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Published by Reuters By Jan Wolfe WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The congressional committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol issued subpoenas on Tuesday to three lawyers who joined former President Donald Trump’s unsuccessful attempt to overturn his election defeat: Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis. The House of Representatives committee demanded the pro-Trump lawyers hand over documents and sit for depositions on Feb. 8. Representative Bennie Thompson, the committee’s chairman, said in a statement that the panel expects the lawyers to join the nearly 400 witnesses who have spoken with the Select Committee as part of its investigation into the causes of the deadly attack by Trump supporters. The committee also subpoenaed Boris Epshteyn, a Trump political adviser. Robert Costello, a lawyer for Giuliani, said in an interview that the subpoena was “political theater” and that his client was constrained by the legal doctrines of attorney-client privilege and executive privilege. “I don’t think there’s anything here he can testify about,” Costello said. Powell, Epshteyn, and Ellis did not immediately respond to requests for comment. “The four individuals we’ve subpoenaed today advanced unsupported theories about election fraud, pushed efforts to overturn the election results, or were in direct contact with the former president about attempts to stop the counting of electoral votes,” Thompson said in the statement. Powell, Giuliani, and Ellis jointly spoke at a Trump campaign news conference on Nov. 19, 2020, where they vowed to overturn President Joe Biden’s election victory. Powell promised to “release the Kraken,” likening their effort to a mythological sea monster. The Trump campaign distanced itself from Powell after she claimed without evidence at the news conference that electronic voting systems had switched millions of ballots from Trump to Biden. Giuliani’s New York law license was suspended in June, after a state appeals court found he made “demonstrably false and misleading” statements that widespread voter fraud undermined the election, won by Democrat Joe Biden. The committee is aiming to release an interim report in the summer and a final report in the fall, a source familiar with the investigation said last month. CNN reported on Tuesday that the committee has subpoenaed and obtained records of phone numbers associated with one of Trump’s children, Eric Trump, as well as Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is engaged to Donald Trump Jr. The Select Committee’s members have said they will consider passing along evidence of criminal conduct by Trump to the U.S. Justice Department. Such a move, known as a criminal referral, would be largely symbolic but would increase the political pressure on Attorney General Merrick Garland to charge the former president. (Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Additional reporting by Karen Freifeld; Editing by Scott Malone, Bill Berkrot and Bernard Orr) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Alistair Smout LONDON (Reuters) – People with mild COVID-19 who do not suffer any other traditional “long COVID” symptoms can still exhibit deteriorated attention and memory six to nine months after infection, a study by Britain’s Oxford University has found. Cognitive issues impacting concentration levels, along with forgetfulness and fatigue, are features of long COVID – a condition that afflicts some after an initial bout of infection – but it has not been established how widespread issues with attention span might be following COVID-19 infection. In the study, participants who had tested positive for COVID-19 previously but did not report other traditional long COVID symptoms were asked to complete exercises to test their memory and cognitive ability. The researchers found that participants were significantly worse at recalling personal experiences, known as episodic memory, up to six months after infection. They also had a bigger decline in their ability to sustain attention over time than uninfected individuals up to nine months after infection. “What is surprising is that although our COVID-19 survivors did not feel any more symptomatic at the time of testing, they showed degraded attention and memory,” said Dr Sijia Zhao of the Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford. “Our findings reveal that people can experience some chronic cognitive consequences for months.” The researchers said that individuals over time demonstrated episodic memory and attention span largely returned to normal after six and nine months, respectively. Participants also performed well in tests of other cognitive abilities, including working memory and planning, in the analysis of 136 participants. Stephen Burgess of the MRC Biostatistics Unit at the University of Cambridge highlighted the small number of people involved in the study, adding that it was not randomised. “However, despite this, differences between the COVID and non-COVID groups in terms of several specific measures of cognitive ability looked at in this study were striking,” he said. “Despite the limitations of non-randomised research, it seems unlikely that these results can be explained by systematic differences between the groups unrelated to COVID infection.” (Reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise) View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Ivanka Trump was recently spotted in Florida with her husband, children, and in-laws seemingly unbothered despite her recent subpoena in connection to an investigation focusing on her father Donald Trump’s business practices. In the photos obtained by Radar, the 40-year-old businesswoman and daughter of the former president was seen soaking up the