RadioRob

Published by AFP A person wearing a face mask leaves a store on January 26, 2022 in New York City; mask-wearing became a political battleground in the United States in the early days of the pandemic New York (AFP) – Several Democratic-run US states have announced plans to lift mask mandates in indoor places and schools as coronavirus infections decline in America. The announcements signal a move towards a policy of accepting Covid-19 as part of everyday life. Mask-wearing became a political battleground in the United States in the early days of the pandemic. Many Democratic governors enforced strict mandates, while Republican-led states such as Texas and Florida banned the enforcement of face coverings. California governor Gavin Newsom announced Monday evening that the state’s indoor mask mandate would end for vaccinated residents on February 15. “CA’s case rate has decreased by 65 percent since our Omicron peak. Our hospitalizations have stabilized across the state,” tweeted Newsom. “Unvaccinated people will still need to wear masks indoors. Get vaccinated. Get boosted,” he added. Newsom’s announcement came after New Jersey governor Phil Murphy announced that children and staff would not need to wear masks in schools from March 7. “This is not a declaration of victory as much as an acknowledgment that we can responsibly live with this thing,” he said, referring to the coronavirus. In Connecticut, Governor Ned Lamont said he was recommending that school boards drop mandatory mask-wearing in schools after February 28. Delaware governor John Carney announced that his state’s indoor mask mandate would expire on Friday, and that masks in schools will end by March 31. “We’re in a much better place than we were several weeks ago,” he wrote on Twitter. In Oregon, Governor Kate Brown tweeted that she “will lift mask requirements no later than March 31.” New York, the early epicenter of America’s outbreak in spring 2020, has not yet announced any plans to lift its mask requirements, but Governor Kathy Hochul is expected to address the issue on Wednesday. CDC recommendations The varying measures highlight the disparate nature of mask rules, which can differ between local authorities in the heavily defederalized country. The lifting of the mandates still allows individual school boards to require masks if they want to. But the mandates’ revoking appears to be out of sync with guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which Joe Biden’s administration follows. The CDC recommends that vaccinated people wear masks indoors if they are “in an area of substantial or high transmission.” Wearing a mask that covers the nose and mouth is required on planes, buses, trains and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within or out of the United States. The CDC also requires masks inside US transportation hubs such as airports and train stations. The United States is currently recording about 73,000 new cases a day, down from a peak of about 800,000 a day in early January, according to the CDC. More than 900,000 people have been killed by Covid-19 in the United States, according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker. Despite falling numbers of new cases linked to the Omicron variant, daily deaths are still averaging 2,300, according to government figures. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Boy George has announced plans for an NFT project called ‘CryptoQueenz’. The protect – which has been created alongside Pixel Potent – aims to be the first LGBTQ+ NFT and will include 9,999 “totally unique” Non-Fungible Tokens featuring original artworks created by the Culture Club legend. In a statement, he said: “As a creator and artist I’ve long been interested in the different mediums which can act as a canvas for self-expression. “NFTs and digital art are a great example of this and help to democratise the stuffy artworld for everyone. “I hope this project will help to bring a little colour and joy into everyone’s lives whilst helping to support the LGBTQ+ community which I’m very proud to be a part of.” The ‘Karma Chameleon’ hitmaker will launch the NFTs from March 1, with the collection set to give collectors and fans the opportunity to own a very piece of artwork. The pieces will feature the face of ‘Scarman’ – one of the singer’s most celebrated works – which have been combined with his hat collection to create 9,999 “totally unique algorithmically generated” NFTs. Meanwhile, 2% of the proceeds from each sale will go to support the Elton John Aids Foundation and Shelter, while royalties will be given in perpetuity from the sale of each NFT “long into the future”. Meanwhile, the star – whose real name is George O’Dowd – peviously hit out at contemporary pop stars for lacking “edge” and becoming too predictable. He said: “Things that have got a bit of an edge to them. That’s what we’re looking for. “We don’t want pop stars to just kind of dial it in and give us what we expect. I’m very objective about it. I’m a songwriter, that’s what I do.” The NFTs will be available from www.cryptoqueenznft.com and on the secondary market at OpenSea. View the full article

