimony. “From these alleged facts, it is at least plausible to infer that, when he called on rally-goers to march to the Capitol, the President did so with the goal of disrupting lawmakers’ efforts to certify the Electoral College votes,” Mehta wrote. Joseph Sellers, an attorney representing the Democratic lawmakers, said the ruling breaks new legal ground and “demonstrates the extraordinary nature of the conduct of which then-President Trump was engaged.” (Reporting by Jacqueline Thomsen in Washington and Jan Wolfe in West Palm Beach, Florida; Editing by Howard Goller and Alistair Bell) View the full article

“Ram Ranch: Weaponizing naked gay cowboys“Freedom Convoy Vs. Ram Ranch Cowboys A new weapon involving the naked gay cowboys of the Ram Ranch has emerged for Canadians pushing back against the so-called “Freedom Convoy” that has occupied Ottawa and other Canadian municipalities over the last month: a hardcore ballad about 18 gay cowboys getting it in the showers titled “Ram Ranch.” The 2015 track all about “naked cowboys in the showers at Ram Ranch” was originally written by Grant MacDonald as a thumb to the eye of the Nashville country music scene after song submissions focused on gay love were rejected. But the song has taken on new life as Canadian citizens continue to combat the convoy led by white nationalists, Canadian separatists and anti-vaxxers under the guise of protesting personal freedoms. “I couldn’t have been happier when I heard it was the anti-convoy group using the song. I love how it plays with (the truckers’) heads,” MacDonald told the Ottawa Citizen. “I appreciate my anti-convoy fans in Ottawa and all across Canada so much.” Thank you for your interest in Ram Ranch Citizen Weaponry.Ram Ranch Tactical Audio: A Perfect Weapon Cheap. Easy to Deploy. More Effective As Enemy Learns DetailsReflexive, performative disgust around gay content immediately seizes your truckers. “No homo” takes clear precedence over maintaining, expanding protest blockades. With repeated use, just a few notes — wherever, whenever — drives them to make an immediate and involuntary cry of disgust (or that looks involuntary). Contagious homo panic leads to mass exodus. Ram Ranch Resistance So valuable and successful has been the use of the song as a tool to disrupt the trucker blockade that citizens working to drive the truckers out now organize as the “Ram Ranch Resistance.” Their goal is to rid their city of the small group of truckers that has effectively shut down downtown Ottawa and greatly hindered citizen and business activities in other Canadian cities over the last month. The Resistance has infiltrated the truckers enough that “Ram Ranch” disrupts many of the Truckers’ group chats on Zello, the walkie-talkie app used by convoy supporters to organize and communicate. The explicit tune plays on conservative sensibilities and homophobic tendencies, trolling and disrupting communications and coordination of those demanding the Canadian government lift its vaccine mandates. One user even took it upon themself to rename a convoy supply center outside of Ottawa baseball stadium RCGT Park to Ram Ranch Cafe on Google Maps. MacDonald himself is lending his voice to the movement, producing a version of “Ram Ranch” specifically addressing the convoy with lines like “Trucker boys in their big rigs, in their sleepers, stark naked. Holy jeepers creepers.” The various uses of the song as a counter-protest tool generated plenty of humorous reactions online, but, at the same time, it has proven effective in actually fighting back against the radicalized convoy participants. Product Info: Ram Ranch Tactical AudioPerfect Weapon for your Citizens: Zero danger for user. Enemy can’t toss back or use on you. Even makes your citizens healthierAn impossibly perfect weapon: Zero danger even at lethal volume to citizen resisters raised right. Repeated exposure has no negative effects. Residual traces raise community immunity to homophobia. Soldiers go home entertained, empowered. Ram Ranch Satisfaction Survey. Excerpt: Most Start with “grudging but ignorant admiration.” After seeing it up close: They are “Ready to celebrate the mystical, explosive power of sex-positive cowpokes” Infiltration Teagan McLean utilized “Ram Ranch” as part of his efforts to break up the Ambassador Bridge convoy offshoot in Windsor. According to the Ottawa Citizen, McLean infiltrated the group’s Zello chats over a five day span earlier this month. He quickly rose in rank and trust with convoy supporters in their Zello channel, becoming a channel moderator and briefly meeting with the group in person. When others opposing the convoy began disrupting the Zello channel, including multiple uses of “Ram Ranch,” McLean shepherded the group into another Zello channel he created that became the go-to spot for convoy participants in Windsor. Shortly before a court injunction against the convoy was set to go into place last Friday, McLean quietly removed moderator status from all but himself and reassigned those roles to fellow convoy opponents. “Ram Ranch” echoed into the app from every direction minutes before police broke up the protest. “It was definitely a lot of fun and almost too easy,” McLean said. “I had moderators turning against moderators, supporters turning their back on the moderators and what they stood for. It was priceless. It was comedy gold.” Though using “Ram Ranch” is definitely funny, its use in cooperation with other anti-occupation tactics provides a partial blueprint for pushing back against the convoy. “These people have overstayed their welcome. They need to stop terrorizing the citizens of Ottawa and go home,” McLean said. “They can go peacefully – they say they’re peaceful protesters – or the police can come in. What happened in Windsor is going to happen in Ottawa.” Something Stronger? thanks for your inquiryRam Ranch Dressing : Thanks for asking about other products— Ram Ranch Randy Rick Rolls and Video bombs prove Ram Ranchers are naked and flexible. Current model: “Naked Cowboy Chorus: Together Forever Through the Decades”. Best Use: slip into church or class YouTube queue. Anarchists, Nihilists might set randomly acdross internet. For Outdoor use, request a Ram Ranch Flat Sheet. Best Use: NASCAR parking, Public park, Truck Stops. — RRCowboys Care, WE GIVE BACK: (and front) Ram Ranchers sleep naked under duvets. We donate our extra top sheets to your video program. Around holidays we send impossibly hard fruit candy to make you all Happy Ranchers. — For the Biggest Ram Ranch Bang, qualify for A Ram Ranch Discovery Weekend. Intense hands-on learning. You will be exhausted but you will know all you need to mount the Ram Ranch X Live Show (Like “Ted X”, but with “XXX” quality). Take