sun in Miami on Sunday just before leaving the Sunshine State. She was photographed with her controversial husband Jared Kushner, 41, and his parents, as well as their three kids – Arabella, 10, Joseph, 8, and Theodore, 5. mega If Ivanka was upset over her January 3 subpoena in connection to New York Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation into the Trump Organization, it was not visibly clear because she and her family seemed happier than ever on vacation. As Radar previously reported, both Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. were subpoenaed nearly two weeks ago as part of the attorney general’s civil investigation into their father for allegedly manipulating the values of his properties. “These delay tactics will not stop us from following the facts or the law, which is why we will be asking the court to compel Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump to testify with our office under oath,” Attorney General James said in a statement following news of the issued subpoenas. “Our investigation will continue undeterred.” mega But while the investigation is still very much ongoing, Donald, Don Jr. and Ivanka have reportedly not been cooperating fully with the probe, according to The New York Times. “She cannot wear two hats and do a civil investigation and a criminal investigation with the D.A. at the same time,” Ronald P. Fischetti, the Trump attorney, said regarding Letitia James before adding that the AG’s actions are “unprecedented” and the “subpoenas circumvent the rights to grand jury protections we all have.” The latest sighting of Ivanka comes a little more than a month since she was spotted mingling with A-listers like Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Pharrell, and Kid Cudi at Louis Vuitton‘s tribute show to Virgil Abloh on December 1. mega View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Adele is expected to make more than “£500,000 per gig” during her Las Vegas residency. The 33-year-old singer will soon perform at the Colosseum theatre at Caesars Palace, and she’s poised to become one of the highest-paid female artists in the history of Las Vegas residencies. A source shared: “Adele is the hottest ticket in Las Vegas right now and she’s raking in a pretty penny from it. “She is expected to make over £500,000 per gig thanks to ticket sales alone, even before the merchandising.” Adele will earn a cut from ticket sales, as well as a share of all merchandise sold at the venue. The London-born star will also be given access to a £30,000-a-night private suite throughout her residency. The insider told The Sun newspaper: “Caesars has rolled out the red carpet to ensure she’s treated like the superstar she is.” The ‘Easy on Me’ hitmaker – who announced her Las Vegas residency in November – will also have a chauffeur and security throughout her live shows, which run from January 21 until April 16. Adele released her long-awaited fourth album, ’30’, last year, and she admitted that she’s recently rediscovered her love of music, after her passion waned for a period of time. She explained: “I definitely feel like I lost sight of and lost the appreciation of what a gift it is to be into music and be able to make it. “I think I got a bit frightened of it for a while and it really, really took care of me big time. Not just making this record, my own record, but diving back into old records of other people’s that I loved, discovering new artists on SoundCloud or whatever.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The chief executives of major U.S. passenger and cargo carriers on Monday warned of an impending “catastrophic” aviation crisis in less than 36 hours, when AT&T and Verizon are set to deploy new 5G service. The airlines warned the new C-Band 5G service set to begin on Wednesday could render a significant number of widebody aircraft unusable, “could potentially strand tens of thousands of Americans overseas” and cause “chaos” for U.S. flights. “Unless our major hubs are cleared to fly, the vast majority of the traveling and shipping public will essentially be grounded,” wrote the chief executives of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and others in a letter first reported by Reuters. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned that potential interference could affect sensitive airplane instruments such as altimeters and significantly hamper low-visibility operations. “This means that on a day like yesterday, more than 1,100 flights and 100,000 passengers would be subjected to cancellations, diversions or delays,” the letter https://twitter.com/davidshepardson/status/1483148794690740224?s=20 cautioned. Airlines late on Monday were considering whether to begin canceling some international flights that are scheduled to arrive in the United States on Wednesday. “With the proposed restrictions at selected airports, the transportation industry is preparing for some service disruption. We are optimistic that we can work across industries and with government to finalize solutions that safely mitigate as many schedule impacts as possible,” plane maker Boeing said on Monday. Action is urgent, the airlines added in the letter also signed by UPS Airlines, Alaska Air, Atlas Air, JetBlue Airways and FedEx Express. “To be blunt, the nation’s commerce will grind to a halt.” The letter went to White House National Economic Council director Brian Deese, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. Airlines for America, the group that organized the letter, declined to comment. The FAA said it “will continue to ensure that the traveling public is safe as wireless companies deploy 5G. The FAA continues to work with the aviation industry and wireless companies to try to limit 5G-related flight delays and cancellations.” The other government agencies did not comment. ‘INTERVENTION