Leslie Jones is tired of fighting without support. NBC Olympics coverage concerns tell you just how big a deal she’s become. “I’m Tired Of Fighting Them” The Leslie Jones Olympics connection has become a welcomed addition to Olympics coverage in recent years. The Emmy-nominated comedian and former “Saturday Night Live” star is beloved for her candid and humorous coverage of the Olympics through her social media accounts since 2016. But she may be hanging it up after the Beijing Games because she doesn’t feel “welcomed” anymore by Olympics broadcaster NBC. “I love the athletes and they love me doing it … But now it’s just gotten too hard. And no one is fighting for or with me. So I guess I’ll leave it to the professionals,” Jones added. “Leslie Jones does not stay anywhere I’m not welcomed.” Jones is right when she says that Olympians enjoy her videos. U.S. Women’s hockey team member Hilary Kinght and freestyle skier Caroline Claire replied to her Instagram post with messages of support for Jones. “[Please] keep doing it. I’m trying to have you live-tweet my run in ski slopestyle next week,” wrote Claire. Fan Reactions The possibility that Jones walks away from live-tweeting the Olympics riled up a swathe of fans, some of whom said they only engage with the Olympics through her social media accounts. Jones has upward of 4 million followers across her Twitter, Instagram and TikTok accounts, and they all let her know how much her posts are appreciated while calling out NBC for throwing up roadblocks. “If the folks at NBC were smart they’d realize that you are drawing an audience to watch the Olympics that otherwise may have tuned out,” wrote an Instagram user. “I had not started watching until I saw your commentary and then went to check out the live coverage.” “You are the best commentator and the only reason I tune in. NBC should really pay attention to what the people want,” said another. “Hey NBC fuck off with that trash and give Leslie the props she deserves. Y’all would have never had as brilliant an idea as having a comedian live-tweet the Olympics if she hadn’t done it first! You’ll never be as good at it either,” a Twitter user wrote. NBC has not responded to any request for comment regarding Jones’ comments or claims that the network is attempting to block Jones’ content on social media platforms. Leslie Jones Olympics: Previously on Towleroad Leslie Jones’ Live Olympic Tweets Are Hilarious, Convert Viewers, Are Driven by Passion, and May Soon Be Done. Why’s NBC Sports Not More Welcoming? Brian Bell February 7, 2022 Read More Michael Phelps’ Trans Ex-Girlfriend Taylor Lianne Chandler Believes Gold Medalist Is To Blame For Influencing UPenn Swimmers To Demand Lia Thomas Be Banned From Competing Towleroad February 5, 2022 Read More Winter Olympics 2022 Start With LGBTQ Athletes Primed For The Medal Podium; Preview This Weekend’s Action In Figure Skating, Curling and Gayest Team Ever Brian Bell February 4, 2022 Read More 2022 Winter Olympics Features More Than 30 Out LGBTQ Olympians, Including First Out Nonbinary Athlete Brian Bell January 30, 2022 Read More Queen Honors Olympian Tom Daley for His Athletics and Advocacy; Diver, Knitting Entrepreneur Now ‘Officer of the Order of the British Empire’ Brian Bell January 4, 2022 Read More Tom Daley Diving into Career as Children’s Author After Gold Medal Win in Tokyo 2020 Towleroad August 23, 2021 Read More Screenshot via YouTube View the full article

Published by InsideHook By Kayla Kibbe Mark Wahlberg would like to make one thing very clear: he did not give his Uncharted co-star/noted short king Tom Holland a sex toy. It was a massage gun, one that is strictly “for muscle recovery, nothing else,” Wahlberg clarified in a recent Instagram video showing off the massage tool in question, the Power Plate Pulse. Wahlberg apparently felt compelled to clear up any confusion surrounding the workout recovery tool he gifted his costar after Holland admitted he initially thought the massager was for “self-pleasure” during an interview with Access Hollywood last week. “Mark … Read More View the full article

View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega;@ggoldencurlss/instagram Joe Rogan‘s 23-year-old adopted biracial daughter Kayja Rose has been MIA from social media for several weeks — and has been silent about the N-word scandal surrounding the podcast host. Rogan continues to face backlash and the calls for his show to be pulled from Spotify over allegations he has been spreading misinformation about vaccines but also for his past use of the N-word. Earlier this month, India Aire posted a video explaining she was pulling her music from Spotify not only because of Rogan discussions on COVID but “his language around race.” mega;@ggoldencurlss/instagram She then posted a long video compilation showing Rogan use the N-word 24 times over the past 12 years. In one clip, Rogan was heard comparing a Black neighborhood to a Planet of the Apes movie. India said, “He shouldn’t even be uttering the word — don’t even say it, under any context.” Days later, Rogan released a video of himself addressing the scandal. He said the video was a “teachable moment.” He called it “the most regretful and shameful thing I’ve ever had to talk about publicly.” mega “I know that to most people, there’s no context where a White person is ever allowed to say that, never mind publicly on a podcast, and I agree with that,” he said. “Now, I haven’t said