over streets, stages. Guaranteed Cringe Strafing and bombs for maximal impact. –And finally, an encore. A Neutron Battering Ram Ram Ranch Naked Gay Cowboys Canada: Previously on Towleroad 18 Naked Gay Cowboys of ‘Ram Ranch’ Offer Effective Antibody Protection vs. Annoying, Unpopular Uprising by Mutating Anti-Vax Trucker Variant Brian Bell February 18, 2022 Read More Canada Conversion Therapy Ban Goes Into Effect; European Court Declines Gay Marriage Cake Case; New Study on Blood Donations By Gay Men Underway: NEWS Brian Bell January 10, 2022 Read More Repeated Misgendering Of Employees On Purpose is a Human Rights Violation in Canada. ‘Like a Name, Pronouns are… part of a Person’s Identity’ Brian Bell October 5, 2021 Read More Canada Transgender Pastor Sues Former Church For Being Fired After Coming Out During Pride Month Sermon Brian Bell August 12, 2021 Read More Soccer Star Quinn is First Out Trans Nonbinary Olympic Gold Medalist as Canada Tops Sweden in 3-2 Shootout Brian Bell August 6, 2021 Read More U.S. Extends Severe Travel Restrictions On Land Border Crossings to Canada, Mexico Through Aug. 21 Towleroad July 22, 2021 Read More Photos courtesy of Maksim Sokolov/Creative Commons, YouTube View the full article

Published by Radar Online Chet Hanks/YouTube; Mega Chet Hanks seems to be on a better path. Taking to his YouTube channel to promote his new “self-mastery program” called HanxFit, the 31-year-old often-troubled son of beloved actor Tom Hanks and actress Rita Wilson posted a lengthy video in which he got candid about “the truth about growing up as a Hanks.” Chet Hanks/YouTube; Mega As Radar previously reported, 2021 was a tumultuous year for Chet; it was marked by an apparent fall from the sobriety wagon, an abuse lawsuit from an ex-girlfriend, and his controversial single, White Boy Summer. But Chet looks and sounds clean and sober these days, and he’s pouring all of his energy into documenting his journey toward healing. When we spoke to the ex who sued him, Kiana Parker, back in July, she described Chet as angry and said she believed he had returned to drinking and drugging to mask childhood traumas she said he would often talk to her about. “He’s been – he’s still to this day, I don’t care what anyone says, I know him – he’s fighting a lot of childhood demons. A lot,” Parker shared with us at the time. “That’s the main problem with him is his parents. It’s not perfect like the world thinks. So he’s dealing with that and was dealing with trying to stay sober with no drinking, but he’s back doing that.” She told us that Chet began drinking again in early 2020, around the time the coronavirus pandemic began making its way across the country. When Tom and Rita found out, Kiana told us they stopped paying for his things, which she believes affected his treatment of her. Chet Hanks/YouTube Without naming his ex, Chet did say in his straight-to-camera video that he was “a lot different” from the man who filmed White Boy Summer. “I’ve come a long way,” he claimed. He 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.” According to Chet, no drug on Earth is more powerful than fame. And to make his situation more “complicated,” he wasn’t even the one who was famous. Mega With that 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 said 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 insecurities about his self-worth. But he chose to conceal the truth with a “hard exterior” rooted in “anger” and “hostility.” He built his wall high so that he didn’t have to be honest with himself or others. Mega With that 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. However, he says he’s done a lot of work to unmask the anger and process everything underneath. Though uncharacteristically “vulnerable,” Chet was still Chet. He said in his video that he always felt he had the “it factor;” he was handsome, talented, popular and “good with girls.” He feels jealously was also a huge factor in his negative experiences growing up and wishes he had had “a strong male role model” to tell him that his haters were likely just envious. View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA Police are officially investigating Prince Charles‘ charity, The Prince’s Foundation. It was announced by Metropolitan Police on Wednesday, February 16, that detectives have launched a probe into the organization following cash-for-honors allegations. MEGA According to People, the foundation has been under speculation since allegations arose earlier this year, accusing the charity of receiving donations in order to secure official honors and British citizenship for a Saudi businessman. “The decision follows an assessment of a September 2021 letter. This related to media reporting alleged offers of help were made to secure honours and citizenship for a Saudi national,” Wednesday’s announcement read. “The Special Enquiry Team has conducted the assessment process which has included contacting those believed to hold relevant information.” PRINCE CHARLES INVITED PRINCE HARRY TO STAY WITH HIM AHEAD OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II’S PLATINUM JUBILEE, HE HOPES TO ‘GENTLY TALK’ TO HIS SON ABOUT UPCOMING MEMOIR, SOURCE SAYS “Officers liaise with The Prince’s Foundation regarding the findings of an independent investigation into fundraising practices,” the statement continued. “The Foundation provided a number of relevant documents.” “These documents have been reviewed alongside existing information. The assessment determined an investigation will commence,” however: “there have been no arrests or interviews under caution,” thus far, per the announcement. MEGA While the charity is believed to be complying with the investigation, a spokesperson for the foundation said, “It would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation” at this time. Charles’ office also released a statement in response to the probe, maintaining: “The Prince of Wales had no knowledge of the alleged offer of honours or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities,” which was similar to his initial statement when the allegations made headlines last year. PRINCE CHARLES’ NOD TO PRINCE HARRY IN CLIMATE CHANGE ESSAY COULD BE ‘A PEACE OFFERING,’ ROYAL EXPERT SPECULATES At the time, the foundation’s Chief Executive, Michael Fawcett,temporarily resigned from his position at The Prince’s Foundation in light of the allegations. MEGA “Michael Fawcett offered to step down temporarily from active duties as Chief Executive of The Prince’s Foundation while the Trustee’s investigation is ongoing. The Prince’s Foundation has accepted this offer,” the foundation claimed in a statement at the time, per People. “Michael fully supports the ongoing investigation and has confirmed that he will assist the investigation in every way.” Only weeks later, the charity was hit with yet another scandal, leading the chairman of the foundation to step down amid claims of a six-figure offer from a Russian donor. The Prince’s Foundation reportedly accepted more than $100,000 from the businessman before their ethics committee declined the remaining sum. View the full article

