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[This post contains video, click to play] Joe vs. Carol March 3 on Peacock From the Writer/ Executive Producer of Joe vs. Carole, Etan Frankel Kate McKinnon is CAROLE BASKIN in Joe vs. Carole. Photo courtesy PeacockJohn Cameron Mitchell is JOE EXOTIC in Joe vs. Carole (Photo by: Mark Taylor/Peacock)View the full article

Noah (Ryan Buggle) and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay)“Then I Said That I Was Bi” LA & Order: SVU writers were deft of touch while featuring its expected no holds-barred depiction of tough subject matter simultaneously in its introduction of a new storyline, the bullying and coming out as bisexual by a major characters’s 8 year old son. In a moment it’s hard not to be moved by how Olivia Benson, Mariska Hargitay’s character, responds to to walking in on her son being bullied and then to his announcement that he is bisexual. Noah, played by Ryan Buggle, presents all of it in such a way that it’s clear the team understands the significant evolution in how it is to exist and understand being an LGBTQ young person today compared even to a few decades ago. All of this would have been seen as wildly precocious even a decade ago. Today’s complexity and options are testament to both the internet as well as the multiple generations that have each pulled at, experimented with and expanded the options available since the days of “Gay is good”. The show opens with a glimpse of Noah as the victim of serious bullying. The viewer is given a glimpse of Noah in a cage with a collar on as another young boy named Hudson tells him to “bark like a dog”…just as both mothers show up and see it. Both boys insist they were “just playing.” When alone, Olivia gets Noah to say, “Hudson’s a jerk. He put his dog’s collar on me, locked me in the cage and he wanted me to eat dog food.” That got her attention but he says “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” And she has a case to work for the episode. Hudson’s a jerk. He put his dog’s collar on me, locked me in the cage and he wanted me to eat dog food.” — Noah on Law and Order, SVUAt the end, Mother and son take a walk. Olivia spoke to Hudson’s mother, though Noah said not to. She’s asked for the next play date be at their house, and yes, she did speak mom-to-mom about the dog cage episode. “Mom, I asked you not to! Hudson’s just an idiot, no one likes him anyway…He bullies everyone: It was just my turn to be his target.” She asks, “Why” Noah explains Hudson’s bullying problem, and about him picking on a kid with they/them pronouns who was being called a “fairy” “Then I said that I was bi,” Hartigay takes it in for a second. Noah goes on, “And that there’s no shame in being true to yourself.” “That’s right, Noah…That is incredibly brave,” Hartigay’s character says. “Well, it’s my truth. I just hadn’t told anybody before.” “Well thank you for telling me.” “No big deal. It’s not like I have a boyfriend or girlfriend, it’s just not fair for anybody to be left out.” She lets him say it, hugs him, says she’s proud. And life goes on. “SVU” fans weighed in on social media and for the most part seemed supportive of hot the show treated Noah’s coming out moment, “To anyone thinking that Noah is too young to know he’s bi, kids have crushes all the time. If they’re old enough to have crushes, they’re old enough to know who they’re into,” said one Twitter user. “Sexuality isn’t just about who one wants to have sex with. He’s a child. Crushes are 100% valid … He’s thinking about who he thinks is cute.” “As a leader of the LGBTQ club at my school, I loved seeing Noah come out and be so comfortable with himself. We need all kids to be like this,” said another Twitter user. “I hope #SVU at least taught some parents a lesson last night. Olivia simply saying ‘thank you for telling me,’ when Noah said he was bi was such an amazing moment. Exactly how all parents should respond to their kids confiding in them about their sexuality,” added another. Noah comes out on SVU: Previously on Towleroad On Law & Order: SVU, Noah, 8, Comes Out As Bisexual, And A Kid Who Protected A Bully’s Victim To Mom, Mariska Hartigay’s, Olivia Benson. Brian Bell January 24, 2022 Read More “Batgirl” Film Likely Introduces DC Comics’ First Major Trans Character To Its Cinematic Universe Brian Bell January 21, 2022 Read More Kristen Stewart Engaged: DC Comics Gets Police Protection; Kal Penn; Dan Levy’s ‘Big Brunch:’ Entertainment Roundup Brian Bell November 3, 2021 Read More Jonas Brothers land Netflix comedy show Towleroad October 27, 2021 Read More ‘Chucky’ is Back… This Time With Young Gay Protagonist, Jake; It’s a Horror Cult-Classic Meets Burgeoning Gay Love on USA/SYFY TV Series Brian Bell October 17, 2021 Read More Tom Hardy on ‘Venom’ As LGBTQ Icon; Takei Rips Dean Cain’s Super Bi-Panic: Co-CEO Repeats At Netflix Trans Lives Don’t Matter As Much As Ratings; Brian Bell October 16, 2021 Read More Photo courtesy of NBCUniversal View the full article

Published by AFP Thousands of people gathered in the center of the US capital on January 23, 2022, to protest against Covid-19 vaccine mandates Washington (AFP) – Waving signs denouncing President Joe Biden and calling for “freedom,” several thousand people demonstrated in Washington Sunday against what some described as the “tyranny” of Covid-19 vaccine mandates in the United States. Speaker after speaker — including notorious anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who compared vaccine mandates to the Holocaust — took to the microphone in front of the white marble Lincoln Memorial to decry the rules. Like other Covid restrictions aimed at reining in a disease that has infected more than 70 million people in the United States, killed more than 865,000 and brought much of daily life around the globe to a stuttering halt for two years and counting, vaccine mandates have become a deeply polarizing political issue. “Mandates and freedoms don’t mix, like oil and water,” another speaker said. “Breathe. Inhale God, exhale fear,” exhorted yet another to applause from the crowd, made up of people of all ages, including children, and largely unmasked. “I’m not anti-vaccine, but I’m anti this vaccine,” Michelle, a 61-year-old physical therapist from Virginia who declined to give her last name, told AFP. She said the messenger RNA serums developed by companies such as Pfizer and Moderna in record time were “too experimental” and “rushed.” The mRNA vaccines, given to millions of people around the world in the past year, have been proven safe and effective, as well as being hailed as potential gamechangers in modern medicine. Michelle, who paused in the interview to sing the national anthem with other demonstrators, said she has a religious exemption from taking the vaccine — but that to continue coming to work in Washington she has to get tested every week. To her regret, her son, who initially had also resisted taking the vaccine, has now relented. “He went and got it without me knowing — so much peer