it in years,” he added. Spotify continues to stick by Rogan claiming they will not censor him. “I know this situation leaves many of you feeling drained, frustrated, and unheard,” the CEO Daniel Ek wrote in an email to employees. “While I strongly condemn what Joe has said and I agree with his decision to remove past episodes from our platform, I realize some will want more,” Elk wrote. “I want to make one point very clear—I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer.” The N-word use is interesting given Rogan has been the father to a biracial daughter for years. He is married to a woman named Jessica Ditzel. The two share two kids but Jessica also had Kayja from a previous relationship with late musician/H-Town lead singer Keven A. Connor aka Dino. The musician tragically passed away in 2003 when he was killed in a car accident. @ggoldencurlss/instagram Rogan and Ditzel married in 2009. They kept an extremely low profile and live out in Texas. Kayja is a musician who was active on social media until December. She posted a final photo writing, “Going on hiatus for a while to heal fully, and grow into the person I am destined to become. I will be unreachable. Wishing peace, growth, and love for everyone here.” She has yet to comment on Rogan’s N-word controversy. @ggoldencurlss/instagram View the full article

Published by Reuters By Bhargav Acharya and Shivani Tanna (Reuters) – Spotify Chief Executive Officer Daniel Ek said on Sunday he “strongly” condemns racial slurs and other comments made by popular U.S. podcaster Joe Rogan but will not be removing him from the platform. Ek’s comments, sent in a letter to staff seen by Reuters, come on the heels of Rogan issuing an apology for the second time in a week, the latest for using racial slurs after a montage video surfaced showing him repeatedly using the N-word. Ek said it was Rogan’s decision to remove a number of past episodes from “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, following discussions with the music streaming platform and his own reflections on some of the content in the show, including the usage of racially insensitive language. “While I strongly condemn what Joe has said… I want to make one point very clear – I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer,” Ek said. Ek reiterated his stand on Spotify’s content moderation policies and said that he believes the company should have clear boundaries around the content being published. The company should take actions when they are crossed, but he cautioned that canceling voices is a slippery slope. The company will also commit $100 million for the licensing, development, and marketing of music and audio content from historically marginalized groups, in a bid to elevate creators from a diversity of backgrounds, according to the letter, which was confirmed by a Spotify spokesperson. In his apology, Rogan had said the montage showed him using the epithet in conversations on shows over the last 12 years, and included examples of him discussing its use by Black and white comedians and others. A mixed martial arts commentator and a prominent vaccine skeptic, Rogan has courted controversy with his views on COVID-19 vaccines, the pandemic and government mandates to control the spread of the virus. Prominent singer-songwriters including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell said that they were removing their music from Spotify in protest at coronavirus misinformation broadcast on the platform. The backlash against COVID-19 misinformation on the streaming service wiped more than $2 billion off its market value last week. Spotify has said it would add a “content advisory” to any episode with discussion of COVID-19. (Reporting by Shivani Tanna and Bhargav Acharya in Bengaluru; Editing by Michael Perry) View the full article

Published by DPA China's Shuai Peng in action against Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova during day eight of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon. Shuai says she was the one who deleted the social media post last year that was seen as an allegation of sexual assualt against a top Chinese politician. Anthony Devlin/PA Wire/dpa Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai says she was the one who deleted the social media post last year that was seen as an allegation of sexual assualt against a top Chinese politician. In an interview with the French sport newspaper L’Équipe published on Monday, the 36-year-old was asked why the post disappeared. “I erased it,” she said. “Why? Because I wanted to.” She also said the emails sent to the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) in her name were written by her. The WTA has voiced concern that Peng was coerced to publicly retract the allegations, and suspended its tournaments in China citing concerns for her wellbeing. Peng, a former world number one in doubles, largely disappeared from public view after posting an allegation of sexual assault against a leading Chinese politician on Weibo. The post was deleted soon after and Peng denied making the allegations. Athletes, politicians and human rights experts have expressed concern for Peng despite the IOC having video calls with her last year. In the interview with L’Equipe, which was conducted in Chinese with an