Post Backlash, “Sims 4” LGBTQ Wedding DLC Gets Russian Release Electronic Arts reversed course Wednesday, saying it will release the latest game pack for the popular life-simulator game “Sims 4,” “My Wedding Stories,” in Russia after initially announcing the pack, which allows players to marry same-sex partners, wouldn’t release in the nation. “We’ve been listening to the outpouring of feelings from our community including both support for our decision and concern for their fellow community members,” The “Sims 4” development team said in a blog post. “It’s equally important for us to stand by our values, including standing against homophobia, and to share stories like this with those who want and need it most.” The team promised the Russian release of the pack will be “unaltered and unchanged” from those released in other regions. The change of heart comes after prominent members of the game’s online community spoke out in opposition to the initial decision to exclude Russia. The dev team cited Russia’s laws against “gay propaganda” as the reason for omitting the nation from its release schedule, stating that it didn’t want to release the pack “where our storytelling would be subject to changes because of federal laws.” But the law in question focuses on content directed at minors, whereas “Sims 4” is rated 18+ in Russia. According to Waypoint, members of the game’s online community criticized EA for excluding Russian players and depriving LGBTQ Russians of needed representation due to the nation’s staunch anti-LGBTQ stance. Others downplayed the severity of the law and boiled the whole issue down to anti-Russian bias on the part of EA. A number of “Sims” influencers also stated they wouldn’t make pre-release content for the wedding pack, which heavily features an LGBTQ couple in its marketing, in response to EA’s initial decision. The announcement also stated that game pack will be delayed slightly, moving the release date to Feb. 23 so that all ‘Sims’ players can “celebrate together.” “Crusader Kings III” Adds Gay Marriage Paradox Interactive’s feudal-era strategy game “Crusader Kings III” now allows players to marry same-sex characters following the release of the game’s robust 1.5 update. Those wishing to marry their regal avatars with a member of the same-sex will be able to do thanks to a customization slider when starting a game. The update also adds a number of customization options related to same-sex relationships as well, including making every religion in the game accept same-sex marriages and allow for same-sex relationships with concubines. Unfortunately, the game still won’t allow characters to have children with members of the same sex, which is important in a game where building a legacy through the player’s kingdom is vital. The update also does nothing to address trans and gender-diverse identities within the game, especially since individuals that identify as such can have children. Check out Gayming Magazine’s full breakdown on how the game’s same-sex marriage system works for more details. Gayming Awards Nominees Announced Speaking of Gayming Magazine, nominees for the publication’s second-annual Gayming Awards have been announced, with Kitfox Games’ dating sim/dungeon crawler “Boyfriend Dungeon” and Deck Nine’s empath adventure “Life is Strange: True Colors” leading the field with four nominations each. Both titles are up for Game of the Year alongside “Psychonauts 2” and “Unpacking,” and “Boyfriend Dungeon” is also up for the fan-voted Gayming Magazine Readers award and Best LGBTQ Indie Game. Both are nominated for the Authentic Representation award, which highlights the best authentic portrayals of the LGBTQ community in video games, as well. Two characters from “Life is Strange: True Colors,” Alex Cen and Steph Gingrich, are nominated for the Best LGBTQ Character award. The complete list of nominees, including those in categories celebrating comics, tabletop games, streamers and advocacy groups, is available here. The 2022 Gayming Awards will air live on Twitch on April 25. Sims 4: Previously on Towleroad EA, Paradox Heed Calls For Same-Sex ‘Crusader Kings’ Weddings; And To Keep Them in ‘Sims 4’ Russia Editions; Plus Gayming Award Noms — ROUNDUP Brian Bell February 18, 2022 Read More Writer Of Bisexual Superman Has Perfect Way Of Dealing with Those Protesting Too Much; Also Brockhampton Splits Up; G4 Host Blasts Boys Who Belittle and Sexist Viewers: Entertainment Roundup Brian Bell January 18, 2022 Read More Wonder Woman’s 1st Trans Amazon; ‘Battlefield’s 1st Non-Binary Specialist; ‘Superman’ Colorist Quits Offended By New Motto. Brian Bell October 26, 2021 Read More China Bans Games With LGBTQ, Effeminate Men or Nazi Characters; Activision Blizzard Settles; ‘Life Is Strange’ Promotion Benefits Community Brian Bell October 4, 2021 Read More ‘Frat Boy’ Culture at Activision Blizzard: Groping, Junk-Grab ‘Gay Chicken’ Game, ‘The Cosby Suite,’ Cited in California Suit. Employees Walk Out Brian Bell July 28, 2021 Read More E3 News 2021 is Gayer Gaming: Romance ‘Boyfriend Dungeon’; Kiss Nonbinary ‘Frogsong’; ‘Just Dance’ with Todrick Hall, And More Brian Bell June 20, 2021 Read More Image courtesy of Electronic Arts View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Prince William has bitten his tongue when it comes to his true feelings about Hollywood’s fascination with his late mother, Princess Diana. But with the hoopla surrounding the new Diana biopic Spencer — and Kristen Stewart’s best actress Oscar nomination — a source says William is finally ready to give Tinseltown a piece of his mind. mega “He’s sick of these tacky, factually incorrect portrayals about the royals as a whole,” dishes the source. “He wants to put an end to his family being used as film fodder.” KATE MIDDLETON STUNS IN GOLD WITH HUBBY PRINCE WILLIAM ALONGSIDE PRINCE CHARLES & CAMILLA FOR LONDON ‘NO TIME TO DIE’ PREMIERE William, 39, who’s set to visit the U.S. this fall with his wife, Duchess Kate Middleton, for the second Earthshot Prize awards, “intends to meet with some of Hollywood’s most powerful movers and shakers and make his case,” spills the source, adding that his wife, 40, is firmly behind him. mega “Spencer was like rubbing salt in old wounds, and it pains her to see William so agitated,” the source adds. “If it weren’t for the queen imploring him not to kick up such a fuss, he’d have gone public on this matter long ago.” PRINCE HARRY AVOIDING KRISTEN STEWART AFTER THE ‘TWILIGHT’ STAR’S PRINCESS DIANA ROLE ‘STRUCK A SOUR NOTE’ WITH THE ROYALS While William isn’t holding the Spencer buzz against the Charlie’s Angels star personally, the source says he wasn’t happy with her promotion surrounding the movie. “It grieves William that people who never knew Diana personally talk about her on such an intimate level, like they know what she was thinking and feeling,” explains the source. “William certainly won’t be making any effort to meet with her.” mega Still, the source figures the Twilight star, 31, would be upset to learn the film caused William such pain. “She really threw herself into this project, body and soul,” says the source, noting that the star doesn’t see any harm in portraying a public figure. “At the end of the day, this was an acting opportunity Kristen couldn’t pass up.