RadioRob

Published by Reuters By Rami Ayyub and Alexandra Ulmer (Reuters) -The prosecutor for Georgia’s biggest county on Thursday requested a special grand jury with subpoena power to aid her investigation into then-President Donald Trump’s efforts to influence the U.S. state’s 2020 election results. In a letter to Fulton County’s chief judge, first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, District Attorney Fani Willis wrote that multiple witnesses being probed have refused to cooperate absent a subpoena requiring their testimony. “Therefore, I am hereby requesting … that a special purpose grand jury be impaneled for the purpose of investigating the facts and circumstances relating directly or indirectly to possible attempts to disrupt the lawful administration of the 2020 elections in the State of Georgia,” Willis wrote. The investigation https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-election-georgia-investigations-idINKBN2AB0BR by Willis, a Democrat, is the most serious probe facing Trump in Georgia after he was recorded in a phone call pressuring Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to overturn the state’s election results based on unfounded claims of voter fraud. Willis specifically mentioned that Raffensperger, whom she described as an “essential witness,” had indicated he would only take part in an interview once presented with a subpoena. In a statement, Trump defended his phone call, saying he’d done nothing wrong and blasting “political witch hunts.” He also repeated false allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 election. “What this Civil Special Grand Jury should be looking into is not my perfect phone call, but the large scale voter fraud that took place in Georgia,” Trump said. In a separate legal woe for the Trump family, the U.S. House of Representatives’ panel investigating the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol on Thursday requested an interview https://www.reuters.com/world/us/jan-6-panel-plans-seek-testimony-ivanka-trump-cnn-2022-01-20 with Trump’s daughter and former White House aide Ivanka Trump. Trump critics hope that his legal problems may ultimately stymie a potential presidential run in 2024. “It begins,” Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island tweeted after news of the Georgia request. ‘FINDING’ VOTES In her letter, Willis said a special grand jury, which can subpoena witnesses, was needed because jurors can be impaneled for longer periods and focus exclusively on a single probe. A spokesperson for the superior courts in Fulton County, which encompasses most of the state capital Atlanta, said there was no immediate timeline for a response to Willis’ request. During the Jan. 2, 2021 call, Trump urged Raffensperger, a fellow Republican, to “find” enough votes to overturn his Georgia loss to Democrat Joe Biden. The transcript quotes Trump telling Raffensperger: “I just want to find 11,780 votes,” which is the number Trump needed to win Georgia. Legal experts have said Trump’s phone calls may have violated at least three state election laws: conspiracy to commit election fraud, criminal solicitation to commit election fraud, and intentional interference with performance of election duties. The possible felony and misdemeanor violations are punishable by fines or imprisonment. (Reporting by Rami Ayyub and Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by DPA What Leonardo DiCaprio used to represent, Timothée Chalamet embodies today: The “Dune” star has become more than his acclaimed Hollywood performances. His stardom tells us something about how the image of ideal masculinity has changed. Matt Crossick/PA Wire/dpa “Titanic” and the early days of Leonardo DiCaprio were the last time that there a young actor was as present as Timothée Chalamet is these days. The Hollywood star has wispy brown curls, a dreamy look in his eyes and a unique charisma that suggests both “baby brother” and “aftershave model” at the same time. The 26-year-old New Yorker, who has an American and a French passport, is one of the biggest stars of the Instagram generation. Time magazine also just let him grace its cover and even Vogue celebrates the fashion influencer’s red carpet appearances. A man who wears dungarees with a batik pattern or a rhinestone harness from Louis Vuitton around his torso. Movie fans know him from “Interstellar”, “Lady Bird”, “Little Women” and as a drug-addicted son in “Beautiful Boy”. The gay love story “Call Me by Your Name” earned him an Oscar nomination in his early 20s. This year he appeared in Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch”, the science fiction epic “Dune” and just recently in “Don’t Look Up” on Netflix. Chalamet will also soon be seen as young chocolate factory owner Willy Wonka in “Wonka”. This young actor with mysterious appeal is able to do festival films as well as blockbusters. At the same time, he is a sensitive guy who tells his grandmother on his mobile phone that he loves her – that’s how Time magazine describes him. There is even some interesting gossip: He has been spotted with Lily-Rose Depp, the daughter of Johnny Depp, as well as with Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Leon. On Instagram, he has 16.6 million people following him. So what does his success say about the zeitgeist? Claudia Midolo, the head of a modelling agency, says there are still differences between the world of modelling and acting. In the modelling and fashion industry, the somewhat more stereotypical man is still in demand, although his masculinity is no longer as pronounced as it was in the 90s with Calvin Klein model Marcus Schenkenberg. According to Midolo, men are generally represented as softer and more diverse, as well as slimmer and no longer as overly muscular. The new male image in line with the Timothée Chalamet type is also represented. Nonetheless, the target group of this kind of new man is too young for expensive fashion brands. “That’s why this type of man is still more likely to lead the way in acting, music and social media,” Midolo explains. Literary scholar Toni Tholen of the University of Hildesheim also has the following explanation to offer: Chalamet seems to correspond to what is called “hybrid masculinity” in masculinity research. Roughly summarised this means that the young actor moves away from the classic male image and even dares to be a little more feminine, but does not lose male privileges in the process. He is committed, open and thoughtful, but is still extremely successful in the film and fashion genre. In regards to the image of men in general, Tholen says: “Male dominance and patriarchal structures of domination have been massively challenged in recent years. In part, thanks to feminist critique and politics, but also because men themselves suffer from the demands of masculinity and begin to question them.” For Tholen, however, this does not mean that these demands have completely disappeared. “The situation is undecided at the moment because both can be observed: Change and persistence, processes of transformation as well as the retraditionalization of masculinity. And it is completely open in which way the pendulum will swing more, especially if you look at the situation globally.” Nevertheless, in any case, it can be said that patriarchal masculinity has cracked. “At the moment, masculinity can perhaps best be understood as a form of ambivalent and contradictory movements and positionings; sometimes even as a search for new spaces and ways of life, combined with a growing desire to no longer act as ruler over people and things.” What should and can a man be? This question can be approached from a lot of different angles when looking at Timothée Chalamet and his movies. A sequel to “Dune” is already in the works. American actor Timothee Chalamet arrives for the “The French Dispatch” photocall as part of the 74th annual Cannes Film Festival. Mickael Chavet/ZUMA Wire/dpa Timothée Chalamet (left) starred as Zeffirelli alongside Lyna Khoudri as Juliette in Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch”. The Walt Disney Company Germany/dpa View the full article

Published by The Boot In January of 2017, hit-making country songwriter and producer Shane McAnally and his husband, Michael Baum, legally tied the knot, posting a snapshot to Instagram of themselves and their two children celebrating the milestone. However, by that point, they’d already been married for five years, and their love story dates back even further. McAnally, a native of Mineral Wells, Texas, moved to Nashville at the age of 19, intending to pursue a solo career as a country artist. He signed to Curb Records and charted three singles in 1999 and 2000, but never amassed much momentum in the industry. McA… Read More View the full article