interpreter translating Peng’s answers into English, she again denied having made accusations of sexual assault. “I never said anyone had sexually assaulted me in any way,” she said. She also denied having disappeared. “I never disappeared. Everyone could see me,” Peng said. Peng also said in the interview that she had met with Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, and had “a nice discussion and exchange.” The IOC confirmed a meeting took place between Peng, former Chair of the Athletes’ Commission Kirsty Coventry and Bach in a Beijing hotel on Saturday. Before the start of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the IOC had promised a meeting with the Chinese player would take place during the Games. The IOC said Peng accepted an invitation to visit their headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, during the meeting. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Rich McKay (Reuters) – Three white men were convicted last year of murdering Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black jogger who was chased and shot while on a Sunday run in a mostly white neighborhood in Georgia on Feb. 23, 2020. A state court found Travis McMichael, 36; his father Gregory McMichael, 66, and neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, 52, guilty of murder and other charges. All were sentenced to life in prison, with only Bryan given possibility of parole after 30 years. Now they on trial for federal hate-crimes charges in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. WHAT IS A FEDERAL HATE CRIME? A federal hate crime is a criminal act committed based on race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, and or gender identity. GREGORY MCMICHAEL * Interference with rights – a hate crime- specifically for “willfully, by force and threat of force, injure, intimidate and interfere with Ahmaud Arbery, an African American man, because of Arbery’s race and color.” The charge carries a maximum of life in prison. * Attempted kidnapping, punishable by 20 years in prison. * Brandishing a firearm, punishable by 7 years in prison. TRAVIS MCMICHAEL * Interference with rights – a hate crime- specifically for “willfully, by force and threat of force, injure, intimidate and interfere with Ahmaud Arbery, an African American man, because of Arbery’s race and color.” The charge carries a maximum of life in prison. * Attempted kidnapping, punishable by 20 years in prison. * Brandishing and discharging a firearm, punishable by 10 years in prison. WILLIAM “RODDIE” BRYAN * Interference with rights – a hate crime- specifically for “willfully, by force and threat of force, injure, intimidate and interfere with Ahmaud Arbery, an African American man, because of Arbery’s race and color.” The charge carries a maximum of life in prison. * Attempted kidnapping, punishable by 20 years in prison. (Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Aurora Ellis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Julia Love and Helen Coster (Reuters) – With just weeks to go before an expected launch, Donald Trump’s new media venture is trying to strike a delicate balance with its app: giving Trump’s base the freedom to express themselves, without running afoul of Apple and Google’s app store policies. The launch of Truth Social comes a year after the former U.S. president was banned from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. It will be a major test of whether Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) and other tech companies that describe themselves as champions of free speech can scale alongside the Silicon Valley gatekeepers that conservatives have accused of squelching free expression. TMTG has pledged to deliver an “engaging and censorship-free experience” on its Truth Social app, appealing to a base that feels its views around such hot-button topics in American life as vaccines and the outcome of the 2020 presidential election have been scrubbed from mainstream tech platforms. Yet Trump’s tech team must erect guard rails to ensure Truth Social does not get kicked out of the app stores run by Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google – a fate that befell popular conservative app Parler in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, riots in the U.S. Capitol. Without these stores, there is no easy way for most smartphone users to download the app. The risk of such “de-platforming” is a top priority for TMTG Chief Executive Devin Nunes, a former Republican congressman, as his team builds the app, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. Recognizing that the app will be a major target for hackers from day one, Nunes wants to have cyber talent at the “nation-state level,” one of the people said. Nunes has said publicly that the company’s goal is to launch its Truth Social app by the end of March. A spokesperson for TMTG did not respond to a request for comment. TMTG remains shrouded in secrecy and is regarded with skepticism by some in tech and media circles. Two conservative media executives pointed to the venture’s apparent failure to launch a beta service in November, as planned, and cited the lack of known involvement by high-profile media, tech or political players – other than Nunes – as evidence it may be more bluster than