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Karen Freifeld and Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) – A New York judge ruled on Thursday that former U.S. President Donald Trump and two of his adult children must answer questions under oath within 21 days in the state attorney general’s civil probe into their family company. Justice Arthur Engoron of the New York state court in Manhattan ruled in favor of Attorney General Letitia James in directing Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr and his daughter Ivanka Trump to testify. Engoron said James had “the clear right” to issue her subpoenas and question the Trumps after having uncovered “copious evidence of possible financial fraud.” Failing to issue subpoenas “would have been a blatant dereliction of duty,” Engoron wrote. “Today, justice prevailed,” James said in a statement. “No one will be permitted to stand in the way of the pursuit of justice, no matter how powerful they are. No one is above the law.” The decision followed a two-hour hearing in which the Trumps’ lawyers accused James of doing an end run around their clients’ constitutional rights by seeking testimony she could then use against them in a parallel criminal investigation. Trump attorney Alina Habba accused James of “selective prosecution and prosecutorial misconduct that this country has never seen,” citing what she called Democratic attorney general’s “vile disdain” for Trump, a Republican. “If he was not who he is, she would not be doing this,” Habba said. “This court can help stop this circus.” Trump in a statement issued later on Thursday called the accusations false and accused James of a political agenda in targeting him and his family. “It is a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in history – and remember, I can’t get a fair hearing in New York because of the hatred of me by judges and the judiciary. Its not possible!,” Trump said in the statement. Last month, James said her nearly three-year investigation into the Trump Organization had uncovered significant evidence of possible fraud https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ny-attorney-general-details-possible-fraud-donald-trumps-family-business-2022-01-19. She described what she called misleading statements about the values of the Trump brand and six properties, saying the company may have inflated real estate values to obtain bank loans and reduced them to lower tax bills. The Trumps have not been accused of criminal wrongdoing. Engoron declined the Trumps’ request to put James’ case on hold while the criminal case, led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, is pending. James joined that probe last May. The criminal investigation, begun by Bragg’s predecessor Cyrus Vance, resulted last July in tax fraud charges against the Trump Organization and its longtime chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg. Both pleaded not guilty. ‘COMPLETELY MISSES THE MARK’ Engoron said the argument that James was trying to bypass grand jury protections, which would give the Trumps immunity, by issuing civil subpoenas “completely misses the mark.” He said the Trumps could refuse to answer questions, noting that Donald Trump’s other adult son Eric Trump invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination more than 500 times when the attorney general’s office questioned him in 2020. The judge also rejected the Trumps’ claim that James’ sometimes aggressive public statements about investigating Donald Trump, including a pledge that “we’re definitely going to sue him,” illustrated the “impropriety” of her probe. Engoron said the spark for the investigation was not James’ dislike of the former president, but rather congressional testimony from Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen that the Trumps were “cooking the books.” The judge also noted Trump’s history of investigations by the attorney general’s office, including “significant settlements” with James’ predecessors concerning a namesake university and charitable foundation. Trump is suing to try to stop James’ investigation. He has not said whether he will run for president again in 2024. Engoron ruled after Trump’s longtime accounting firm Mazars USA decided last week to cut ties with him and the Trump Organization, saying it could no longer stand behind a decade of financial statements despite finding no material discrepancies. The Trump Organization said Mazars’ findings effectively rendered James’ and Bragg’s investigations “moot.” Washington D.C.’s attorney general is separately suing the Trump Organization and Trump’s inaugural committee over the alleged misuse of $1.1 million of charitable funds. A Sept. 26 trial date was set on Thursday. (Reporting by Karen Freifeld and Jonathan Stempel in New York; Additional reporting by Luc Cohen and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Will Dunham and Grant McCool) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Elliot Page is penning a memoir The ‘Juno’ star – who came out as transgender in December 2020 on the cover of Time magazine- is releasing ‘Pageboy’, which will “delve into” his feelings about “body, experiences as one of the most famous trans people in the world,” along with other themes, such as mental health, dating and the toxic culture of the film industry. The 34-year-old actor’s publisher Flatiron said “The memoir will delve into Page’s relationship with his body, his experiences as one of the most famous trans people in the world, and will cover mental health, assault, love, relationships, sex, and the cesspool that Hollywood can be.” The news was also shared on both the publisher’s and Elliot’s Instagram Stories. In April last year, the ‘Umbrella Academy’ star shared about his