Published by uSports.org Homophobic slurs at soccer games in Mexico will now result in five-year bans from stadiums, Mexican Football Federation (FMF) president Yon de Luisa said on Monday. The federation has struggled to thwart anti-gay chants often shouted by Mexico supporters when an opposing goalkeeper takes a goal kick. In recent years, FIFA has handed the FMF fines and stadium bans that have forced matches behind closed doors due to the fan behavior. Now, those who chant will be given a five-year ban—part of a new process that de Luisa announced on Monday. Also included are online ticket registration, a push for… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sia was suicidal and went to rehab following the backlash over her film ‘Music’. The 46-year-old singer – who has complex PTSD – has revealed she relapsed following the controversy surrounding her casting Maddie Ziegler in the titular role of an autistic teenager, instead of someone neuroatypical, in her 2021 directional debut. In a New York Times profile about her close friend, comedy legend Kathy Griffin, 61, the ‘Unstoppable’ hitmaker said: “I was suicidal and relapsed and went to rehab. “She saved my life.” The ‘Chandelier’ hitmaker initially cast an actor with autism but the role proved too stressful for her so she brought her frequent collaborator into the project instead. She said previously “I got Maddie back on board. I’ve learnt I’m ableist. “And while I may have spoken to 20 factions of the autism community, I didn’t speak to another 20 factions. I actually didn’t even know the other 20 existed.” Sia has defended her decision to cast Maddie in the film on multiple occasions and previously insisted it was more “compassionate” to hire her than an autistic actress. She tweeted: “I did try. It felt more compassionate to use Maddie. That was my call… “I cast thirteen neuroatypical people, three trans folk, and not as f****** prostitutes or drug addicts but s as doctors, nurses and singers. F****** sad nobody’s even seen the dang movie. My heart has always been in the right place.(sic)” And Sia also insisted she simply couldn’t work without Maddie. She said: “I realised it wasn’t ableism. “I mean, it is ableism I guess as well, but it’s actually nepotism because I can’t do a project without her. I don’t want to. I wouldn’t make art if it didn’t include her.” Maddie – who has starred in many of Sia’s music videos, including the promos for ‘Elastic Heart’ and ‘Chandelier’ – feared people would think she was “making fun” of autistic people. Sia insisted: “I bold-facedly said, ‘I won’t let that happen.'” However, she realised she cannot “protect” her from the criticism. She added: “Last week, I realised I couldn’t really protect her from that, which I thought I could. We sent it off to the Child Mind Institute and she received 100 per cent as performance accuracy. I realise that there are some things I can’t protect her from as much as I try.” View the full article

; Published by BANG Showbiz English Adam Rippon married Jussi-Pekka Kajaala in a spur-of-the-moment wedding on New Year’s Eve 2021. The 32-year-old retired figure skater – who had been in a relationship with real estate broker Jussi-Pekka, 34, since they matched on dating app Tinder in 2018 – explained that they had “always wanted to do something simple” for their wedding and only decided to get married when a local officiant had a slot available for that day. He said: “I think everybody knew that we were going to do it and I think nobody knew if we were going to give them a heads up or not. And I guess we didn’t even know if we were giving ourselves a heads up. Listen, we’re unpredictable. We always wanted to do something simple and just the two of us. And so we were looking at different options of what we could do and so obviously when you do that, the next best thing that you can do is you reach out to [California marriage officiant] Maria and you ask Maria: ‘When is her next availability for a wedding?’ And she goes, ‘I have availability this week, but I also have something today.’ And so then I said, ‘Listen, Maria, we’re on our way.’ “ The former ‘Dancing with the Stars’ contestant – who won the 2016 U.S. National Championships for figure skating – added that he and Jussi-Pekka had wanted to get married “for a while” and decided to go through with their nuptials with little planning to “just have it be finished.” He told PEOPLE: “”We’ve been waiting to do it for a while and we always were like, ‘Let’s just go and do it and just have it be finished and we can finally be married.” Jussi-Pekka also explained that they wanted to make “something special” out of the 31st December, which is “not usually a big deal” for them. He said: “We had some plans for the date, but then we just decided to do it sooner because New Year’s Eve is not a big thing for us. We’re in bed like 10:30. So then we decided that, oh, maybe going to use this day for something special like this and now we have a great meaning for that day.” Adam Rippon Married A Rippon Married on Towleroad Betty White Death: Los Angeles Zoo ‘Blown Away’ By $70,000 Worth Of Donations In Memory Of Late Comedian More Florida suspends health official who urged staff to get vaccinated More Amazon to open fashion store where algorithms suggest what to try on More Lady Gaga and Salma Hayek lovemaking scene axed from House of Gucci More Maxwell formally requests new trial after lawyers raise concern about juror More Analysis-How Omicron highlights fading hope of herd immunity from COVID More German abuse study accuses Pope Emeritus Benedict of misconduct More Anna Wintour pays tribute to Andre Leon Talley and their ‘complicated’ relationship More Ghislaine Maxwell’s Legal Team Files For A New Trial After Juror Possibly Failed To Disclose Past Sexual Abuse: Report More ‘We were very lucky’: Cynthia Nixon address Chris Noth’s deleted scenes More Well-Known Florida Marriage Plaintiff Found Dead In Landfill; Investigations Ongoing To Identify Who Killed Jorge Diaz-Johnston More U.S. Supreme Court spurns Trump bid to keep Capitol attack records secret More Ghislaine Maxwell ‘May Have Had An Intimate Relationship’ With Prince Andrew, Would Frequently Visit Buckingham Palace At Will, New Documentary Reveals More Load More View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Betty Whitemay have left this world days before her 100th birthday, but the actress’ charitable work lives on through her fans. The 99-year-old comedian, who died on December 31, was a huge animal advocate and volunteered with rescue and shelter associations all over Los Angeles. The Greater L.A. Zoo Association (GLAZA), which was one of those organizations, revealed they were flooded with more than $70,000 worth of donations on Monday, the same day as Betty’s triple-digit birthday. Betty White Took Care Of Late Husband Allen Ludden’s Children After His 1981 Death, Court Documents Reveal MEGA Following the Golden Girls star’s death, fans quickly began a viral campaign called the #BettyWhiteChallenge. The purpose of the challenge was to encourage people to donate to organizations that helped animals. GLAZA President Tom Jacobson‘s said they were “blown away” by the $70,389 in donations they collected in connection to Betty’s birthday. “Betty would be so thrilled to see the outpouring of support in her honor. We know so many worthy animal and wildlife organizations were greatly impacted by yesterday’s challenge, and we know Betty is smiling,” Jacobson stated. “Betty is a true champion of animals in both life and death, and we look forward to honoring her legacy at the Los Angeles Zoo,” he added. MEGA It wasn’t only Betty’s fans that donated, but companies in the industry and around Tinseltown that worked closely with the legendary actress. The Walt Disney Company gave $25,000, and the comedian’s beloved Pink’s Hot Dogs donated $3,000. Betty White: The Last Photo Revealed — Frail, Gaunt Yet Smiling Days Before Death Betty enjoyed the L.A. staple hot dog joint so much that they named an item on the menu after the actress called “the Betty White Naked Dog.” Pink’s Hot Dogs’ donations came from selling 452 of those exact hot dogs. The 9-inch, all-beef dog has no toppings or condiments and runs for $5.20. Since her death, it’s become a permanent addition to the menu. “We thought that it would be uplifting to recognize her life, it would be a positive experience for our customers and it would be a way to make a contribution,” the company’s co-owner Richard Pink, whose parents started the La Brea spot in 1939, stated. “We just thought it would be the right thing to do.” MEGA View the full article