pressure,” she said. ‘My body, my choice’ Another demonstrator, Therese is adamantly opposed to vaccines — all vaccines. She explained that she came by bus from Michigan, in the north of the country, to protest. “Mandates are not appropriate… vaccines aren’t working, we’ve been lied to about the vaccines,” said the 61-year-old, who worked in a school cafeteria before her retirement and also refused to give her last name. “And we should not be masking our children,” she added. “I talked to a couple of psychologists who say our children are suffering and they’re depressed… It’s terrible. We need our freedom back.” Further up the steps, the speakers — including some people in white coats, presented as doctors from Texas — continue to come and go. “We are Americans and that’s what we do, we fight tyranny!” claims another. A few joggers, as if lost, walk through the crowd amid the signs proclaiming slogans such as “My body, my choice” or “God is our rock that will take down Goliath.” There are also many anti-Biden posters and a few flags bearing the name of his predecessor Donald Trump — under whom the vaccines were developed and who has taken credit for them. Isaac Six, 34, shrugged off the difficulty of being unvaccinated while in Washington, where proof of vaccination is now required to go to restaurants and other public places. “It’s OK, we’re saving money,” the 34-year-old charity worker said with a laugh. Vaccines in general “are wonderful, they have helped millions of people,” he added. But mandating these vaccines, which like all vaccines are not 100 percent effective at preventing transmission, is “completely irrational,” he argued. What worries him are policies adopted “out of fear and panic” and “by one person.” “I would like to see more of the legislative process involved, the people that we elected to represent us be the ones to actually pass legislation,” he said. View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA JoJo Siwa is feeling the love. The Dancing With the Stars alum celebrated her one-year anniversary since coming out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community with a heartfelt post over the weekend. “In the last 365 days I’ve felt more love than ever. A year ago today I posted this picture and shared with the world that I was gay,” Siwa captioned her array of posts starting with a throwback snap of herself wearing a T-shirt that read: “Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever.” MEGA The 18-year-old shared with her 11.4 million Instagram followers that she often gets asked if coming out was a “scary” experience, to which she admitted: “yes of course,” noting: “Anything that’s different about you is scary, however… it’s what makes me… me. so I had no fear with sharing it with the world.” JOJO SIWA REVEALS HER SPLIT WITH KYLIE PREW HAPPENED JUST HOURS BEFORE HER DISNEY NIGHT PERFORMANCE ON ‘DWTS’ Siwa revealed she also frequently gets asked whether she worries about opening up about her sexuality to her fans since her demographic is so young. “Truthfully I feel like I was put on this earth to be a role model for kids, and letting all the kids of the world know that loving everyone for who they are no matter what is something that I will always believe in and always share,” the former Dance Moms star explained. While wrapping up her impassioned post, Siwa encouraged her followers and fans to be and love who they want. “Please never forget that no matter who you are, what you look like, who you LOVE that you are absolutely perfect,” she concluded. “thank you for showing me the most love throughout this year and throughout my entire life. I love you all.” MEGA Siwa also gushed over the milestone during her concert in Bakersfield, Calif., on Friday, January 21, where she discussed being so open about her sexuality with her young fanbase. JOJO SIWA SPOTTED AT LAKERS GAME WITH RUMORED NEW GIRLFRIEND KATIE MILLS FOLLOWING KYLIE PREW SPLIT “A lot of people said, ‘You have a really young demographic. Aren’t you afraid of telling them that you’re gay?’” she began to tell the crowd, per Daily Mail. “And I said, ‘I am definitely not afraid of telling my young demographic that loving everybody for who they are was exactly what you should do.’ I want to tell you that no matter who you are, no matter who you love, it’s OK.” The dancer first hinted she was part of the LGBTQ+ community last year when she posted a video to TikTok of herself singing along to Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.” One day later, the pop star posted the photo of herself wearing the “Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever.” T-shirt, leading fans to speculate she was coming out to the world, per Page Six. Siwa confirmed she was a member of the LGBTQ+ community two days later. MEGA Last April, Siwa clarified that she identifies as queer and pansexual, sharing: “My human is my human.” Siwa — who made DWTS history as the first performer in the U.S. to compete with a same-sex partner — revealed she was dating ex-girlfriend Kylie Prew in February 2021. The former couple made their red carpet debut seven months later before calling it quits in November. View the full article

=Arabic Version of Perfect StrangersTowleroad’s Egyptian Sources Have Seen the Version, and not calling for Netflix ban …. “It’s a very normal movie. No nudity at all. It’s just the homosexual character and the Egyptian actress took off her panties and put them in her purse. But nothing showing when she did that.” — One of Towleroad’s Egyptian sources living in the United States who saw the adaptation in the last few days, –MG Editor Published by Al-Araby CAIRO – A recently launched Arabic adaptation of the popular rom-com ‘Perfect Strangers’ on Netflix has sparked a heated debate in Egypt between supporters of artistic freedom and ultraconservatives for allegedly “promoting homosexuality” and “portraying taboos”. Egyptian MP and journalist Mostafa Bakry claimed the film “violates” social and moral values in Egypt and the Arab world, calling for a ban on the Netflix streaming platform in the country. “When I watch a film entailing more than 20 obscene words, a film that involves a father agreeing to his teenage daughter having sex with her boyf… Read More Arabic Version Pefect Strangers Netflix Ban A Rippon Married on Towleroad Julia Fox Is Having a Heck of a Run in The Last 2 Weeks, Hits back at Clout Chasing, Attention Claims More Lea Michele unveils son Ever to her fans in sweet birthday Instagram post to husband More U.S. Supreme Court agrees to consider limiting wetlands regulation More U.S. Supreme Court to hear challenge to race-conscious college admissions More Spice Girls ‘to reunite at Brooklyn Beckham’s wedding’ More Bill, Hillary Clinton Allegedly Tried To Erase Jeffrey Epstein Ties Ahead Of 2016 Presidential Election More Texas rejects hundreds of mail ballot applications under new voting limits More Election fraud belief undimmed for Trump fans, despite party hopes More Exclusive – U.S. opposes strengthening