life and the reasons why he was open about his decision to transition to veteran broadcaster Oprah Winfrey, calling it “an interesting dichotomy”. He said: “Well, it’s this interesting dichotomy in a way where on some level it feels just like the most miraculous, amazing thing — and it’s also just the experience of, ‘Oh, there I am.” Elliot felt he had been through “such a freeing experience” but it hadn’t been an easy ride. He said: “A part of me was like, ‘Oh my god, why was that so hard? Why? Why has society made getting to this place of my life — because that’s the situation we’re facing. And yeah, it was probably driving my friends crazy, sending them profile photos of me post having top surgery and how different I felt after that and all this space. “You and I talked about this on the Zoom, just sort of this newfound energy because it is such a freeing experience.” The Academy Award nominee spoke about how he “wanted to share” about his decision to have top surgery – a procedure to remove breast tissue – to Oprah. Elliot said: “I wanted to talk about it for a couple of reasons. I wanted to share with people just how much it has changed my life. And I want people to know that not only has it been life changing for me, I do believe it is life saving and it’s the case for so many people… and because there is such an attack on trans health care right now, when already there is such a lack of access or trans people who don’t even want to go to the doctor.” View the full article

Published by AFP Penn State's transgender swimmer Lia Thomas competes in the 500-yard freestyle Cambridge (United States) (AFP) – Transgender US swimmer Lia Thomas won the 500-yard freestyle race at the 2022 Ivy League women’s championships Thursday, defying critics who have called for her to be barred from competing. Thomas has dominated US collegiate women’s swimming recently as a student athlete at Penn State, where just a few years ago she competed as a man. Her case has divided opinion, with some arguing she has an unfair physiological advantage while others say she should be allowed to compete freely as a woman. This month the governing body of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming, unveiled new guidelines which include a more stringent threshold for athletes’ testosterone levels — widely seen as making it harder for Thomas to be able to compete in major meets. But she got the go-ahead to compete in the prestigious Ivy League championships, and came in first place with a time of 04 mins 37.32 secs Thursday — a record for Harvard University’s Blodgett Pool. She was among three swimmers from Penn State to make the finals. Thomas beamed and flashed a peace sign as she received the medal. Also competing Thursday was fellow transgender swimmer Iszac Henig, who won first place in the women’s 50-yard freestyle race. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Joseph Ax and Moira Warburton (Reuters) – Thousands of Texas voters’ mail-in ballots for midterm primary elections have been rejected for failing to comply with new Republican-backed identification requirements passed in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s false claims of widespread fraud, county officials said. Election officials in six of the state’s largest counties, which are collectively home to about a third of Texas’ population, are reporting unprecedented rates of invalid ballots, almost entirely because voters are neglecting to include an ID number on the envelope as the new law demands. That has officials scrambling to try to help voters correct the errors, less than two weeks before the state holds the nation’s first primary election in which the Democratic and Republican voters will choose their candidates for the Nov. 8 midterm elections that will determine control of the U.S. Congress for the next two years. In Harris County, home to Houston and 4.7 million people, 3,475 ballots representing about 35% of those received by Tuesday could not be accepted because voters did not fill in the correct number. In past years, the overall rejection rate was between 5% and 10%. The vast majority of ballots appeared to have been cast by registered voters who simply made an honest mistake, officials said. “These layers don’t provide more security, but they are providing more rejection,” said Isabel Longoria, the top election official in Harris, the state’s most populous county. “Election administrators are in this very bizarre situation where it’s our job to help voters vote … and we’re having to reject ballots at a rate we’ve never seen before.” The number of rejected votes is certain to rise, given that the majority of mail-in ballots have not yet arrived at clerks’ offices ahead of the March 1 primary. Officials in Dallas County, the state’s second-most populous with 2.6 million residents, said they were sending back 26% of mail-in ballots, much higher than in previous elections. In Collin County, a district just north of Dallas with roughly 1 million people, 25% of mail-in ballots are being rejected, according to Bruce Sherbet, the county’s election administrator. Among other large Texas counties, Hidalgo election officials reported sending back 189 ballots of the 3,189 they had received, while at this time in the 2018 elections they had returned none. In El Paso County, 270 of the 581 ballots – 46% – received on Tuesday were missing an ID number, said Lisa Wise, the elections administrator. In Williamson County, north of Austin, about a quarter of ballots have arrived with no ID number, Christopher Davis, the election administrator, said. Reuters reached out to officials in Texas’ 12 most populous counties. The others either did not respond to requests for comment or said they did not yet have data to share. The findings present an early look at how a wave of new restrictions on voting over the past year, largely passed by Republican-held legislatures, could affect turnout in the Nov. 8 elections. “We’ve never heard of anything near as high as this,” said James Slattery, an attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project. Texas lawmakers approved the voting restrictions last September after a months-long effort by Democrats to block it that included lawmakers fleeing the state. It was one of many efforts in Republican-controlled states to pass new limits after Trump falsely claimed he lost the 2020 election because of widespread fraud. When asked about the higher than usual rejection rates, Texas Secretary of State John Scott’s office referred Reuters to a statement it issued on Wednesday that laid out voters’ options for correcting rejected ballots. Some county election officials said they thought the early problems would prove short-lived as voters