Published by Reuters By Rami Ayyub (Reuters) – A top Florida public health official has been put on administrative leave as officials investigate whether he violated a state ban by emailing employees about their low vaccination rate against COVID-19 and urging them to get shots. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican widely believed to be planning a run for the U.S. presidency, in November signed a law banning schools, businesses and government entities from requiring vaccination against COVID-19, drawing condemnation from health experts and Democratic leaders. The official placed on leave, Dr. Raul Pino, the Florida Department of Health’s director in Orlando, sent his staff an email on Jan. 4 noting their low vaccination rate and urging them to get shots, according to Orlando’s WFTV. Pino had an analyst pull vaccination data for his employees, WFTV reported. The Florida Department of Health said it was conducting an inquiry to determine if any laws were broken. “As the decision to get vaccinated is a personal medical choice that should be made free from coercion and mandates from employers, the employee in question has been placed on administrative leave,” the department said in a statement. In the Jan. 4 email, Pino said he had pulled vaccination data for his 568 active employees, and that less than half had two doses while only 14% had their booster, according to WFTV. “I am sorry but in the absence of reasonable and real reasons it is irresponsible not to be vaccinated,” Pino wrote. Pino, who helped spearhead Florida’s response to the pandemic, was not immediately reachable for comment. Florida was among several conservative-led states who sued the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to stop it from enforcing a now-defunct vaccine mandate for large businesses put in place by President Joe Biden. The Supreme Court last week blocked that mandate – a policy the conservative justices deemed an improper imposition on the lives and health of many Americans – while endorsing a separate federal vaccine requirement for health care facilities. (Reporting by Rami Ayyub; Editing by Aurora Ellis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jeffrey Dastin (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc’s recipe for the department store of the future includes algorithmic recommendations and what one corporate director called “a magic closet” in the fitting room. The online retailer is making another push to grow its fashion business, announcing on Thursday it will open its first-ever apparel store this year, with a tech twist. “We wouldn’t do anything in physical retail unless we felt we could significantly improve the customer experience,” said Simoina Vasen, a managing director. At 30,000 square feet (2,787 sq meters), the planned “Amazon Style” shop near Los Angeles is smaller than the typical department store. Model items are on the racks, and customers scan a code using Amazon’s mobile app to select the color and size they would like. To try on the clothes, which are stored in the back, shoppers enter a virtual queue for a fitting room that they unlock with their smartphone when it is ready. Inside, the dressing room is “a personal space for you to continue shopping without ever having to leave,” Vasen said. Each has a touchscreen letting shoppers request more items that staff deliver to a secure, two-sided closet “within minutes,” she said. “It’s like a magic closet with seemingly endless selection,” Vasen said. The touchscreens suggest items to shoppers too. Amazon keeps a record of every good a customer scans so its algorithms personalize clothing recommendations. Shoppers can fill out a style survey as well. By the time they arrive in a fitting room, employees have already deposited customers’ requested items and others that Amazon has picked. Shoppers can opt out with a concierge’s help, Amazon said. Amazon has unveiled tech to help customers choose outfits before. The company has surpassed Walmart Inc as the most-shopped clothing retailer in the United States, according to analyst research. But it still has room to expand and compete with the likes of Macy’s Inc and Nordstrom Inc, which have opened smaller-format stores. Amazon’s lineup of physical grocery and convenience shops have yet to upend brick-and-mortar retail. The company’s new store aims to attract a broad range of shoppers with hundreds of brands, Vasen said, declining to name examples. It has hundreds of associates, and no cashier-less checkout like some Amazon stores, Vasen said. Still, using a biometric system known as Amazon One, customers can pay with a swipe of their palm. (Reporting By Jeffrey Dastin in Palo Alto, California; Editing by Christian Schmollinger) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lady Gaga has revealed she and Salma Hayek filmed a lovemaking scene that was cut from ‘House of Gucci’. The 35-year-old singer-and-actress – who is hotly-tipped to win an Oscar for the role of Patrizia Reggiani in the blockbuster drama based on the real-life murder of Maurizio Gucci – has claimed there is “a whole side of this film” that was not shown in the final cut. According to the ‘A Star Is Born’ star, Patrizia – who was convicted of hiring a hitman to kill her former husband Maurizio, who was played by Adam Driver in the acclaimed Sir Ridley Scott movie – “developed a relationship” with her psychic Giuseppina ‘Pina’ Auriemm in unused footage. Speaking in an interview shared via Pop Crave’s Twitter account, Gaga said: “There’s a whole side of this film that you did not see, where Pina and I developed a relationship. “Director’s cut, who knows. This is a testament to [Ridley Scott] as a director because he allowed us to go there, and I remember being on set with Salma and going, ‘So after Maurizio dies, maybe it gets hot?’ And she was like, ‘What are you talking about?’” Salma, 55, said: “You think she’s kidding.” And her co-star quipped: “Director’s cut, who knows.” Meanwhile, Gaga recently said she “began to believe” Patrizia had sent a “large swarm of flies” to the set. The ‘Born This Way’ hitmaker was surrounded by the insects while she was bidding farewell to the character on the last day of filming. She shared: “On the last day of filming, I was on the balcony of my apartment in Rome, and I was blasting Dean Martin singing ‘Mambo Italiano’, and I had a cigarette hanging out of my mouth. I was Patrizia. “But I knew I had to say goodbye to her: Large swarms of flies kept following me around, and I truly began to believe that she had sent them. I was ready to let her go.” The heirs of Aldo Gucci, who was played by Al Pacino, recently slated the movie. In a statement, they said: “The production of the film did not bother to consult the heirs before describing Aldo Gucci – president of the company for 30 years – and the members of the Gucci family as thugs, ignorant and insensitive to the world around them.” They added how there was “a tone and an attitude to the protagonists of the well-known events that never belonged to them,” and that “this is extremely painful from a human point of view and an insult to the legacy on which the brand is built today.” View the full article

Published by Reuters (This Jan.19 story corrects typographical error in headline) By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) – Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyers late on Wednesday formally asked for a new trial after the British socialite’s lawyers raised concern about a juror’s possible failure to disclose before the trial that he was sexually abused as a child. Maxwell, 60, was convicted https://www.reuters.com/world/us/maxwell-jury-resume-deliberations-after-judge-warns-omicron-risk-2021-12-29 on Dec. 29 on five counts of sex trafficking and other crimes for recruiting and grooming teenage girls to have sexual encounters with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell faces up to 65 years in prison. “Today, counsel for Ghislaine Maxwell filed her motion for a new trial,” her defense lawyer, Bobbi C. Sternheim, said in a letter to U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan. In the letter, Sternheim asked that all submissions pertaining to “Juror No. 50” remain under seal until the court rules on the motion. Maxwell’s lawyers said this month there were “incontrovertible grounds https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ghislaine-maxwells-prosecutors-seek-inquiry-into-jurors-sexual-abuse-claim-2022-01-05” for a new trial after a juror, who asked to be identified by his first