IS NEEDED’ AT&T and Verizon, which won nearly all of the C-Band spectrum in an $80 billion auction last year, on Jan. 3 agreed to buffer zones around 50 airports to reduce interference risks and take other steps to cut potential interference for six months. They also agreed to delay deployment for two weeks until Wednesday, temporarily averting an aviation safety standoff, after previously delaying service by 30 days. Verizon and AT&T declined comment on Monday. They argue C-Band 5G has been successfully deployed in about 40 other countries without aviation interference issues. The CEOs of major airlines and Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun held a lengthy call with Buttigieg and Dickson on Sunday to warn of the looming crisis, officials told Reuters. United Airlines late Monday separately warned the issue could affect more than 15,000 of its flights, 1.25 million passengers and snarl tons of cargo annually. United said it faces “significant restrictions on 787s, 777s, 737s and regional aircraft in major cities like Houston, Newark, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.” The airlines ask “that 5G be implemented everywhere in the country except within the approximate 2 miles (3.2 km) of airport runways” at some key airports. “Immediate intervention is needed to avoid significant operational disruption to air passengers, shippers, supply chain and delivery of needed medical supplies,” they said. The airlines added that flight restrictions will not be limited to poor weather operations. “Multiple modern safety systems on aircraft will be deemed unusable causing a much larger problem than what we knew… Airplane manufacturers have informed us that there are huge swaths of the operating fleet that may need to be indefinitely grounded.” One area of concern is whether some or all Boeing 777s will be unable to land at some key U.S. airports after 5G service starts, as well as some Boeing cargo planes, airline officials told Reuters. The airlines urged action to ensure “5G is deployed except when towers are too close to airport runways until the FAA can determine how that can be safely accomplished without catastrophic disruption.” The FAA said on Sunday it had cleared an estimated 45% of the U.S. commercial airplane fleet to perform low-visibility landings at many airports where 5G C-band will be deployed and they expect to issue more approvals before Wednesday. The airlines noted on Monday that the list did not include many large airports. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Bill Berkrot and Gerry Doyle) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden’s Democrats will bring their push to protect U.S. voting rights to the floor of the Senate this week, where it is roundly expected to fail in the face of united Republican opposition. The vote, which could come in days or weeks, may be the last chance for Biden to secure a new federal law to counter an onslaught of state limits to poll access before Republicans possibly capture one or both houses of Congress in elections in November. As other elements of his domestic agenda stall on Capitol Hill, the Democratic president has called the vote a significant moment for a U.S. democracy facing crisis. If the vote fails, the Senate could agree a narrower compromise over vote counting procedures, as some Republicans say they would like to avoid a repeat of the chaos that followed the 2020 U.S. presidential election. First, the Senate will take up as soon as Tuesday the legislation to expand access to mail-in voting, tighten campaign finance rules, and strengthen federal oversight of elections in states that have a history of racial discrimination. Debate before any vote could be lengthy. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine on Friday noted that the Senate spent several weeks debating the landmark voting rights laws of the 1960s, which were last updated by Congress in 2006. “We may be on this debate for some time,” he told constituents on a Zoom call. Barring an unexpected development, Democrats are headed for defeat. Republicans oppose the package as a partisan effort that would undermine local control of elections, and Democrats lack the support within their own party for a rule change that would allow them to bypass Republican opposition. Democrats argue the legislation, backed by civil rights groups https://www.reuters.com/world/us/family-martin-luther-king-jr-lead-washington-march-voting-rights-2022-01-17, is needed to counter a Republican-led push to make it more difficult to vote at the state level, particularly for Blacks and other minority voters. Those efforts have been underway for more than a decade, but they gained new momentum last year after former President Donald Trump falsely claimed that his 2020 election loss was due to fraud. Lawmakers in 19 states have passed dozens of laws since Trump’s defeat limiting voting times and mail-in ballots and raising voter-ID requirements. In the Senate, Republicans blocked similar legislation three times last year, and are expected to do so again. Democrats control 50 seats in the 100-seat chamber, short of the 60 votes needed to advance most legislation. Biden pressed Democrats last week to waive that supermajority requirement https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-senate-democrats-mull-ending-filibuster-pass-voting-rights-reform-2022-01-11, known as the “filibuster,” for voting-related legislation. But two centrist Democratic senators, Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin, said they would not do so. The two met with Biden Thursday evening to discuss the topic, but have since given no indication that their opinion has shifted. (Reporting by Andy Sullivan; additional reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Heather Timmons and Paul