World Health Organization; China’s Influence Has Biden Backing Donor-Controlled Alternate More Christina Aguilera Defends Britney Spears Two Months After Awkward Red Carpet Snub Over Conservatorship More Adele FaceTimes Upset Fans As Consolation For Postponing Las Vegas Shows, Offers Them Drink Tokens Before Realizing They’re Underage More Julia Fox Reunites With Kanye West Claiming It’s Not The Fame & Publicity, “Honey, I’ve dated billionaires my entire adult life, let’s keep it real.” More Prince Andrew ‘could have his royal patronages restored’ More Load More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Julia Fox has hit back at claims she is dating Kanye West for “attention”. The 31-year-old actress insisted that their relationship is real and denied accusations that she is with the 44-year-old rapper for fame and money. Speaking on her ‘Forbidden Fruits’ podcast, Julia said: “It’s funny cause I’m getting all of this attention, but I really couldn’t care. “People are like ‘Oh, you’re only in it for the fame, you’re in it for the clout, you’re in it for the money.’ Honey, I’ve dated billionaires my entire adult life, let’s keep it real. “Watch my movie, read my book. That is more thrilling to me now than eyes on me. I couldn’t care less.” Meanwhile, Julia recently declared she is the “ideal candidate” for the “position” of Kanye’s girlfriend, because she doesn’t worry about what is being written about her and isn’t trying to make everyone “love” her. She said: “People shouldn’t be defined by their darkest moment. As humans, we commit violence to each other, we police each other. We’ve created such a hostile environment, especially on the internet. That’s why I don’t read the headlines. “No [I don’t read the comments]. And that’s why I feel like I’m a really good candidate for this position, because a lot of people in my shoes would probably be reading the comments and freaking out. I’m not trying to have everybody love me, I’m just trying to connect with people that are like-minded.” When Kanye first started dating his now-estranged wife Kim Kardashian West, he famously overhauled her wardrobe, and Julia suggested he has done the same with her, but she is happy to be “surrendering” control to the rapper. Asked the widest thing Kanye has dreamed up that she’s seen come to life, Julia told Interview magazine: “My transformation. After meeting him, a couple days later, all my s***was in boxes, gone. It was so cathartic. It wasn’t like I was just packing up my old clothes, it was like I was packing up my old life. I was like making that very conscious decision to really put everything in the box. To let go of the past. “I’m really surrendering. For someone like me who’s such a control freak and always so used to taking care of myself, to just let go and be taken care of is foreign at this point in life. I’ve been the primary caretaker of everyone for so long, so it’s a new sensation, but honestly, I think I deserve it… I just feel really safe with him. It’s a redemption story.” Julia Fox on Towleroad Lea Michele unveils son Ever to her fans in sweet birthday Instagram post to husband More U.S. Supreme Court agrees to consider limiting wetlands regulation More U.S. Supreme Court to hear challenge to race-conscious college admissions More Spice Girls ‘to reunite at Brooklyn Beckham’s wedding’ More Bill, Hillary Clinton Allegedly Tried To Erase Jeffrey Epstein Ties Ahead Of 2016 Presidential Election More Texas rejects hundreds of mail ballot applications under new voting limits More Election fraud belief undimmed for Trump fans, despite party hopes More Exclusive – U.S. opposes strengthening World Health Organization; China’s Influence Has Biden Backing Donor-Controlled Alternate More Christina Aguilera Defends Britney Spears Two Months After Awkward Red Carpet Snub Over Conservatorship More Adele FaceTimes Upset Fans As Consolation For Postponing Las Vegas Shows, Offers Them Drink Tokens Before Realizing They’re Underage More Julia Fox Reunites With Kanye West Claiming It’s Not The Fame & Publicity, “Honey, I’ve dated billionaires my entire adult life, let’s keep it real.” More Prince Andrew ‘could have his royal patronages restored’ More Arizona Democratic Party formally censures Sinema More Load More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lea Michele has unveiled her son’s face on social media for the first time. The ‘Glee’ star shared the first glimpse of her 17-month-old son Ever’s face on Instagram as she posted a shot – taken by celebrity photographer Ashley Barret – to celebrate her husband Zandy Reich’s 39th birthday. In the caption, the 35-year-old actress wrote: “Greatest man, father, husband and friend. I wake up every day so thankful you are ours Z. Happy Birthday! Ever and I love you so much.” In the photo, the father and son duo rock matching Ray-Ban sunglasses, sweater and cap look. Ever – who was born in August 2020 – appears frequently on his parents’ social media profiles however, this is the first time his face has been visible. In November, the Broadway leading lady reflected on her journey to motherhood during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and how making her album ‘Forever’ was soothing. She said: “The moment that my son was handed to me was truly the greatest moment of my life. I’ve never been more thankful to God than in that moment. “There were moments where we were told he would not be born, even very late into the journey of pregnancy, which is even scarier because as things go along, you get more and more frightened. “It was just all OK the moment that we saw him. “I was pregnant during the pandemic and I used music during my pregnancy, singing to my son, to let him know that everything was OK.” The ‘Scream Queens’ star also praised Zandy for being “an incredible father” who helps her when it all gets a bit overwhelming. Lea said: “I’m a very anxious person. Luckily it just brings me down to earth and grounds me and helps me to just enjoy it more and be less hard on myself. “I’m very lucky to have such a supportive partner.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider limiting the scope of a landmark federal environmental law as it took up for the second time an Idaho couple’s bid to build on property the federal government has deemed a protected wetland. The justices will hear an appeal by Chantell Sackett and her husband Mike Sackett, who own property in Priest Lake, Idaho where they hoped to build a home, of a lower court ruling favoring the government. The court will consider what test courts should use to determine what constitute “waters of the United States” under the landmark 1972 Clean Water Act, the answer to which determines whether the property is subject to regulation, requiring owners to obtain permits in order to carry out construction. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2007 determined that the Sacketts’ land was part of a wetland and that they were required to obtain a permit under the Clean Water Act before beginning construction, which they had failed to do. There has been lengthy litigation and political debates over how much of a connection with a waterway a property must have in order to require a permit, with the Supreme Court issuing a ruling in 2006 that led to further uncertainty. The justices are expected to hear the case in their next term, which begins in October and ends in June 2023. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Will Dunham) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Andrew Chung and Lawrence Hurley (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a bid to bar Harvard University and the University of North Carolina from considering race in undergraduate admissions in a case that imperils affirmative action policies widely used to increase the number of Black and Hispanic students on American campuses. The justices agreed to hear appeals by a group called Students for Fair Admissions, founded by anti-affirmative action activist Edward Blum, of lower court rulings that upheld the programs used by the two prestigious universities to foster a diverse student population. The cases give the court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, a chance to end such policies. The lawsuits accused the universities of discriminating against applicants on the basis of race in violation of federal law or the U.S. Constitution. Blum’s group alleged in the Harvard case that the school discriminated against Asian American applicants. In the UNC case, Blum’s group alleged that the university’s policy discriminated against white and Asian American applicants. The universities have said they use race as only one factor in a host of individualized evaluations for admission without quotas, and that curbing the consideration of race would result in a significant drop in the number of Black, Hispanic and other underrepresented students on campus. The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority. U.S. conservatives long have opposed affirmative action programs used in such areas as hiring and student admissions to address past discrimination against minorities. The use of affirmative action has withstood Supreme Court scrutiny for decades, including in a 2016 ruling https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-court-affirmativeaction-idINKCN0ZA08C involving a white student backed by Blum, who challenged a University of Texas policy, though the justices have narrowed its application. The eventual ruling in the new challenge could dilute or potentially eliminate college affirmative action programs. Blum’s group sued Harvard in 2014, accusing it of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars discrimination based on race, color or national origin under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Harvard is a private university founded in 1636 and located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It receives federal funds. The group also sued UNC in 2014, accusing the university of impermissibly using race as the main factor in admissions in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment guarantee of equal protection under the law. UNC, located in Chapel Hill and chartered in 1789, is North Carolina’s flagship public university. The Supreme Court first upheld affirmative action in college admissions in a landmark 1978 ruling in a case called Regents of the University of California v. Bakke that held that race could be considered as a factor but racial quotas could not be used. Blum’s group asked the Supreme Court to overturn a 2003 Supreme Court ruling in a case called Grutter v. Bollinger involving the University of Michigan Law School that held that colleges could consider race as one factor in the admissions process because of the compelling interest of creating a diverse student body. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor wrote in that ruling that she expected “the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary” by 2028. President Joe Biden’s administration has backed Harvard, telling the justices in a court filing not to hear that case. The court’s precedents “correctly recognize” that the educational benefits that result from diversity justify race-conscious measures. Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump, a Republican, had backed Blum’s lawsuit against Harvard. Students for Fair Admissions said Harvard’s policies limited Asian Americans to 20% of incoming undergraduate classes and left them less likely to be admitted than white, Black and Hispanic applicants with comparable qualifications. It said in court papers that Harvard “automatically awards racial preferences to African-Americans and Hispanics.” Harvard said the challengers depicted its policies inaccurately. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority has widened since it ruled 5-4 in favor of the University of Texas in 2016, with now-retired conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy joining four liberal justices. The addition of three justices appointed by former Republican President Donald Trump moved the court rightward. Under Chief Justice John Roberts, the court has been hostile to other efforts to remedy past racial discrimination. In 2013 it struck down https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-voting/supreme-court-guts-key-part-of-landmark-voting-rights-act-idUSBRE95O0TU20130625 a key part of the Voting Rights Act, enacted in 1965 to ensure that minorities could vote. In 2020, the court weakened https://www.reuters.com/world/us/voting-rights-breyers-future-spotlight-us-supreme-court-2021-07-01 another key part of that law. The case is expected to be heard during the court’s 2022 term, which begins in October and ends in June 2023. (Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York and Lawrence Hurley in Washington; Additional reporting by Nate Raymond; Editing by Will Dunham) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English The Spice Girls are set to be reunited at Brooklyn Beckham’s wedding. The 22-year-old star is poised to marry actress Nicola Peltz in Florida in April, and Victoria Beckham has invited her former bandmates – Mel B, Melanie C, Emma Bunton and Geri Horner – to the lavish event. A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: “It was a lovely invitation and the girls are all excited to attend. “It will be the first time they have all been together socially for some time, so they are looking forward to the chance to really catch up. “While Nicola has opted to wear two Valentino dresses on the big day, they will have their pick of Victoria Beckham dresses if they like.” Last Year, Melanie C revealed that the Spice Girls are “constantly” talking about touring again. The iconic pop group reunited for a series of shows in 2019, and Melanie admitted she’s keen for another reunion to take place in the coming years. She shared: “This has to happen. We talk about it constantly. We did the shows in 2019, the plan was to continue on. “Of course, the world has been in such turmoil, but the plan beyond this is to get out there when it’s safe, when we can do it. What’s tough is there’s so many artists that want to get out there, and there’s only so many venues, so we’re all kind of queuing up going, ‘I want to! I want to!'” Melanie starred alongside Mel B, Emma and Geri for the comeback shows in 2019. And the pop star revealed she’s also been “chipping away” at Victoria to join them on stage, after she previously opted out of the reunion tour. She said: “We would love to have her back onstage. In all honesty, I think it’s gonna happen. At some point, I think Posh Spice will be back onstage.