and middle names, Scotty David, told Reuters and other news media that he described being abused as a child during jury deliberations. The next day Maxwell’s lawyer wrote to the judge seeking a new trial and New York attorney Todd Spodek filed an appearance in Maxwell’s case on behalf of Juror No. 50. Spodek did not respond to a request for comment and has not disclosed his client’s name in the Maxwell case. Concerns have been raised that Scotty David did not disclose his abuse during pretrial screening. Prospective jurors were asked in a questionnaire whether they had ever been a victim of sexual abuse. Scotty David told Reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/us/some-ghislaine-maxwell-jurors-initially-doubted-accusers-juror-says-2022-01-05 he did not remember the question, but that he would have answered honestly. Prosecutors, who have requested that U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan conduct an inquiry into the juror’s statements, will have until Feb. 2 to respond to Maxwell’s motion. Legal experts told Reuters that Maxwell would not be guaranteed https://www.reuters.com/world/us/no-guarantee-new-maxwell-trial-after-jurors-revelations-experts-say-2022-01-07 a new trial even if the juror did not disclose his abuse on the questionnaire, noting that cases of juror dishonesty that led to verdicts being overturned generally involved jurors who deliberately lied in order to be selected. Nathan last week scheduled Maxwell’s sentencing hearing for June 28. Epstein killed himself in 2019 at the age of 66 in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial on sex abuse charges. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York and Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Noeleen Walder, Robert Birsel) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters) – The Omicron variant, which is spreading far faster than previous versions of the coronavirus, is not likely to help countries achieve so-called herd immunity against COVID-19, in which enough people become immune to the virus that it can no longer spread, leading disease experts say. From the earliest days of the pandemic, public health officials have expressed hope that it was possible to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19, as long as a high enough percentage of the population was vaccinated or infected with the virus. Those hopes dimmed as the coronavirus mutated into new variants in quick succession over the past year, enabling it to reinfect people who were vaccinated or had previously contracted COVID-19. Some health officials have revived the possibility of herd immunity since Omicron emerged late last year. The fact that the variant spreads so quickly and causes milder illness might soon expose enough people, in a less harmful way, to the SARS-COV-2 virus and provide that protection, they argue. Disease experts note, however, that Omicron’s transmissibility is aided by the fact that this variant is even better than its predecessors at infecting people who were vaccinated or had a prior infection. That adds to evidence that the coronavirus will continue to find ways to break through our immune defenses, they said. “Reaching a theoretical threshold beyond which transmission will cease is probably unrealistic given the experience we have had in the pandemic,” Dr. Olivier le Polain, an epidemiologist with the World Health Organization (WHO), told Reuters. That is not to say that prior immunity offers no benefit. Instead of herd immunity, many experts interviewed by Reuters said there was growing evidence that vaccines and prior infection would help boost population immunity against COVID-19, which makes the disease less serious for those who are infected, or become reinfected. “As long as population immunity holds with this variant and future variants, we’ll be fortunate and the disease will be manageable,” said Dr. David Heymann, a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. NOT LIKE MEASLES Current COVID-19 vaccines were primarily designed to prevent severe disease and death rather than infection. But clinical trial results in late 2020 showing that two of the vaccines had more than 90% efficacy against the disease initially sparked hope that the virus could be largely contained by widespread vaccination, similar to the way measles has been curbed by inoculation. With SARS-CoV-2, two factors have since undermined that picture, said Marc Lipsitch, an epidemiologist at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “The first is that immunity, especially to infection, which is the important kind of immunity, wanes quite quickly, at least from the vaccines that we have right now,” he said. The second is that the virus can quickly mutate in a way that enables it to elude protection from vaccination or prior infection – even when immunity has not waned. “It changes the game when vaccinated people can still shed virus and infect other people,” said Dr. David Wohl, an infectious disease specialist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. He cautioned against assuming that infection with Omicron would increase protection, especially against the next variant that might arise. “Just because you had Omicron, maybe that protects you from getting Omicron again, maybe,” Wohl said. Vaccines in development https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/omicron-is-wake-up-call-covid-19-vaccine-developers-2021-12-08 that provide immunity against future variants or even multiple types of coronaviruses could change that, said Pasi Penttinen, the top influenza expert at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, but it will take time. Still, the hope for herd immunity as a ticket back to normal life is hard to shake. “These things were in the media: ‘We’ll reach herd immunity when 60% of the population are vaccinated.’ It didn’t happen. Then for 80%. Again, it didn’t happen,” Francois Balloux, professor of computational systems biology at University College London, told Reuters. “As horrible as it sounds, I think we have to prepare ourselves to the fact that the vast majority, essentially everyone, will get exposed to SARS-CoV-2,” he said. Global health experts expect that the coronavirus will ultimately become endemic, circulating persistently in the population and causing sporadic surges. The emergence of Omicron, however, has raised questions about exactly when that might happen. “We will get there,” said the WHO’s le Polain, “but we are not there at the moment.” (Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Additional reporting by Emma Farge in Geneva, Alistair Smout in London and Francesco Guarascio in Brussels; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by DPA Ulrich Wastl of law firm Westpfahl Spilker Wastl (WSW) speaks during a press conference on a report on child sex abuse in the Archdiocese of Munich-Freising. Sven Hoppe/dpa POOL/dpa A report prompted by sexual abuse allegations in the German Catholic Church accuses Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI of misconduct on four counts during his time as archbishop of Munich and Freising between 1977 and 1982. Benedict – known then as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger – has denied any wrongdoing. At least 497 victims have been counted in the study. Most of them were male children and adolescents who were targeted between 1945 and 2019, the law firm Westpfahl Spilker Wastl (WSW) announced in Munich. It prepared the expert opinion on behalf of the archdiocese. According to the study, there were at least 235 alleged perpetrators – among them 173 priests and nine deacons. The law firm said 40 clergymen had returned to pastoral care despite allegations of perpetrating or having tolerated abuse. Ulrich Wastl of law firm Westpfahl Spilker Wastl (WSW) reacts during a press conference on a report on child sex abuse in the Archdiocese of Munich-Freising. Sven Hoppe/dpa POOL/dpa Ulrich Wastl of law firm Westpfahl Spilker Wastl (WSW) speaks during a press conference on a report on child sex abuse in the Archdiocese of Munich-Freising. Sven Hoppe/dpa POOL/dpa View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Dame Anna Wintour acknowledged her “complicated” relationship with the late Andre Leon Talley in her tribute to him. The long serving editor-in-chief of Vogue – a position she has held since 1988 – issued a statement honouring the magazine’s former creative director following his death aged 73 on 18 January, but she also admitted to having frosty moments with the fashion icon. In a statement shared on the fashion bible’s website, the 72-year-old star said: “Like many decades-long