get accustomed to the new requirements. “I think it’s gonna improve,” said Sherbet, of Collin County, noting that the law does give voters who failed to fill out the number an opportunity to. “It was just a rough start.” REMEMBERING DECADES-OLD APPLICATIONS The increased rejection rate follows a similar rise in the number of rejected mail-in ballot applications, which also carried a new ID requirement this year. Under the law, known as SB 1, absentee voters must include either a driver’s license number or a partial Social Security number on both the application and the ballot itself. If the number doesn’t match what is in a voter’s record, the paperwork must be fixed. Voting rights advocates have cited cases in which older voters may not recall which number they used at the time they first registered, perhaps decades ago. Republican lawmakers argue the bill, which also imposed other restrictions such as barring drive-through voting, prevents election fraud and ensures public confidence. Democrats and civil rights groups point out voter fraud is exceptionally rare in the United States and say the bill is intended to depress turnout. “Anytime you add a step to the process … you lose voters who are making a good-faith effort to cast their ballot,” said Katya Ehresman, the grassroots organizer for Common Cause Texas, a nonpartisan group that advocates for government reform. Texas limits voting by mail to voters who are over 65 years old, disabled, ill, in jail, due to give birth immediately or out of their home county on Election Day. Administrators said they have added temporary staff to call voters and alert them to the missing ID numbers, as well as mail rejected ballots back to voters so they can fix the defect. TIME RUNS SHORT But the March 1 election is fast approaching. Harris County on Thursday stopped returning rejected ballots, due to concerns that there wasn’t time for a ballot to go back and forth through the mail by election day, Longoria said. Williamson County and Collin County have stopped sending ballots back this week as well, instead relying on calls to try to reach voters. But not everyone can be reached by phone. “We’re trying to triage them as best as we can,” Davis said. The newly designed envelopes for mail-in ballots utilize a secrecy flap that covers up the ID number to protect voters’ privacy. Officials said they fear voters are not seeing that part of the form as a result. The new law has also left some county clerks unclear on exactly how defective ballots can be fixed. Davis said he understood that voters could use the state’s online voting portal to do so, but Longoria said she believed voters either had to send in a new envelope or come to an office. “The bigger issue is not who’s right or who’s wrong, but even election administrators are confused about how the system works,” Longoria said. (Reporting by Joseph Ax in Princeton, New Jersey, and Moira Warburton in Washington; Editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell) View the full article

Published by Reuters By James Oliphant WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democrats are in jeopardy of losing their long-time firewall against new voting restrictions in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin should Republicans who support such curbs win competitive governors’ races in those states in November. Republican victories in the three states could have profound implications for the 2024 presidential election. Nicknamed the “blue wall” after helping President Joe Biden defeat Donald Trump in 2020, they also were home to challenges from Republican officials trying to overturn the election’s results. Doug Mastriano, a state senator running for governor in Pennsylvania, worked with Trump’s lawyers to challenge the 2020 outcome. James Craig, a leading Republican gubernatorial candidate in Michigan, has called for an audit of the election results. Rebecca Kleefisch, the top Republican contender for Wisconsin’s governor, filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the use of drop boxes in upcoming elections. “They say every election is the most important of our lifetime. Well, this one is,” said Kadida Kenner, executive director of the non-partisan New Pennsylvania Project, a group that works to register new voters. The governors’ contests, like lower-ticket races involving everything from secretaries of state to county clerks, have taken on increased significance given Republican efforts to roll back voting rights and oversee election administration ahead of 2024. Since Trump’s defeat, the three states’ Republican-controlled legislatures have been dedicated to passing limits on absentee and mail-in voting, among other things. Democratic governors Tony Evers of Wisconsin, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania stood in their way. With Evers and Whitmer now facing tough re-election fights and Wolf unable to run again due to term limits, voting rights advocates are scrambling to warn voters of the stakes. Political analysts consider all three races to be toss-ups. A Democratic super PAC, American Bridge, said on Wednesday it would spend $10 million in a new effort to target Republican candidates in races for governor, secretary of state and other local offices who it believes will undermine the fair administration of elections. The “blue wall” states will be part of the push. Kenner’s group is advocating to keep the widespread mail-in voting Pennsylvanians enjoyed during the pandemic, as well as seeking to register 50,000 new voters this year. A voting-rights group in Michigan, Voters Not Politicians, is recruiting volunteers to go into their communities to argue that the election system is not broken, that the 2020 election was free of fraud and that the sweeping measures advocated by Republicans in the state aren’t necessary. Election analysts say it may be difficult to craft a resonant voting-rights message in a year where Americans likely are preoccupied with other issues such as inflation and education. “It really has to be articulated to the electorate that we are at extraordinary time,” said Rachel Bitecofer, co-founder of StrikePAC, a Democratic voting-rights super PAC. Her message to voters: “A Democratic governor is the only thing standing between a free and fair 2024 election.” VOTING RIGHTS FIGHT On Tuesday, days after launching a bid for Wisconsin’s governorship, Republican state Representative Timothy Ramthun staged a rally at the state capitol that called for the 2020 election to be overturned. Some in the crowd carried banners that said, “Trump Won.” That evening, Evers, who analysts say may be most at risk in the three governor’s races, warned in an address to the state that “we must