substance. “No one has approached me or my team,” said one conservative media insider. “Trump has always been a bit of (his) own island.” CONTENT MODERATION TMTG’s mission of standing up to Big Tech is limited by its reliance on Google and Apple, which operate app stores that dominate the smartphone market. TMTG is working with Hive, a San Francisco-based company that does AI-based content moderation, to flag sexually explicit content, hate speech, bullying and violent content. That partnership is driven in part by TMTG’s desire for the Truth Social app to remain in the Apple App and Google Play stores, according to a person familiar with the venture. Truth Social will need robust content moderation in the form of both automated detection and in-person teams, as well as a way for users to report offensive posts, said David Thiel, the big data architect and chief technology officer of the Stanford Internet Observatory. “Where it is going to become difficult is if they get into a situation like with Parler, where they have such a degree of hate speech that the hosting service and potentially the App Store starts to take notice,” he said. The Truth Social app will be subject to Apple’s App Store rules that require developers to offer a way for users to report offensive content and provide “timely responses.” The rules also bar content that “encourages violence” or “depictions that encourage illegal or reckless use of weapons and dangerous objects.” As of Feb. 4, TMTG had 12 job openings listed on the company website, for technical roles such as a developer to be part of the Android team and an iOS engineer. Salaries range from $80,000 to $220,000, according to the postings, which beckon candidates to work for a “well-funded,” “remote-first” and “conservative-leaning” startup. A requirement for the iOS engineer role is “knowledge of Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines and App Store Review Guidelines (which are more like rules).” One posting describes the ideal candidate as someone who “enjoy(s) companies that are scrappy and able to do more with less.” Among other positions, the company is seeking to hire at least one developer with experience with Elixir, a back-end programming language, according to a job posting. In a Jan. 13 interview with radio host Ray Appleton, Nunes said the Palm Beach, Florida-based company will be looking for a more “permanent” location – favoring states like Florida, Tennessee and Texas over Silicon Valley. In the company’s early months, some tech talent has been working in the Atlanta area, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. (Reporting by Julia Love in San Francisco and Helen Coster in New York; Editing by Kenneth Li and Matthew Lewis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Ross Kerber (Reuters) – New York State’s top pension official has asked streaming music platform Spotify Technology SA for details about the effectiveness of its new content rules, citing complaints including that podcaster Joe Rogan has spread misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, who oversees funds that hold Spotify shares, requested the report in a letter sent to Spotify Chief Executive Daniel Ek on Feb. 2, which was shown to Reuters. The letter also urged Spotify to give users an easy mechanism to report content that could violate its rules, and to define how its board oversees content risks and enforcement. DiNapoli cited reports of Spotify hosting content that has included COVID-19 misinformation, and racist and antisemitic material. Prominent rock musician Neil Young last month left the platform last month because he said Rogan has misled people about vaccines, followed by other stars. “As we have seen with other technology and media companies who host or publish content, the failure to successfully moderate content on a company’s platforms can lead to various reputational, regulatory, legal, and financial risks,” DiNapoli wrote. Spotify representatives did not respond to requests for comment. Rogan, former host of the TV reality show Fear Factor and mixed martial arts commentator who signed a $100 million deal giving Spotify exclusive rights to his podcast, has pledged more balance on his show. The company said it would add a content advisory to any episode with discussion of COVID to try to quell the controversy. On Jan. 30 Spotify also announced “platform rules” against things like “content that incites violence or hatred towards a person or group of people based on race, religion, gender identity or expression,” and other areas. Retirement funds overseen by DiNapoli held shares in Spotify worth $41 million as of Dec. 31, only the 73rd-largest stake in the company. But DiNapoli has been among a group of influential activists that have successfully pushed for more content oversight at other social media companies. (Reporting by Ross Kerber; Editing by David Gregorio) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English The nominations for the 2022 Razzie Awards have been revealed. The ceremony that celebrates the worst movies of the year have created a special category for Bruce Willis alone this year – with his performances in ‘American Siege’, ‘Apex’, ‘Cosmic Sin’, ‘Deadlock’, ‘Fortress’, ‘Midnight in the Switchgrass’, ‘Out of Death’ and ‘Survive the