relationships, there were complicated moments, but all I want to remember today, all I care about, is the brilliant and compassionate man who was a generous and loving friend to me and to my family for many, many years, and who we will all miss so much.” Andre – who boasted many roles such as the Paris Bureau Chief of Women’s Wear Daily, fashion editor at Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine, long-time trusted confidant of Karl Lagerfeld and apprentice to Diana Vreeland – gave his side of the rift between him and the former ‘House and Garden’ editor-in-chief in his 2020 memoir ‘The Chiffon Trenches’. He branded her “ruthless” and unable of “simple human kindness” after cutting him – allegedly without telling him – from his legendary interview gig on the steps of the Met Gala and replacing him with a YouTube star, Liza Koshy. He also claimed his role was cut for being too “old, overweight, uncool.” However, a source told Page Six that the Conde Nast executive and the former ‘America’s Next Top Model’ judge made amends before his recent passing. They said: “I do know they did make up, that their relationship was repaired recently — after everything that happened.” In her statement, Anna added: “The loss of Andre is felt by so many of us today: the designers he enthusiastically cheered on every season, and who loved him for it; the generations he inspired to work in the industry, seeing a figure who broke boundaries while never forgetting where he started from; those who knew fashion, and Vogue, simply because of him; and, not forgetting, the multitude of colleagues over the years who were consistently buoyed by every new discovery of Andre’s, which he would discuss loudly, and volubly — no one could make people more excited about the most seemingly insignificant fashion details than him.” View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA Ghislaine Maxwell‘s legal team have reportedly filed for a retrial. Last month, the socialite was found guilty on five out of six sex trafficking-related charges. The 60-year-old’s legal team asked that her conviction be overturned after a juror possibly did not disclose he was sexually abused as a child before the trial, The Sun reported. MEGA In a letter penned by Maxwell’s defense lawyer, Bobbi C. Sternheim, she asked Judge Alison Nathan: “that all submissions pertaining to Juror No. 50 remain under seal until the Court rules on the Motion.” TOP 5 SECRETS & SCANDALS FROM THE GHISLAINE MAXWELL TRIAL: PHOTOS “Today, counsel for Ghislaine Maxwell filed her Motion For A New Trial (the “motion”) and accompanying exhibits under seal,” the letter, which was dated Wednesday, January 19, read. The juror reportedly told Daily Mail he did not reveal his experiences during jury selection because it was not a question on the questionnaire. However, when it was pointed out that it had been asked, he claimed he did not remember it but insisted he answered all the questions “honestly.” The juror, identified as Scotty David, previously said the “verdict is for all the victims,” telling The Independent earlier this month: “For those who testified, for those who came forward and for those who haven’t come forward. I’m glad that Maxwell has been held accountable. This verdict shows that you can be found guilty no matter your status.” Legal experts believe Maxwell will not be guaranteed a new trial. They noted that generally, verdicts are only overturned if a juror has deliberately been dishonest in order to be selected, Reuters reported. As reported by OK!, a legal expert previously speculated that Maxwell could seek a new trial due to the issue with the juror. Former federal New York prosecutor Moira Penza noted at the time that she hoped the juror had fully disclosed the information on his questionnaire, and it was a “little strange the defense didn’t strike him.” VIRGINIA GIUFFRE SPEAKS OUT ABOUT ‘JUSTICE’ OF GHISLAINE MAXWELL GUILTY VERDICT, INSISTS ‘OTHERS MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE’ Maxwell’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June. MEGA Maxwell was found guilty of conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity; transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity; sex trafficking conspiracy and sex trafficking of a minor. The charge she was found not guilty of was enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Cynthia Nixon says they were “very lucky” to be able to leave out Chris Noth’s additional scenes in ‘And Just Like That’. The 67-year-old actor’s alter ego John James ‘Mr Big’ Preston was killed off in the first episode of the ‘Sex and the City’ spin-off, but he had also filmed scenes with on-screen wife Sarah Jessica Parker (Carrie Bradshaw) in Paris, France, to feature in the season finale. However, after the actor was accused of sexual assault by multiple women, insiders told TV Line the cameo footage “will not make it to air” now. Cynthia, who plays Carrie’s friend Miranda Hobbes on the HBO series, told ‘Entertainment Tonight’: “I think we were very lucky that those changes were able to be made and I think we are very proud of our show.” What’s more, following the passing of Willie Garson – who played Carrie’s gay best friend Stanford Blatch – in September, they were able to adapt the story so that his character was on tour around the world. And the 55-year-old actress has explained how they wanted to ensure viewers weren’t “distracted” from the characters. She added: “We just wanted, you know, people to not be distracted or already feel, certainly with the death of Willie Garson, [which is] such a painful thing and already [something] viewers had to contend with. We didn’t want them to be distracted from the fictional characters.” When it comes to another series of ‘And Just Like That’, Cynthia – who got to direct one episode and is an executive producer – insisted she doesn’t have much say in the matter. She said: “Even though I’m an executive producer and I got to direct an episode, I am not a writer. And so, that is one of the great privileges of being a writer, that it’s not my job to figure it out, thank god. “You know, it’s my job to say that doesn’t seem right for my character. But in terms of the amazing writers, we have [been] dreaming things up. They know much better than I do.” View the full article

Jorge Diaz-JohnstonJorge Diaz-Johnston’s Body Found In Landfill Police in Florida are investigating the death of prominent LGBTQ rights activist Jorge Diaz-Johnston as a homicide after his body was discovered in a landfill earlier this month. Diaz-Johnston’s body was found in a Jackson County landfill on Jan. 8, five days after he was last seen alive near his workplace in Tallahassee, FL, roughly 90 miles from where his body was located. His husband, Don Diaz-Johnston, reported him missing one day earlier. A noted member of the state’s LGBTQ community, Diaz-Johnston was a key part of the fight for marriage equality in the state. He and his husband were among six couples that sued Miami-Dade County in 2014 to legalize same-sex marriage. They won the case in 2015 shortly before the U.S. Supreme Court ended bans on same-sex marriage nationwide. A Facebook post from a family friend stated that Diaz-Johnston didn’t have his car at the time that he went missing. Police reports confirmed that his car was stolen and wrecked two weeks before his disappearance. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, Jorge was looking to start a “new chapter” in his life before going missing, including getting a new job and moving into a new residence. Diaz-Johnston’s cause of death remains unknown. The State Medical Examiner’s Office is yet to release his autopsy results publicly and Turner said she could not comment on the cause of death or if law enforcement has focused on a particular suspect due to the ongoing investigation. Jorge Diaz-Johnston: Previously on Towleroad Well-Known Florida Marriage Plaintiff Found Dead In Landfill; Investigations Ongoing To Identify Who Killed Jorge Diaz-Johnston Brian Bell January 19, 2022 Read More Pulse Arsonist Arrested; 2021 Deadliest For Trans People in the US; Chinese LGBTQ Group Shuts Down; World Cup Homophobia: News Roundup Brian Bell November 10, 2021 Read More LGBTQ School News Roundup: Scotland Adds LGBTQ Education; Texas Students Protest Discrimination; Catholic School Rehires Out Coach; Florida School District Investigating Hate Actions Brian Bell September 24, 2021 Read More Senate Votes to Designate Pulse Nightclub a National Memorial; ‘Thank you … For Recognizing Our Hallowed Ground’ Brian Bell June 12, 2021 Read More Ron DeSantis Bans Trans Sports Participation, Vetoes Funds For Pulse Survivor Treatment As Pride Month and 2024 Election Cycle Begins Brian Bell June 4, 2021 Read More U.S. House Approves National Pulse Shooting Memorial Bill, Heads to Senate; ‘We Owe It to Those We Lost’ Brian Bell May 13, 2021 Read More Photo courtesy of Tallahassee Police Department View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected former President Donald Trump’s request to block the release of White House records sought by the Democratic-led congressional panel investigating last year’s deadly attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters. The decision means the documents, held by a federal agency that stores government and historical records, can be disclosed even as litigation over the matter continues in lower courts. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Will Dunham) View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA A new documentary has revealed shocking details about Ghislaine Maxwell's mysterious relationship with Prince Andrew. The new ITV investigative film, Ghislaine, Prince Andrew and the Paedophile, examined the 61-year-old royal's alleged connection to Ghislaine and the Jeffrey Epstein sexual abuse scandal. According to The Sun, the bombshell documentary — which aired Tuesday, January 18 — revealed Ghislaine, 60, was a frequent visitor of Buckingham Palace. Former Palace protection officer Paul Page explained in an interview for the film that he speculated about a possible relationship between the two. MEGA “From the way she was allowed to enter and exit the palace at will, we realized…suspected, that she may have had an intimate relationship with Prince Andrew,” he reportedly told the cameras, adding that another staffer, “remembered her coming in four times in one day, from the morning until the evening.” PRINCE CHARLES & PRINCE WILLIAM WILL BE 'INCREDIBLY ANGRY' AT PRINCE ANDREW IF SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE GOES TO COURT, THE DUKE OF YORK 'CAN'T WIN IN ANY WAY REALLY,' ROYAL COMMENTOR SAYS Euan Rellie, an investment banker who attended the University of Oxford with Ghislaine, also described Andrew as, “[Ghislaine's] friend, not Jeffrey's,” it was reported. MEGA “I got the sense that Prince Andrew and Ghislaine had probably been girlfriend and boyfriend in the past,” Rellie confessed, per the outlet. “They had an easy warmth around each other.” Ghislaine's own brother Ian also spoke in an interview for the doc, spilling that his sister was “good friends” with Andrew because “prince, pauper — it made no difference to her,” he insisted, referring to Mark Twain's novel The Prince and the Pauper about two identical boys born the same day, with one being extremely wealthy and the other being very poor. “She took no s***” from anyone,” Ian reportedly added of his sister. “I think Andrew would have found that rather refreshing.” PRINCE ANDREW'S EX-GIRLFRIEND LADY VICTORIA HERVEY REPORTEDLY BELIEVES GHISLAINE MAXWELL WAS A 'VICTIM' OF JEFFREY EPSTEIN He also shared his opinion on his sister's recent conviction, reportedly calling the decision “just wrong.” Ian went on to back Ghislaine, maintaining: “We believe her, we love her and we hope she will get the justice she definitely deserves.” MEGA As OK! previously reported, Ghislaine was found guilty on five out of six sex trafficking-related charges last month, for which she could face up to 65 years in prison. Meanwhile, the Duke of York was recently stripped of his royal and military titles by The Queen following his sexual assault case filed by one of Jeffrey's former victims, Virginia Giuffre. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jonathan Stempel and Shivam Patel NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York state’s attorney general has accused Donald Trump’s family business of repeatedly misrepresenting the value of its assets to obtain financial benefits, citing what it said was significant new evidence of possible fraud. The accusations by Attorney General Letitia James mark a substantial escalation of her civil probe into the Republican former U.S. president’s business, the Trump Organization, and the roles of his adult children. They are part of her effort to force Donald Trump and his children Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka Trump to comply with her subpoenas to testify under oath, which the family has asked a judge to block. Neither Trump nor his children have been accused of criminal wrongdoing. While James cannot file criminal charges because her probe is civil, she can sue the Trumps and the company. James is examining whether the Trumps violated a New York law targeting “persistent fraud or illegality,” allowing her to seek damages or a court-ordered halt to any wrongdoing. Trump has called the nearly three-year probe by James, a Democrat, a political “witch hunt.” In filings late Tuesday with a New York state court in Manhattan, James described what she called misleading statements about the values of six Trump properties, as well as the “Trump Brand.” The properties are golf clubs in Aberdeen, Scotland, and suburban Westchester County near New York City, the Seven Springs Estate in Westchester, buildings on Wall Street and Park Avenue in Manhattan, and Trump’s penthouse in Trump Tower. James has been investigating whether real estate values were inflated to obtain bank loans and reduced to lower tax bills, and her filing described evidence of misstatements to lenders, insurers and the Internal Revenue Service. The attorney general wants a judge to order the Trumps to testify within 21 days. “We have uncovered significant evidence that suggests Donald J. Trump and the Trump Organization falsely and fraudulently valued multiple assets and misrepresented those values to financial institutions for economic benefit,” James said in a statement. ‘UNFOUNDED ATTACKS’ Alina Habba, a lawyer for Trump, in a statement called James’ accusations “merely the latest in a long line of unfounded attacks against my client and an obvious attempt to distract the public from her own inappropriate conduct. Letitia, you are not above the law.” The Trump Organization in a statement said it will defend against James’ “baseless” accusations, accusing her of twisting the facts and misleading the public because she faces “the stark reality that she has no case.” James’ probe also partially overlaps a criminal probe by the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, which James joined in May, into the Trump Organization’s practices. The attorney general said the Trump Organization has “not made anything approaching a complete production of documents for Mr. Trump,” including from cabinets holding his files. Lawyers for the Trump family have argued that James’ subpoenas are an improper means to gather evidence in the civil probe that could then be used in the criminal probe. Alan Futerfas, a lawyer for Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka Trump, in a statement said James’ filings did not address her “repeated threats to target the Trump family” and ignore their constitutional rights by conducting overlapping probes. In July, the Trump Organization and its longtime Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg pleaded not guilty in the criminal probe to charges they awarded “off-the-books” benefits to company executives in a 15-year tax fraud. FINANCIAL CONDITION Many of James’ accusations center on Donald Trump’s annual “statements of financial condition,” which give lenders and other counterparties the values and liabilities associated with various assets. James said she found evidence that Trump was “personally involved” in approving the statements, and used them “in numerous commercial transactions for his own financial benefit.” She said one statement in June 2015 valued Trump’s building at 40 Wall Street at $735.4 million, tacking on nearly $200 million to its appraised value, a mere eight months after one lender valued the same building at $257 million. James said Trump inflated the values of the Scotland golf club and Seven Springs in part based on assumptions that residential housing could be built there. She also said Trump in his 2015 and 2016 statements overstated the value of his penthouse apartment, putting it at $327 million by claiming it contained 30,000 square feet and not the 10,996 square feet described in various documents he signed. Under questioning by her office, Weisselberg conceded that “this amounted to an overstatement of ‘give or take’ $200 million,” James said in a filing. Last month, Donald Trump sued James in a federal court in Albany, the state capital, to halt her civil probe, calling it a means to harass and intimidate a