not take for granted” the right to vote. Like other governors, Evers has dealt with a surfeit of challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, economic upheaval, supply chain woes, school closings and a spike in violent crime, all of which have taken a toll on his popularity. Biden’s sinking approval rating has also become a drag on Democratic governors. Last year, Evers vetoed a Republican package that included provisions that would make it more difficult to cast absentee ballots. Republicans in the state Senate last week introduced a new version of the measure. The lead sponsor, Senator Duey Stroebel, said the legislature’s review of the 2020 election justified the changes. “These elections bills are necessary to fix loopholes, ambiguities and weaknesses in Wisconsin’s election law,” said Stroebel, a Republican. “It is highly unlikely these problems altered the outcome of the 2020 election, but improved election procedures would greatly increase public confidence in the results.” The nominal favorite in the Republican primary for governor, former lieutenant governor Kleefisch, recently asked the state Supreme Court to invalidate the use of ballot drop boxes. Another gubernatorial candidate, businessman Kevin Nicholson, has said they are illegal. In an environment where Democrats are vulnerable, analysts said too tight a focus on claims of election irregularities could alienate swing voters in the general election. “This is something Republicans care about,” Jacob Rubashkin, an analyst in Washington who tracks governor’s races. “This is not a winning issue writ large.” Pennsylvania’s governor’s race holds extra consequence for future elections. The state’s governor appoints the secretary of state, who oversees election administration. Attorney General Josh Shapiro is replacing Wolf on the Democratic ticket. A poll conducted this month by the Trafalgar Group showed former U.S. Representative Lou Barletta, an ardent Trump supporter, leading the pack of more than a dozen Republican gubernatorial candidates, followed by Mastriano. After the November 2020 election, Mastriano convened what he called a field hearing featuring Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani to examine whether there was widespread fraud. Later, he traveled to Washington for the Jan. 6 rally and took part in protests outside the U.S Capitol. This week, the select congressional committee investigating the Capitol siege subpoenaed Mastriano, asking for details about a plan to submit an alternate slate of electors from his home state. (Reporting by James Oliphant; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Alistair Bell) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Steve Scherer and David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) -Canadian police on Friday started arresting protesters as part of an operation to end a three-week blockade of Ottawa by hundreds of truck drivers that crippled the capital and prompted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to assume emergency powers. Live television footage showed police making at least eight arrests, without using any force. Officers had detained two of the protest leaders late on Thursday. “Some protesters are surrendering and are being arrested. We ask protesters to remain peaceful and lawful,” the Ottawa police said in a tweet. Hundreds of police could be seen in central Ottawa, which received more than 8 inches (20 cm) of snow overnight, as temperatures with wind chill hovered around -23 Celsius (-9.4 Fahrenheit). At least one BearCat, a military-style armored vehicle, could be seen. Police say the operation will take days. The drivers, joined by thousands of demonstrators and some 400 vehicles, turned the streets around Parliament into a party zone since first arriving on Jan. 28, in what has become one of the worst crises to hit Trudeau since he took power in 2015. The protesters initially wanted an end to cross-border COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truck drivers but the blockade gradually turned into an anti-government and anti-Trudeau demonstration. Some want Trudeau to be ousted. Police have sealed off the center of the city, setting up 100 checkpoints to prevent any more people joining the demonstration on Parliament Hill. Police had said on Thursday that they would take imminent action to end the protest amid increasing resident anger at the previous failure of authorities to intervene. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp., citing security sources, said authorities had set up a number of temporary detention centers around the city. The House of Commons suspended its Friday sitting due to the expected police action, it said in a notice. “If you are not in the House of Commons precinct, stay away from the downtown core until further notice,” the notice said. Legislators had been due to debate Trudeau’s decision on Monday to invoke the Emergencies Act for the first time in 50 years, granting the government temporary additional widespread powers to deal with what he called a threat to democracy. Protesters blocked several land crossings with the United States, including the busiest, the Ambassador Bridge, which connects to Detroit, for six days, hurting both countries’ economies. Many protesters on Parliament Hill said they would not leave until their demands were met. “End the mandates, give us our rights and this is over,” said Chris Dacey on Thursday. “We’ll all go back to our families.” (Reporting by David Ljunggren, Steve Scherer and Julie GordonEditing by Leslie Adler, Chizu Nomiyama and Mark Porter) View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – British researchers led by Oxford University said on Friday that the current understanding of long COVID and options to treat it is emerging as a major long-term issue for global healthcare systems after reviewing the illness’ effects on patients. The review, published in the European Heart Journal, looked at direct impacts of a coronavirus infection such as myocardial infarction or inflammatory myocarditis – severe heart conditions – and long-term effects such as fatigue and mental wellbeing. “Long COVID is, besides its huge impact for the affected individual, of great societal and economic importance as it leads to leave of absence from work, reduced work performance and hence unforeseen costs,” said Thomas Lüscher from the Royal Brompton and Harefield Clinical Group. (Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; Editing by Ramakrishnan M.) View the full article