Game’ all up for ‘Worst Performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 Movie’. The Razzie Awards will take place on March 26 in its traditional slot on the day before the Oscars. Netflix’s ‘Diana: The Musical’ leads the field with nine nods including for Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Actor and Worst Actress. Both the Broadway show and the film were panned by critics and the stage production only lasted 33 performances before being closed. Thrillers ‘Karen’ and ‘The Woman in the Window’ joined ‘Diana’ on the Worst Picture shortlist with ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ and ‘Infinite’ also making the list. Bad acting nominations went to A-listers such as Amy Adams, LeBron James, Mark Wahlberg, Ben Affleck and Jared Leto. The full list of nominees for the 2022 Razzie Awards are as follows: Worst Picture: ‘Diana the Musical’ (Netflix version) ‘Infinite’ ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ ‘The Woman in the Window’ Worst Actor: Scott Eastwood – ‘Dangerous’ Roe Hartrampf – ‘Diana the Musical’ LeBron James – ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ Ben Platt – ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Mark Wahlberg – ‘Infinite’ Worst Actress: Amy Adams – ‘The Woman in the Window’ Jeanna de Waal – ‘Diana the Musical’ Megan Fox – ‘Midnight in the Switchgrass’ Taryn Manning – ‘Karen’ Ruby Rose – ‘Vanquish’ Worst Supporting Actress: Amy Adams – ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Sophie Cookson – ‘Infinite’ Erin Davie – ‘Diana the Musical’ Judy Kaye – ‘Diana the Musical’ Taryn Manning – ‘Every Last One of Them’ Worst Supporting Actor: Ben Affleck – ‘The Last Duel’ Nick Cannon – ‘The Misfits’ Mel Gibson – ‘Dangerous’ Gareth Keegan – ‘Diana the Musical’ Jared Leto – ‘House of Gucci’ Worst Performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 Movie: Bruce Willis – ‘American Siege’ Bruce Willis – ‘Apex’ Bruce Willis – ‘Cosmic Sin’ Bruce Willis – ‘Deadlock’ Bruce Willis – ‘Fortress’ Bruce Willis – ‘Midnight in the Switchgrass’ Bruce Willis – ‘Out of Death’ Bruce Willis – ‘Survive the Game’ Worst Screen Couple: Any Klutzy Cast Member and Any Lamely Lyricized (or Choreographed) Musical Number – ‘Diana the Musical’ LeBron James and Any Warner Cartoon Character (or Time-Warner Product) He Dribbles On – ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ Jared Leto and Either His 17-Pound Latex Face, His Geeky Clothes or His Ridiculous Accent – ‘House of Gucci’ Ben Platt and Any Other Character Who Acts Like Platt Singing 24-7 is Normal – ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Tom and Jerry – ‘Tom and Jerry the Movie’ Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel: ‘Karen’ ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ ‘Tom and Jerry the Movie’ ‘Twist’ ‘The Woman in the Window’ Worst Director: Christopher Ashley – ‘Diana the Musical’ Stephen Chbosky – ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ ‘Coke’ Daniels – ‘Karen’ Renny Harlin – ‘The Misfits’ Joe Wright – ‘The Woman in the Window’ Worst Screenplay: ‘Diana the Musical’ ‘Karen’ ‘The Misfits’ ‘Twist’ ‘The Woman in the Window’ View the full article

Published by Reuters By Rich McKay Atlanta (Reuters) -Jury selection began on Monday in the U.S. federal hate-crimes trial of the three white men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery, a Black jogger who was chased and shot while running through a mostly white Georgia neighborhood. The jury will be asked to decide whether racial animus drove the defendants to fatally pursue Arbery in the Satilla Shores neighborhood in coastal Georgia in February 2020. Gregory McMichael, 66, his son Travis McMichael, 36, and neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan, 52, were convicted of murder in an earlier state trial. A state judge sentenced the men to life in prison, ruling that the two McMichaels would not be eligible for parole, after a jury of one Black man and 11 white men and women rejected the men’s self-defense claims in November. Jury selection in the federal trial, which the U.S. District Court in Brunswick has said could take two weeks, comes shortly after Gregory and Travis McMichael offered to plead guilty to the hate crime charges in agreements with prosecutors that were later scrapped.. Selecting a jury to hear the case will be complicated by the publicity that surrounded both the murder and the earlier trial, said Julie Campanini, a jury consultant with Magna Legal Services based in Philadelphia. “Potential jurors might have firm opinions,” she said. “That doesn’t disqualify them though. The test is whether they can set that aside and decide the case only on the evidence presented.” The McMichaels nearly avoided the federal trial by entering into a plea deal with prosecutors. At a hearing last week, Travis McMichael said he was willing to admit to trying to apprehend Arbery because of his “race and color” as part of the plea agreement. But he changed his mind after U.S. District Judge Lisa Wood rejected that agreement. She said she would not accept it because it bound her to a fixed sentence: 30 years in federal prison before he would be handed back to the state of Georgia to serve out the rest of his life sentence for murder. Gregory McMichael had reached a similar