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Former president Bill Clinton reportedly attempted to clean up his ties to late billionaire and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein ahead of his wife Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential run. According to Daily Mail, Bill Clinton allegedly reached out to two former residential managers of Epstein’s infamous Little St. James island in 2016 to suggest they sign an affidavit claiming they never saw the former president with Epstein at his Caribbean pad. The residential managers, Miles and Cathy Alexander, claim that Clinton’s lawyer reached out to them ahead of Hillary’s 2016 presidential run with a pre-written sworn affidavit to sign declaring they never witnessed the then-presidential hopeful’s husband at Epstein’s island. Mega “Both were asked to confirm that to the best of their knowledge Clinton had never visited during their tenure and they were not aware of him having been a guest during any absences from the island, for example for holidays,” a source familiar with the matter recently spilled to the outlet. “It was during the 2016 presidential campaign which was won by Trump,” the source continued. “There was a worry that the link between Epstein and Clinton and in particular the island could be used against Hillary.” As Radar previously reported, a New York judge last week ruled that a sexual assault lawsuit brought on by Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre has enough grounds to go to trial, which is bound to bring even more scrutiny to Epstein’s alleged former associates. But besides Giuffre’s allegation that Andrew sexually assaulted her multiple times when she was under age and on Epstein’s island, she also reportedly alleges that she once met Bill Clinton on that same island – and the former president was allegedly in the company of two younger women. “Teasing the girls on either side of him with playful pokes and brassy comments, there was no modesty between any of them,” Giuffre recalls her alleged meeting with Clinton on Little St. James. Mega “Jeffrey wanted his evening massage before bed…leaving our guest of honor to find company elsewhere. Strolling into the darkness with two beautiful girls around either arm, Bill seemed content to retire for the evening.” Although Giuffre alleges that she once met Bill Clinton on Epstein’s Little St. James property, the two residential managers that the former president’s lawyer reached out to claim otherwise, alleging that they never in fact did see Mr. Clinton on Epstein’s island. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Joseph Ax (Reuters) – Texas election officials have rejected hundreds of mail-in ballot applications, abiding by a new Republican-backed law just weeks before a March 1 primary kicks off this year’s U.S. election cycle. “My friends, this is what voter suppression looks like,” Democrat Dana DeBeauvoir, the Travis County clerk, told reporters on Tuesday. The county, home to the state capital Austin, invalidated approximately 300 applications because people failed to meet the law’s stricter identification requirements, said DeBeauvoir, who retires at month’s end. Lawmakers in Texas approved a raft of voting restrictions last year, one of many efforts in Republican-controlled states to pass new limits after former President Donald Trump falsely claimed he lost the 2020 election because of widespread fraud. Democrats in Congress this week renewed their push to pass sweeping voting rights legislation https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-democrats-start-voting-rights-showdown-with-no-clear-path-victory-2022-01-18 that would overturn limits such as the Texas law, but the effort appears doomed in the face of united Republican opposition. The Texas bill prompted some Democratic legislators to flee the state for weeks to prevent the state House of Representatives from having the quorum necessary to pass it, though they eventually relented. Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who signed the bill in September and is seeking re-election this year, has said the law, known as Senate Bill 1, will increase public trust in elections. The U.S. Justice Department has sued Texas over the legislation, saying it disenfranchises voters. Democrats say such restrictions discriminate against Black voters and other minorities who traditionally support Democratic candidates. Among other provisions, the law requires voters applying for a mail ballot to provide either a driver’s license or Social Security number, which must match the number they gave when first registering to vote. That leaves some voters playing a “guessing game,” DeBeauvoir said, because many people cannot recall which number they provided originally and there is no easy way for voters to check. Harris County, which includes Houston, had rejected 409 out of 1,373 applications as of last Friday for ID problems, including 309 missing ID numbers and 173 with numbers that did not match those on file, according to Leah Shah, a spokesperson for the county elections office. In Bexar County, home to San Antonio, officials had processed more than 300 rejections through last week out of some 1,200 applications, elections administrator Jacquelyn Callanen said in a phone interview. Around 80% of those were due to the new ID requirements. Other provisions in the law are also creating obstacles, she said. The office previously added a sticker with voters’ addresses to applications that were mailed out to save them a step, but that is no longer permitted, Callanen said. The law also prohibits residents from obtaining applications for other people, including relatives. Callanen said her office regularly receives messages from senior citizens asking for ballots for themselves and their spouses; under the law, spouses must make their own separate requests. “It’s sort of thwarting us at every turn,” she said. Mail ballots in Texas are already sharply limited to a handful of categories, including residents 65 years and older, disabled residents or voters who will be absent from their county during early voting and Election Day. DeBeauvoir said Secretary of State John Scott’s office had failed to give local officials enough guidance on how to help voters cure any defects. In response, Sam Taylor, a spokesperson for Scott’s office, said state officials reached out to Travis County last week to advise staff on the proper process and noted that the county’s own estimated rejection rate went down from 50% to 27% following that guidance. He said clerks have been instructed to accept applications in which voters have included both their license and Social Security number, as long as one of them matches what is on file. (Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Howard Goller) View the full article