Published by AFP Erika Turner (R) and Jennifer Melsop (2nd R) of Centreville, Virginia, rejoice as they becomes the first same sex marriage couple in Arlington County as they speak to members of the media outside Arlington County Courthouse Washington (AFP) – The proportion of US adults identifying as LGBT has increased to a high of 7.1 percent, double the figure from 2012 when Gallup first started measuring it, reflecting a generational shift, the polling firm said Thursday. “Young adults are coming of age, including coming to terms with their sexuality or gender identity, at a time when Americans increasingly accept gays, lesbians and transgender people, and LGBT individuals enjoy increasing legal protection,” it said in a statement. Gallup asks Americans whether they personally identified as straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or something other than heterosexual, as part of the demographic information it collects on all its phone surveys. Respondents can also volunteer any other orientation or gender identity. Among 12,000 people surveyed in the 2021 data, 86.3 percent said they were straight or heterosexual, while 6.6 percent did not offer an answer. The survey began in 2012, when the percentage identifying as LGBT was 3.5 percent, and it has been steadily rising since. A breakdown reveals the higher prevalence of LGBT identities among the youngest adults compared with the older generations they are replacing. Overall, 20.8 percent or one-in-five Generation Z Americans who have reached adulthood — those born between 1997 and 2003 — identified as LGBT. That is roughly double the figure for millennials — defined here as born between 1981 to 1996 — at 10.5 percent. Among Generation X (1965-1980) the percentage was 4.2, for Baby Boomers (1946-1964) it was 2.6, and for Traditionalists — defined as those born before 1946 and sometimes called the Silent Generation — it was 0.8. Gen Z adults made up seven percent of the 2017 data, but by 2021 accounted for 12 percent as more attained adulthood. Since the survey began, the percentage of Traditionalists, Boomers, and Gen X identifying as LGBT had held steady, with a modest uptick seen among millennials. But the percentage of Gen Z who are LGBT nearly doubled since 2017, when only a small slice of that generation were adults. “Should that trend within Gen Z continue, the proportion of US adults in that generation who say they are LGBT will grow even higher once all members of the generation reach adulthood,” Gallup said in a statement. For the first time, the firm recorded how many identified with each LGBT category. More than half of LGBT Americans, or 57 percent, said they were bisexual — equivalent to four percent of all US adults. The next leading LGBT identity was gay, at 21 percent, lesbian at 14 percent, 10 percent transgender, and four percent something else such as queer or same-gender-loving. View the full article

Inside the Gay Prison Experiment is a Free Audible Podcast Original from Australia. This 5 hour podcast free and downloadable all at once on parent company Amazon’s site. We are through just the first chapter and we are hooked. Listen with us. [This post contains video, click to play] “Tucked away amongst snow-covered mountains is a tiny Australian town with a dark secret. Journalist Patrick Abboud hears whispers that it was once home to the world’s only ‘gay prison’. A prison that specifically incarcerated gay men. His investigation into what happened inside reveals the full story for the first time. This queer true-crime journey takes you from underground nightclubs to hidden sex haunts, to remote parts of New Zealand and England. You’ll find yourself entangled in a police cover up, a case of wrongful conviction and a human experiment that didn’t go to plan. At the centre of it all was a covert government operation to eradicate ‘the greatest menace to society’: homosexuality. “ FROM INTRO ABBOUD: By the night of my work Christmas party, I really just wanted to switch off. But a few drinks in a colleague came up to me and said he needed to talk. About a story tip. ABBOUD: “In a quiet corner. He told me what he heard from a friend. Who’d heard it from an acquaintance. That Australia used to be home. To a gay prison. Supposedly a prison was built in the 50s specifically to incarcerate gay men… some sort of experiment. And that was it no more detail. SUBJECT: “I didn’t know it was the only place in the world doing this. It’s a f****** scandal.” ABBOUD: “When I started looking into the story of a gay prison, I had no idea what I’d stumbled into, revealing…” SUBJECT: “…what the system didn’t want to be reviewed. ANOTHER SUBJECT: “You have to expect that There’s a jail full of homosexuals” ABBOUD: …and I had no idea that it would set me off on an investigation. That would take over years of my life. SUBJECT : It’s a mystery. ABBOUD: No, but nobody can find anything. If I keep digging and find this report… SUBJECT: “I’ll kiss you.” ANOTHER SUBJECT: At some point it was clearly buried. ABBOUD: Hey, Mom. MOM: Still Are you looking for? ABBOUD: The report’s like it’s like the Holy Grail, Mum. MOM: I don’t think it’s a bad thing to find out if you can hear(?) it. ABBOUD: Trying to unlock the story of the gay prison would find me entangled in a police cover up. So you were placed in the public toilets as an undercover operative to catch these gay men out? SUBJECT: “Yes” ABBOUD: …with case of wrongful conviction. SUBJECT: I just decided that if I stayed in Australia, I’d spend the rest of my life in jail or I’d be dead… ABBOUD: …and a human experiment that didn’t go to plan SUBJECT: …treating people like rats in a lab. You had to take your pants off and then push your penis through the rubber thing. The worst part was waiting for the shock. ANOTHER SUBJECT: His treatment of patients was criminal. Bizarre. Indiscriminate. Careless. ABBOUD: …at the center of this story, a secretive government operation, to eradicate a menace. ABBOUD: This was something. Nasty. It was something dirty. This was the covid-19 of those years and epidemic oof homosexuality. cruelty. No difference. And it all happened in a tiny Australian town … with a big secret. SUBJECT: It seems like it’s something I’m watching on it. Netflix series. Not something that’s happened in my town. This is The Greatest Menace, an audible original by Simon Punik and me Patrick Abboud Audible Australia has made this 5 hour podcast free and downloadable all at once on parent company Amazon’s site. We are through just the first chapter and we are hooked. Listen with us. Note: While we do make a very small commission on purchases using our links to Amazon, as do most sites, they pay zero commission on this one. We never take these pennies into account in recommendations. But in this case there aren’t even the pennies so base your thoughts on our recommendation on the quality of it. View the full article