plea agreement with prosecutors, but also withdrew from it. Arbery’s father Marcus Arbery said the family wanted to see the case go to trial. “We want the world to see a trial, see why these men did what they did,” he said in an interview. The men are charged in federal court with using threatening force to interfere with Arbery’s rights on the basis of race, a hate crime. The charge carries a maximum of life in prison. The three are additionally charged with attempted kidnapping, and the McMichaels face gun charges. Judge Wood said in court that she plans to call 50 potential jurors a day, drawn from 43 south Georgia counties, until a panel of 12 jurors and four alternates are found. Campanini said that the court could struggle to call 50 people every day, given there are three sets of defense attorneys, as well as the prosecution, all of whom could possibly interview each potential juror. “They’ll seat a jury, but don’t count on it being quick,” she said. “It will take a significant about of time.” (Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Gloria Dickie LONDON (Reuters) – Advances in satellite technology have revealed that the world’s glaciers contain significantly less ice than previously thought, according to a study published in Nature Geoscience on Monday. The revised estimate reduces global sea level rise by 3 inches if all glaciers were to melt. But it raises concern for some communities that rely on seasonal melt from glaciers to feed rivers and irrigate crops. If glaciers contain less ice, water will run out sooner than expected. While some ice naturally melts throughout the year, rising temperatures due to climate change are speeding up glacier retreat. Between 2000 and 2019, these rivers of ice lost roughly 5.4 trillion tonnes. Countries are already struggling with disappearing glaciers. Peru is investing in desalination to make up for declining freshwater. And Chile hopes to create artificial glaciers in its mountains. But, “we’ve had quite a poor understanding of how much ice is actually stored in glaciers,” said lead study author Romain Millan, a glaciologist at Université Grenoble Alpes. Past analyses, for example, double-counted glaciers along the peripheries of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, overestimating ice volume. The Nature Geoscience study assessed how quickly glaciers were moving across the landscape, or their velocity. Such measurements allow scientists to more accurately measure volume, as the way glaciers flow indicates where ice is thick or thin. But collecting this information has been limited by technology. High-resolution satellites deployed in recent years, however, allowed for the first analysis of how 98% of the world’s glaciers are moving, “from small glaciers in the Andes up to massive glaciers in Svalbard and Patagonia,” said Millan. The work analyzed more than 800,000 pairs of images of glaciers taken between 2017 and 2018, and found that many were shallower than previously assessed. Scientists now estimate there is 20 percent less glacial ice present with the potential to melt into the ocean and raise sea levels. Currently, glaciers are responsible for 1 mm of annual sea level rise, or 30% of the yearly increase. “This is one of the first really impressive results coming out” from satellite advances, said Daniel Farinotti, a glaciologist at ETH Zurich not involved in the research. Millan and his colleagues also found that Asia’s Himalayas contain 37% more ice than previously estimated, while South America’s Andean glaciers contain roughly 27% less ice. Already, Peru’s glaciers have lost 40 percent of their surface area since the 1970s. “This will put more pressure on freshwater in the Andes,” he said. “On the contrary, water will be more secure in the Himalayas.” (Reporting by Gloria Dickie; Editing by Katy Daigle and Janet Lawrence) View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] We’ve all missed him, and he’s no doubt got something else he’s been working on, but we sure needed ‘The Tango: Vaccine’ about now in time for Valentines. Enjoy and get boosted for your Valentine and ours. Subscribe to Randy Rainbow’s YouTube Channel And a Look Back: From When Randy Was Dating Mel Gibson Until Today, Plus A Chat With Bob Saget (For Real. Seriously. Not a Parody) THE TANGO: VACCINE – A Randy Rainbow Song ParodySEDITION! – A Randy Rainbow ParodyDESPERATE CHEETO – Randy Rainbow Song ParodyA VERY STABLE GENIUS – Randy Rainbow Song ParodyRUSSIA TIES: A Randy Rainbow Song Parody (from GREASE!)GEE, ANTHONY FAUCI! – A Randy Rainbow Song ParodyYou’re Making Things Up Again, Donald! Randy Rainbow Song ParodyMarco Rubio: “GOP DROPOUT” – Song Parody by RANDY RAINBOWRandy Rainbow is Dating Mel GibsonRandy Rainbow and Bob Discuss the Cathartic and Healing Nature of Musical Comedy The TangoP: Vaccine Randy Rainbow Song Parody on Towleroad A Frankfurt shelter offers queer refugees a much-needed safe place More Most German Bishops Say Catholic Church Should Recognize, Bless Same-Sex Unions, Not Discriminate in Hiring, Ordain Gay Priests And Married Priests, Female Deacons More Beyoncé & Kim Kardashian Are ‘Constantly’ Trying To ‘One-Up Each Other’ Over Making Their Daughters Stars: ‘They Want Their Kids To Be At The Top’ More Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo moved room to tears with Wicked auditions More Hugh Hefner’s former girlfriends Kristina and Karissa Shannon relieved he’s dead More Lata Mangeshkar, the ‘Nightingale of India’ who mesmerized a nation More ‘Snake oil salesmen’ advised Trump on 2020 election, Pence aide says More Charles praises Elizabeth’s blessing for ‘Queen Camilla’ in jubilee tribute More Olympics-China to boost supply of Winter Games panda mascot souvenirs More ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Fails to “Save a Queen” From Injury More Don’t Say Gay Laws; Trans Rules; Queer Allegories; South Africa Drag; Ed White, BAFTA Noms: HOT LINK BUNDLE More Macaulay Culkin’s ‘midlife crisis’ to be explored in new docuseries More Death toll from mass shootings in United States is rising, study finds More Load More View the full article

Published by DPA In Frankfurt, a facility called La Villa offers a safe space for queer refugees, most of whom are young gay men. Boris Roessler/dpa Forced to leave their old lives behind and start over in another country are huge challenges for refugees, especially if the language is also new. Life is even harder for asylum-seekers who are not heterosexual. Many migrants are happy to meet others from their homeland but people who have been persecuted for their sexuality often continue to hide their identity at shelters in their new country too. And for good reason, says Meri Petroschian, who fled to Germany from Armenia in 2018. She said she was forced to find new shelters twice due to her sexual orientation. “I was spat on, insulted,” she told a Frankfurt symposium. It would have been worse without the security staff at the shelters. Sometimes security personnel, supervisors or volunteers come too late, says Knud Wechterstein of the Rainbow Refugee Support network. He has heard of queer refugees being assaulted, beaten up or raped. That comes on top of the psychological pressure of constantly having to hide your true self and fear of being identified as “other.” In Frankfurt, a facility called La Villa offers a safe space for queer refugees, most of whom are young gay men. It is a space where they can finally be themselves for the first time. The city set up the safe house, the only one of of its kind in the state, in April 2018. It is important to create a safe place where people can rest and get their bearings, says Elke Voitl, Frankfurt’s head of social affairs. That is particularly true for people who have not only been traumatized by war and conflict, but who also face further repression because of their sexual identity, she says. Some 75 per cent of all people seeking asylum in Germany come from countries where homosexuality is a punishable offence. La Villa recently moved into larger premises in a former hotel near the city centre. The shelter houses 28 residents, up from 21. Among them are three homeless teenagers from Hesse whose parents threw them out after learning they were gay. La Villa residents live in single rooms to give them privacy when they need it. There’s already a waiting list for the new facility, says Herbert Drexler from the Frankfurt Aids Support organization, who says many people are waiting for a free room. The house seeks to be a safe haven where people no longer need to keep hiding after leaving their country. The safe house is also a role model, says state social minister Kai Klose. “There are only a few states with similar facilities.” “I can finally be myself,” says Abdel-Karim, who came to La Villa from Algeria. He spent 20 years hiding the fact that he is gay, pretending to family and friends that he had a girlfriend and that he would soon get married. He did not come out even after making it through the Balkans to Germany and living in shared accommodation, for fear that other Algerians would attack him. For Meri Petroschian, now based in Wiesbaden, coming to Germany also meant the beginning of a new life. She bought her first rainbow flag and went to a gay Pride parade. “I had seen it in movies, but I could never have it,” she recounts. “All my life, I dreamed of being able to participate in a gay Pride [parade].” The number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer or intersex (LGBTQI) refugees in Hesse is unknown. Experience shows that queer migrants only start living openly when they feel safe safe – and often they do not, says Wechterstein. The Rainbow Refugees Support network has more than 100 new clients every year in Frankfurt alone, he says. Nationwide, Wechterstein says far more needs to be done to provide safe spaces for refugees. They don’t necessarily need a whole house, he adds. Even shared flats for queer refugees would be a step in the right direction. Far more needs to be done to provide safe spaces for refugees. They don’t necessarily need a whole house, say activists. Even shared flats for queer refugees would be a step in the right direction. Boris Roessler/dpa The Rainbow Refugees Support network has more than 100 new clients every year in Frankfurt alone, he says. Boris Roessler/dpa The number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer or intersex (LGBTQI) refugees in Hesse is unknown. Experience shows that queer migrants only start living openly when they feel safe safe – and often they do not. Boris Roessler/dpa View the full article