Published by AFP Jonathan Riches, who has attended 40 Trump events, joined thousands of other supporters of the former president for a rally in Arizona on January 15, 2021 Florence (United States) (AFP) – Jonathan Riches has been to 40 Donald Trump rallies and fervently believes the last US presidential election was stolen. Like thousands of others who spent hours in a dusty field in Arizona this weekend to watch the former president speak, that belief is a bedrock — no matter how much the Republican Party leadership wishes otherwise. “We love our president. I call him President Trump because I still consider him my president,” Riches, 44, told AFP. Riches was among fellow believers in Florence, 60 miles (100 kilometers) outside Phoenix for Saturday’s rally. Some had arrived days in advance and traveled long distances — Riches is from Tampa, Florida — and were getting together in a party atmosphere with friends from all over the country. “It’s awesome,” said Jennifer Winterbauer, who had journeyed from Texas. “I have better friends here than I do at home. Everybody is like family.” The reunion was treated to a greatest hits of Trumpism, as speaker after speaker blasted President Joe Biden as “deranged,” hit out at the “lamestream media,” lamented supposedly “open borders” and railed against Covid-19 masking and vaccines. But the dominant theme was debunked theories about electoral fraud and the illegitimacy of the 2020 presidential poll. Senior Republicans wish it was different. Pivot Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell this week came to the defense of fellow Senator Mike Rounds, who earned Trump supporters’ ire by saying he lost. “I think Senator Rounds told the truth about what happened in the 2020 election,” McConnell told CNN. “And I agree with him.” McConnell has gently tried to pivot the Republican Party away from a fixation on re-litigating 2020, which Biden won by millions of votes. Dozens of legal attempts to overturn part of the ballot have failed and no credible evidence of significant voter fraud has emerged. With the 2022 midterm elections in focus, McConnell wants to concentrate his fire on Biden’s record after a difficult first year in office, with Covid surging, inflation skyrocketing and grocery shelves hit by supply chain difficulties. But Trump’s hold on a significant proportion of the Republican Party base — and the demand that the 2020 election be re-fought — makes that difficult. “We have to address 2020,” Winterbauer, 49, told AFP. “You’re gonna have the same problem. Because just like he (Trump) says, when you rob a bank, you get caught. You don’t get to keep the money. And you don’t get to go away scot-free.” Speakers were introduced as “Trump-endorsed” and all of them cast doubt on 2020. “That election was rotten to the core,” Congressman Paul Gosar told the crowd. When Trump took to the stage, he set about a binary classification of people — those who signed on to his theories about fraud were “smart” and “tough,” while those who didn’t were “horrible” and “weak.” The message was clear: without getting in line on election fraud claims, no-one will get Trump’s endorsement. It was music to the ears for Will Garrity, who had traveled from Houston, Texas. “You can’t tell me that it was a legit election,” he said. “If you really pay attention to the facts to various audits, various information that’s coming out, you see it. I mean, it’s crystal clear.” ‘Refocus’ While that view was consistent in Florence on Saturday, it is not what the country at large thinks. An Axios-Momentive opinion poll published this month found that around 40 percent of Americans believe the vote was compromised. That leaves a majority who want to move on, and for Senator Mike Rounds, the party’s inability to do so could hurt them. “The election was fair — as fair as we’ve seen. We simply did not win the election as Republicans for the presidency,” Rounds told ABC News last week. “Moving forward, we have to refocus once again on what it’s going to take to win the presidency,” he added. “And if we simply look back and tell our people don’t vote because there’s cheating going on, then we’re going to put ourselves in a huge disadvantage.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Francesco Guarascio, Trevor Hunnicutt and Stephanie Nebehay BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The United States, the World Health Organization’s top donor, is resisting proposals to make the agency more independent, four officials involved in the talks said, raising doubts about the Biden administration’s long-term support for the U.N. agency. The proposal, made by the WHO’s working group on sustainable financing, would increase each member state’s standing annual contribution, according to a WHO document published online and dated Jan. 4. The plan is part of a wider reform process galvanised by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has highlighted the limitations of the WHO’s power to intervene early in a crisis. But the U.S. government is opposing the reform because it has concerns about the WHO’s ability to confront future threats, including from China, U.S. officials told Reuters. It is pushing instead for the creation of a separate fund, directly controlled by donors, that would finance prevention and control of health emergencies. Four European officials involved in the talks, who declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak to the media, confirmed the U.S. opposition. The U.S. government had no immediate comment. The published proposal calls for member states’ mandatory contributions to rise gradually from 2024 so they would account for half the agency’s $2 billion core budget by 2028, compared to less than 20% now, the document said. The WHO’s core budget is aimed at fighting pandemics and strengthening healthcare systems across the world. It also raises an additional $1 billion or so a year to tackle specific global challenges such as tropical diseases and influenza. Supporters say that the current reliance on voluntary funding from member states and from charities such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation forces the WHO to focus on priorities set by the funders, and makes it less able to criticise members when things go wrong. An independent panel on pandemics that was appointed to advise on the WHO reform had called for a much bigger increase in mandatory fees, to 75% of the core budget, deeming the current system “a major risk to the integrity and independence” of the WHO. LONG-STANDING SCEPTICISM The WHO itself responded to a