political opponent. (Reporting by Luc Cohen, Karen Freifeld and Jonathan Stempel in New York; and Shivam Patel and Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Christopher Cushing, Gerry Doyle, Noeleen Walder and Mark Porter) View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Prince Andrew‘s ex-girlfriend is spilling the tea on just how close Jeffrey Epstein allegedly was to Bill Clinton. According to Lady Victoria Hervey, the late convicted sex offender and the former president “were like brothers,” despite the latter claiming he did not have a close relationship with Epstein. Sitting down for a bombshell interview for ITV’s documentary, Ghislaine, Prince Andrew and the Paedophile, the 44-year-old beauty also claimed Epstein and Clinton “loved” hanging around Prince Andrew. Bill Clinton Gets Shout-Out For Riding Jeffrey Epstein’s Alleged Pedophile ‘Lolita Express’ During Ghislaine Maxwell’s Sex Trafficking Trial “Clinton was definitely very close to Jeffrey,” Lady Victoria said. “I don’t know if you saw the paintings that were in Jeffrey Epstein’s house? One of them being a portrait of Bill Clinton wearing the dress that Monica Lewinsky wore when they had the affair.” “So yeah, he was super close to Jeffrey Epstein. They were like brothers, you know, and he was close to Ghislaine as well,” she added. Clinton has always denied he was close with Epstein, despite being photographed with the businessman-turned-sex predator multiple times and even reportedly flying on his private jet. The ex-president also allegedly visited Epstein’s private island in the Virgin Island known as “Pedophile Island.” Epstein’s convicted partner-in-crime Ghislaine Maxwell — who was found guilty of recruiting and grooming underage girls for him to sexually abuse — was also a guest at Chelsea Clinton‘s wedding. Mega But Clinton wasn’t just close with Epstein. Lady Victoria also discussed the former politician’s relationship with her ex. Prince Andrew is currently enthralled in a damning lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre. She claims she was forced to have sex with the royal when she was 17 years old. He is set to face Giuffre in trial later this year. Virginia Giuffre’s Lawyer Plans To Grill Prince Andrew’s Ex-Wife Sarah Ferguson Amid Sexual Assault Battle “Prince Andrew was the son of the queen of England. Americans love that. Jeffery loved that. Bill Clinton loved that,” Lady Victoria responded when the ITV presenter, Ranvir Singh, asked about the threesome’s friendship. Switching gears off Clinton and back to Maxwell, Andrew’s former lover called Epstein and his madam “Batman and Robin.” Mega “Jeffrey was really the frontman and Ghislaine was the accomplice. You know, it was kind of like a Batman and Robin and they were a double act. I don’t think Jeffrey could have done any of it without Ghislaine,” Lady Victoria said. ‘I think he just kind of sat back and sort of waited for her to sort of go fishing and go find however many girls were needed, you know, to entertain his friends. I think I was pretty much used as bait,” she added. “You know, looking back at, you know I was really young and naive, and she’s entertaining these, you know, big businessmen. So I didn’t realize it of course at the time, but looking back…” Maxwell was found guilty on five of 6 counts in connection to recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse. She faces up to 65 years in prison — meaning she could spend the rest of her life behind bars. Her sentencing will come at a later date. View the full article

Published by AFP Water vegetation is seen at the Everglades National Park, Florida on September 30, 2021 Miami (AFP) – The plan to restore the Florida Everglades, the largest wetlands in the United States, will receive a federal investment of $1.1 billion to protect the region against the effects of climate change, the White House said Wednesday. “The Administration is making the largest single investment in the Everglades in US history,” the White House said in a statement. The money, which comes from already approved funds in President Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure package passed by Congress in November, will be spent by the US Army Corps of Engineers. “The iconic American landscape provides drinking water supply for over 8 million Floridians, supports the state’s $90 billion tourism economy, and is home to dozens of endangered or threatened species,” the White House said. The Everglades, a subtropical ecosystem of more than 607,000 hectares (1.5 million acres), is the scene of one of the biggest ecological rehabilitation projects in the world. The area is especially vulnerable to sea level rise, a consequence of climbing temperatures due to climate change, as an influx of saltwater could disrupt groundwater reserves and throw off the balance between the region’s plants and animals. The restoration efforts will try to revive the flow of water across the wetland, which has been interrupted by decades of human development. Scientists envision a complex system of canals, dams and water pumps. Congress in 2000 approved a $7.8 billion federally and state-funded plan to protect the Everglades, a national park, which, despite some advances, faced delay after delay. The money from Wednesday’s announcement could accelerate the project, according to Florida’s Democratic Representative Debbie Wasserman Shultz. “This is enormous news, and allows us to set a course for quicker completion of the world’s largest ecosystem restoration project,” she said in a statement. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Julie Steenhuysen and Manas Mishra (Reuters) – People who had previously been infected with COVID-19 were better protected against the Delta variant than those who were vaccinated alone, suggesting that natural immunity was a more potent shield than vaccines against that variant, California and New York health officials reported on Wednesday. Protection against Delta was highest, however, among people who were both vaccinated and had survived a previous COVID infection, and lowest among those who had never been infected or vaccinated, the study found. Nevertheless, vaccination remains the safest strategy against COVID-19, according to the report published in U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The results do not apply to the Omicron variant of the virus, which now accounts for 99.5% of COVID-19 cases in the United States. “The evidence in this report does not change our vaccination recommendations,” Dr. Ben Silk of the CDC and one of the study’s authors told a media briefing. “We know that vaccination is still the safest way to protect yourself against COVID-19,” he said. For the study, health officials in California and New York gathered data from May through November, which included the period when the Delta variant was dominant. It showed that people who survived a previous infection had lower rates of COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated alone. That represented a change from the period when the Alpha variant was dominant, Silk told the briefing. “Before the Delta variant, COVID-19 vaccination resulted in better protection against a subsequent infection than surviving a previous infection,” he said. In the summer and fall of 2021, however, when Delta became the predominant circulating iteration of the virus in the United States, “surviving a previous infection now provided greater protection against the subsequent infection than vaccination,” he said. But acquiring immunity through natural infection carries significant risks. According to the study, by November 30, 2021, roughly 130,781 residents of California and New York had died from COVID-19. The analysis did not include information on the severity of initial infection, nor does it account for the full range of illness caused by prior infection. One important limitation to the study was that it ended before administration of vaccine booster doses was widespread. Dr. Erica Pan, state epidemiologist for the California Department of Public Health, said in an email that the study “clearly shows” that vaccines provide the safest protection against COVID-19 and they offer added protection for those with prior infections. “Outside of this study, recent data on the highly contagious Omicron variant shows that getting a booster provides significant additional protection against infection, hospitalization and death,” Pan said. Silk said the CDC is studying the impact of vaccination, boosters and prior infection during the Omicron surge and expects to issue further reports when that data becomes available. (Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago and Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Richard Cowan, David Morgan and Moira Warburton WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Conservative Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Manchin on Wednesday said he opposed changing the chamber’s rules to ease passage of a voting-rights bill, all but dooming the measure’s passage in a high-stakes vote later in the day. Manchin took to the Senate floor to reiterate his opposition to changing the filibuster rule on Wednesday, as Republicans prepared to use the 60-vote threshold to block an election reform bill https://news.trust.org/item/20220113182721-f9syv Democrats insist is necessary to preserve the right to vote in the United States. He spoke as President Joe Biden, who has called the bill critical to preserving democracy, was giving his first news conference in months. “Let this change happen in this way the Senate will be a body without rules,” Manchin said. “We don’t have to change the rules to make our case to the American people for voting rights.” Biden told reporters on Wednesday that he had not given up hope of passing the voting-rights bill. “We’ve not run out of options yet,” Biden said. Manchin joined fellow conservative Democrat Kyrsten Sinema in announcing their opposition to the rules change in Senate floor speeches. The Senate was scheduled to hold a procedural vote at about 6:30 p.m. EST (2330 GMT), which will require supermajority support to advance the voting rights legislation toward final passage. If that vote fails, as is widely expected, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said he will move to alter the filibuster https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-senate-democrats-mull-ending-filibuster-pass-voting-rights-reform-2022-01-11 rule by vote. It was unclear when that vote would occur. With the Senate split 50-50, Democrats would need support from all of their caucus members plus a tie-breaking vote from Vice President Kamala Harris to change the chamber’s rules. “If Republicans block … the legislation before us, I will put forward a proposal to change the Senate rules to allow for a talking filibuster,” Schumer said in a floor speech earlier on Wednesday. “There are some in our caucus who believe (the filibuster) helps bring us together. I don’t see that evidence,” Schumer added. Democrats say the bill is crucial to protecting the American political system as Republican-led states pass a wave of new voting restrictions, driven by former President Donald Trump’s false claims of widespread election fraud. Republicans dismiss the bill as a partisan power grab. As Republican after Republican accused Democrats of trying to usurp states’ rights to administer elections, Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock said their arguments “have sounded uncannily familiar” to segregationists’ opposition to civil rights legislation of the 1960s, which ultimately succeeded. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the chamber’s top Republican, warned of a legislative “nuclear winter” if Democrats succeed in upending the 60-vote threshold. But he predicted that a slim majority of lawmakers would preserve the filibuster and turn back what he called a partisan Democratic frenzy. “The fear is false, the rage is misplaced and today factional fevers will not carry the day,” said McConnell, contending that Democrats would pay a political price even for a failed attempt to overturn Senate rules. “For both groups of senators, this group will echo for generations. Before we part ways tonight, all 100 of us will have marked our legacies in permanent ink,” he said. If the week ends in failure for Biden and his fellow Democrats in Congress, attention is expected to turn to a possible bipartisan effort by a small group of moderate senators to fashion narrower election rule changes. Such an effort could include new federal funding to help protect non-partisan state election workers from threats against their safety, which have been mounting since the 2020 presidential election. Also under discussion are ways to tighten the way Congress certifies presidential elections every four years. The battle over voting procedures and campaign finance reform comes against the backdrop of several Republican-controlled state legislatures stripping away some of the get-out-the-vote practices allowed in 2020 while piling on new restrictions. Their efforts have been embraced and encouraged by Trump. More than a year after his November 2020 loss to Democrat Biden, Trump has continually and falsely insisted that the election was stolen from him by widespread voter fraud. That claim has been debunked by multiple court decisions, Trump’s own Justice Department and Republican-instigated investigations. Among the practices Democrats want to turn into minimum federal voting standards are the opportunity for any registered voter to request a mail-in ballot, at least two weeks of early voting and ballot drop boxes that make voting more convenient in many areas. The Democrats’ legislation also would attempt to remove partisanship from the way congressional districts are redrawn every decade. Currently, “gerrymandering” regularly tilts the field to whichever party is in power in the various states. (Reporting by Richard Cowan and David Morgan, additional reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Scott Malone, Leslie Adler, Mark Porter and Aurora Ellis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Alexandra Alper and Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he had underestimated the extent of Republican opposition to his programs and acknowledged Americans’ frustration at the slow pace of COVID-19 testing, but said the United States was on track to meet considerable challenges from the pandemic and inflation. Marking the near one-year anniversary of his presidency, Biden, a Democrat, faced a flurry questions on the country’s bumpy COVID-19 response, relations with Russia and the future of American democracy during a rare formal news conference. Promising to confront what he called the unexpectedly “stalwart” opposition of Republicans, Biden promised to take his case for action directly to voters as Democrats seek to defend their congressional majorities in a Nov. 8 election. “Our work’s not done,” said Biden, whose approval ratings have sagged in recent months with COVID-19 hospitalizations at a record https://graphics.reuters.com/HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/USA-TRENDS/dgkvlgkrkpb/index.html. “Should we have done more testing earlier? Yes,” Biden said. Asked whether he had promised more than he could deliver, Biden was adamant: “I didn’t over-promise.” But he acknowledged that his signature economic and social spending legislation, Build Back Better, was all but dead in its old form. Instead, the president said, he expected that he could get “big chunks” of that bill passed, if not the full package. With much of his domestic agenda stalled, Biden also faced questions on rising tensions with Russia over a military build-up in and around Ukraine. Biden vowed unprecedented sanctions if Russia invades its European neighbor. “Russia will be held accountable if it invades,” Biden said. “They’ll pay a stiff price.” His aides said they envisioned the news conference as an opportunity to frame the president’s approach to his second year and to sell the American people on the accomplishments of the first. A more expansive message will follow when Biden delivers his State of the Union address to Congress on March 1. Four-fifths of qualified Americans have received at least one vaccine shot even as the virus continues to kill https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/countries-and-territories/united-states nearly 2,000 people per day in the United States, and the unemployment rate has dropped amid record job creation. Biden’s fellow Democrats are fighting to retain their control of Congress https://www.reuters.com/world/us/first-months-2022-crucial-biden-agenda-november-midterms-loom-2022-01-10 in the coming elections https://www.reuters.com/world/us/another-midterm-worry-biden-white-house-probes-impeachment-attempts-2022-01-17 amid a flood of Republican-backed state laws that civil rights advocates say could suppress Black and other minority votes. Biden has held nine total news conferences in his first year in office, including six solo, a slower pace than his most recent predecessors, according to the American Presidency Project at University of California, Santa Barbara. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Heather Timmons and Howard Goller) View the full article