query by saying that “only flexible and predictable funds can enable WHO to fully implement the priorities of the Member States”. Top European Union donors, including Germany, back the plan, along with most African, South Asian, South American and Arab countries, three of the European officials said. The proposal is to be discussed at the WHO’s executive board meeting next week but the divisions mean no agreement is expected, three of the officials said. The WHO confirmed there was currently no consensus among member states, and said talks were likely to continue until the annual meeting in May of the World Health Assembly, the agency’s top decision-making body. European donors in particular favour empowering, rather than weakening, multilateral organisations including the WHO. One European official said the U.S. plan “causes scepticism among many countries”, and said the creation of a new structure controlled by donors, rather than by the WHO, would weaken the agency’s ability to combat future pandemics. Washington has been critical of the WHO for some time. Former president Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the WHO after accusing it of defending China’s initial delays in sharing information when COVID-19 emerged there in 2019. The Biden administration rejoined soon after taking office, but officials told Reuters they think the WHO needs significant reform, and raised concerns about its governance, structure and ability to confront rising threats, not least from China. One of the European officials said other big countries, including Japan and Brazil, were also hesitant about the published WHO proposal. A Brazilian official with knowledge of the discussions said Brazil agreed that WHO funding needed to be looked at, but said it opposed the proposal to raise contributions as it had run up deficits tackling the virus and was now facing a fiscal crunch. Instead, the official said the WHO needed to investigate other ways to raise funds, such as charging for its services, cutting costs or relocating operations to cheaper countries. “Raising contributions should be the last resort,” said the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the discussions. Two of the European officials said China had not yet made its position clear, while a third official listed Beijing among the critics of the proposal. The governments of Japan and China had no immediate comment. (Reporting by Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio in Brussels and Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington; Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva, Andreas Rinke in Berlin and Anthony Boadle in Brasilia; Editing by Josephine Mason, Kevin Liffey and Daniel Wallis) View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Christina Aguilera has reportedly decided to support her fellow pop star Britney Spears in a recent interview, only two months after an awkward snub when she refused to comment on the rival singer’s conservatorship battle on the red carpet. According to Page Six, the 41-year-old Moves Like Jagger singer spoke out about Spears’ conservatorship battle during a sit-down with Enrique Santos. But the decision to now defend her former pop rival has some people up in arms and wondering why Aguilera didn’t defend Spears back in November. “I would love to,” Aguilera told Santos regarding whether or not she would be interested in speaking to the Baby One More Time singer about the latter’s recent conservatorship battle victory. “I would always be open to that. It’s a subject that I definitely want to be careful of because I never want to speak out of turn about somebody that I have so much respect and admiration for,” she added. Mega The Genie in a Bottle singer then went on to emphasize how happy she is that Spears escaped the conservatorship that was controlling all of her personal and professional choices and decisions for more than 10 years of her life. “I will just say what I do feel comfortable saying, as I’ve said before actually and stated: that I couldn’t be happier for her,” she continued. “Every woman deserves to feel empowered and to own that for themselves however they see fit.” But the pop star’s comments now defending Spears may be too little too late, because as many are pointing out, Aguilera blatantly refused to defend the 40-year-old Toxic singer in November during an interview on the Latin Grammy Awards red carpet. “I love and adore everyone who supported me, but refusing to speak when you know the truth, is equivalent to a lie!!!” Spears wrote the day after Aguilera’s awkward snub. “13 years being in a corrupt abusive system yet why is such a hard topic for people to talk about???” “I’m the one who went through it!!! All the supporters who spoke up and supported me thank you. Yes, I do matter!” Mega The snub in question involved both Aguilera and her publicist Brett Ruttenberg after the singer was asked by a reporter whether or not she had spoken to the recently freed Spears. “No, I’m sorry, we’re not doing that tonight, thank you though, bye!” Aguilera’s publicist quickly responded before the singer provided an awkward answer of her own. “I can’t,” she said as she walked out from the reporter. “But I’m happy for her!” Even though Aguilera has now spoken out in defense of Spears during a recent interview, as well as in a slew of social media posts, she is still being called out for her silence two months ago. “Yet you chose silence – Over a woman you’ve known since you were a kid. You know what they did to her. You bowed to the industry. #pfft #complicit,” one angry fan responded to Aguilera’s Twitter post. Mega So far, Spears has yet to respond to Aguilera’s recent comments defending her, although it is not known whether or not she will be thankful or confused why her former rival didn’t speak out sooner. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega/@ADELE/INSTAGRAM Adele has reportedly FaceTimed a group of upset fans who flew all the way to Las Vegas before finding out the singer postponed her residency shows. The singer allegedly offered the group of young fans free drink tokens before realizing the majority of them weren’t old enough to drink in the United States. According to an Instagram video posted by one disappointed yet lucky fan, the 33-year-old English singer evidently FaceTimed him and his friends Friday night after they arrived to Vegas and quickly learned that she had canceled her shows at Caesar’s Palace. In the video that lasts just over three minutes, the Rolling in the Deep singers chats with her fans and repeatedly apologizes for not being there in the Entertainment Capital of the World despite the fact she was scheduled to have her first performance Friday night. She also asks where the group of fans are from, to which they share that they flew in all the way from New York. Mega Lucky for Adele, these fans were seemingly very understanding that she was forced to cancel her shows and postpone them for sometime in the future. The one fan who received the FaceTime call even expressed how the entire ordeal is not the singer’s fault. “You can’t put pressure on yourself for things that are out of your control,” the fan tells the distraught singer after she apologizes yet again for canceling the shows. “People want to say things, and you know you just have to know that you’re doing what you have to do for yourself. You’re gonna get there and you’re gonna perform and everyone’s gonna love it when the time comes,” the fan adds to a puffy-eyed and visibly upset Adele. Mega But although these particular fans were very forgiving of the Easy On Me singer, many of her other fans who did not receive a FaceTime call and who also flew in from afar and spent money on flights and hotels are understandably not so forgiving of the troubled songwriter. As Radar previously reported, Adele was forced to cancel her show with only 24 hours’ notice on Thursday because nearly half of her crew allegedly had Covid. Although that may be one of the reasons, a source familiar with the situation spilled that the shows were also canceled due to the singer being an absolute diva regarding the creative layout of the scheduled performances. “Adele postponed her residency due to ‘COVID’ which is true,” the source recently said. “But really she just hates all the creative, also she keeps changing the run of the show.” “Crew is working literally 18 hours a day in Vegas. She just won’t stop adding and taking things away.” @ADELE/INSTAGRAM Angry fans have also called out Adele for canceling the shows at literally the last possible minute, demanding that she reimburse them for the loads of money they spent on airfare and hotels to watch her perform – purchases that cannot be refunded even if the singer does reschedule the shows for a later date. “We lost a large sum of money on plane tickets and hotels to come see her for nothing, pretty unacceptable that a multi-million-dollar production team could pull the rug on the people who flew and risked getting Covid to see her because her ‘show’ wasn’t ready,” one angry fan flying in from Canada told the outlet. “She is known for her voice not for her performances, for all I care I would’ve just enjoyed her sitting on a bench singing. Absolutely unacceptable, they have not mentioned anything about compensation for the travel expenses we had.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Julia Fox posted a video to social media of Kanye West and DJ Khaled hanging out and rapping proving she and her new beau are still going strong! According to the 31-year-old model’s Instagram story on Saturday, she and Ye were hanging out and having some fun with his fellow celebrity friends one day after claiming on her Forbidden Fruits podcast Friday that she isn’t with Ye for the fame and publicity. “People are like ‘Oh, you’re only in it for the fame, you’re in it for the clout, you’re in it for the money.’ Honey, I’ve dated billionaires my entire adult life, let’s keep it real,” the Uncut Gems actress said on her podcast. Mega Although Saturday’s video update shows her and Ye hanging with the I’m the One singer, she also talked in her podcast about partying with other A-list celebrities such as Madonna, Antonio Brown, Floyd Mayweather, and a slew of others at a dinner earlier in the week. “I was actually supposed to be at dinner for just Madonna and I. All of these other celebs crashed the party,” she revealed. As Radar previously reported, some are speculating that Ye is only with Fox to make his estranged wife Kim Kardashian jealous – especially because of the Keeping Up with the Kardashiansstar’s recent relationship with Pete Davidson. On January 6, the 44-year-old rapper shared a bunch of racy and risqué photos of him and Fox rolling around a hotel room. Ye also reportedly shared a few pics of him and his new girlfriend packing on the PDA inside the exclusive restaurant Carbone. “His energy is so fun to be around. He had me and my friends laughing, dancing, and smiling all night,” Fox said after revealing that the two first met on New Year’s Eve in Miami, Florida. “We decided to keep the energy going and fly back to New York City to see Slave Play.” “I’m still in shock. Ye had an entire hotel suite full of clothes. It was every girl’s dream come true. It felt like a real Cinderella moment. I don’t know how he did it, or how he got all of it there in time. But I was so surprised,” she continued. “Like, who does things like this on a second date? Or any date!” Mega But while Fox is seemingly happy with Kanye, followers of the his on social media are a bit skeptical about the Donda rapper’s true intentions dating the Italian-American actress. “The photos of Kanye West and Julia Fox look so fake,” one person on Twitter commented. “The Julia Fox/Kanye West article is the most hilariously pathetic attempt to make Kim Kardashian jealous I can’t even believe it’s real,” another person wrote. Mega But whether or not Ye is with Fox to make Kim jealous allegedly doesn’t matter, because Kim just wants her estranged husband to be happy. “Kim hopes Kanye finds love. She wants him to move on and be happy,” our sources familiar with the whole situation told us. “Everyone just hopes Julia doesn’t get her heart broken in the process.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Prince Andrew could reportedly have his royal patronages restored if he wins his upcoming legal case. The 61-year-old prince’s military titles and royal patronages were returned to the Queen earlier this month, but they could be restored if he wins the civil case brought against him by Virginia Giuffre, according to an insider. Speaking to The Times newspaper, the source said: “I think if the Queen is still alive and his name is cleared I would say that at that point what reason would there be for him to be barred from taking part in royal duties?” Asked if the situation will be any different if Prince Charles is on the throne, the insider explained: “It’s a different decision-maker and different people influencing him and therefore it’s slightly less predictable. “I think his brother is a very reasonable and intelligent person and I’m sure he will do what’s right for the royal family and for the country.” Buckingham Palace recently confirmed that Andrew’s royal patronages have been returned to the Queen. It was also announced that he will “continue not to undertake any public duties”. A statement explained: “With the Queen’s approval and agreement, the Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to the Queen. “The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.” The decision was taken after a judge confirmed that Andrew will face a civil case in the US over allegations he sexually assaulted Giuffre when she was 17. Giuffre filed a civil suit against Andrew on August 9, 2021, using a New York state law that allows survivors of childhood sexual abuse to sue, regardless of whether the alleged crimes took place outside the statute of limitations. Andrew has repeatedly denied Giuffre’s allegations. View the full article