Simao) View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA Prince Andrew‘s ex-girlfriend has shared her thoughts on Ghislaine Maxwell‘s conviction. As previously reported by OK!, the socialite was found guilty on five out of six sex trafficking-related changes last month. The Duke of York’s ex-girlfriend Lady Victoria Hervey spoke about her relationship with Ghislaine on Lorraine on Tuesday, January 18, the Daily Mailreported. MEGA TOP 5 SECRETS & SCANDALS FROM THE GHISLAINE MAXWELL TRIAL: PHOTOS During the appearance, Victoria said that she thinks the socialite is a “victim” of the late Jeffrey Epstein. “She is a scapegoat right now, so unfortunately for her, she is being taken down for what he has done as well. Some might argue is not quite as fair as it could be,” Victoria said, per the outlet. According to Victoria, the 60-year-old became an “accomplice as her role changed in that relationship when they were no longer together.” “She kind of switched sides. I do see her as a victim as well,” Victoria maintained. Victoria said that Jeffrey and Ghislaine were “definitely a double act,” and imagined that “it wouldn’t have worked with him on his own. It was a lot easier for her to approach other women being a female.” PRINCE & THE PAEDOPHILE NEXT DOOR: EXAMINING THE EVIDENCE AGAINST ANDREW… QUESTIONING WHY HAS IT BEEN IGNORED? Victoria explained that she was the “It girl of London” when she was associating with Ghislaine. She added that she was invited to “every dinner event.” Victoria said that while she “had fun at the time,” she felt “used” by Ghislaine and Jeffrey. “I was so naive. People in my situation that were really young, of course we were going to get taken advantage of,” she recalled. She said she was “just a pretty face” to entertain people, but she is aware that she is “one of the lucky ones.” She shared that she did not know anything was wrong when she attended the parties. She said she enjoyed herself at the time, but felt there were video cameras in the apartment where the gatherings took place. “This is in the early 2000s when no one had any idea of what people found out later on but the early 2000s, people wanted Ghislaine and Jeffrey at all their events. They were invited there everywhere,” she said. VIRGINIA GIUFFRE SPEAKS OUT ABOUT ‘JUSTICE’ OF GHISLAINE MAXWELL GUILTY VERDICT, INSISTS ‘OTHERS MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE’ MEGA As for Ghislaine’s trail, Victoria said she followed some of it, but she was disappointed. She said she felt detached from it because it hadn’t been televised. Victoria revealed that Ghislaine never mentioned her friendship with Andrew because she was “quite private about a lot,” but she knew they were friends. Meanwhile, Andrew’s attempt to have Virginia Giuffre‘s sexual assault lawsuit tossed out was rejected. The accused royal will face a civil trial in the U.S. He denied the allegations against him. Queen Elizabeth II stripped her son of his military titles and royal patronages. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Julian Fellowes has hinted that a third ‘Downton Abbey’ film could be made. The hit period drama returns to the big screen with the sequel ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ which is slated for release in March and the show’s creator Julian claims that another movie could follow. The 72-year-old screenwriter told the Radio Times magazine: “We were lucky to reassemble our cast. “I think for them it’s become a sort of club. They say goodbye, everyone cries and two years later, we’re back at it!” Julian added: “I think each time it’s goodbye, but whether it is or not, who knows?” The first ‘Downton Abbey’ film was released in 2019 and proved to be a box office hit and stars Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery and Dame Maggie Smith are all reprising their roles in the latest project. The flick has been filmed at Hampshire’s Highclere Castle last year and was originally scheduled for release, last month before the pandemic led to a delay. It was previously reported that a much-loved character would be killed off in this movie and the scenes would be tear-jerking for fans. The insider added to The Sun newspaper: “Those who have seen the scenes said they are so emotional. “They will really leave fans in floods. It’s heartbreak at Highclere Castle and there won’t be a dry eye in cinemas.” No clues have been given as to who will die, but ‘Downton’ fans could be fearing for Maggie’s Dowager Countess of Grantham. Other characters who could meet their maker include Lord Grantham (Bonneville), Lady Mary Crawley (Dockery) and butler Carson (Jim Carter). View the full article

Published by AFP US gaming giant Activision Blizzard, which faced accusations of discriminating against women, is to merge with Microsoft New York (AFP) – Microsoft announced Tuesday a $69 billion deal to purchase US gaming giant Activision Blizzard, the firm behind hits like “Call of Duty” that has been hit by allegations of sex discrimination against women. “This acquisition will accelerate the growth in Microsoft’s gaming business across mobile, PC, console and cloud and will provide building blocks for the metaverse,” Microsoft said in a statement. Activision, the California-based maker of “Candy Crush” has been hit by employee protests, departures, and a state lawsuit alleging it enabled toxic workplace conditions and sexual harassment against women. Over the past seven months the company has received about 700 reports of employee concerns over sexual assault or harassment or other misconduct, in some cases separate reports about the same incident, The Wall Street Journal has reported. Nearly 20 percent of Activision Blizzard’s 9,500 employees have signed a petition calling for CEO Bobby Kotick to resign. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Prince Andrew used to “shout and scream” if any of his 60 teddy bears were put in the wrong place. The Duke of York is said to have an extensive collection of cuddly toys carefully arranged on a bed and royal staff were even issued a laminated photo of the furry menagerie to ensure they were all put back in the right place after cleaning because the 61-year-old prince would fly into a rage if they weren’t exactly how he liked them. Former protection officer Paul Page – who had access to Andrew’s private quarters when he worked in Royalty and Specialist Protection Command between 1998 and 2004 – told Ranvir Singh on upcoming ITV documentary ‘Ghislaine, Prince Andrew and the Paedophile’: “It had about 50 or 60 stuffed toys positioned on the bed and basically there was a card the inspector showed us in a drawer and it was a picture of these bears all in situ. “The reason for the laminated picture was if those bears weren’t put back in the right order by the maids, he would shout and scream.” Royal writer Elizabeth Day previously recalled coming face-to-face with one of Andrew’s bears and finding his interest “weird”. Writing in 2019 about a meeting a decade before, she said: “I was told to wait in a corridor where my only other companion was an oversized teddy bear squashed into a seat. When I was ushered in to meet Prince Andrew, I asked him about it. He sniggered and told me it had been a wedding gift from his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. “Apparently he had found the bear waiting for him when he got into the horse-drawn carriage that was to take them from Westminster Abbey to their reception. I remember that he found this extremely funny, even several years after the event. “It seemed rather strange to me that a grown man should be so amused by the presence of a stuffed toy, but I suppose the English upper classes have a long history with teddy bears used as transitional objects to express emotions they might feel uncomfortable with. “I wondered if this was someone who had never really grown up because he had never had to. Here he was, taking up space in his mother’s house, carrying out a made-up job to keep him entertained and still having a teddy bear his ex-wife had given him. It was weird.” Last week, it was ruled a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre against the prince can move forward. Giuffre has accused convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein – who took his own life in August 2019 – and his one-time girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell of arranging and forcing her into having sex with the prince in 2001, when she was 17. Andrew has repeatedly denied Giuffre’s allegations and his legal team recently argued to get her lawsuit dismissed, citing a 2009 deal and $500,000 settlement she agreed with Epstein. However, the judge in New York recently ruled that the case could continue. The documentary will explore how Andrew became embroiled in the sex trafficking scandal surrounding Epstein and Maxwell. View the full article

Published by uPolitics.com Michael Avenatti, known for representing adult-film actress Stormy Daniels in her lawsuits against former President Donald Trump, is seeking $94 million from the United States over mistreatment during his time at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Manhattan in 2020. During that time, Avenatti was awaiting his sentencing in an extortion case. Avenatti alleges that his treatment stemmed from being a public opponent of Trump and former Attorney General William Barr and that under the Federal Tort Claims Act, he deserves to be compensated for the emotional and mental distress, degradati… Read More View the full article

Published by AFP Oxfam said the wealth of the world’s 10 richest men jumped from $700 billion to $1.5 trillion during the pandemic Paris (AFP) – The world’s 10 wealthiest men doubled their fortunes during the first two years of the coronavirus pandemic as poverty and inequality soared, a report said on Monday. Oxfam said the men’s wealth jumped from $700 billion to $1.5 trillion, at an average rate of $1.3 billion per day, in a briefing published before a virtual mini-summit of world leaders being held under the auspices of the World Economic Forum. A confederation of charities that focus on alleviating global poverty, Oxfam said the billionaires’ wealth rose more during the pandemic more than it did the previous 14 years, when the world economy was suffering the worst recession since the Wall Street Crash of 1929. It called this inequality “economic violence” and said inequality is contributing to the death of 21,000 people every day due to a lack of access to healthcare, gender-based violence, hunger and climate change. The pandemic has plunged 160 million people into poverty, the charity added, with non-white ethnic minorities and women bearing the brunt of the impact as inequality soared. The report follows a December 2021 study by the group which found that the share of global wealth of the world’s richest people soared at a record pace during the pandemic. Oxfam urged tax reforms to fund worldwide vaccine production as well as healthcare, climate adaptation and gender-based violence reduction to help save lives. The group said it based its wealth calculations on the most up-to-date and comprehensive data sources available, and used the 2021 Billionaires List compiled by the US business magazine Forbes. Forbes listed the world’s 10 richest men as: Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, former Microsoft CEOs Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, former Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, US investor Warren Buffet and the head of the French luxury group LVMH, Bernard Arnault. View the full article

Bradley Cooper daunted by nude scenes….with Toni Colette Published by BANG Showbiz English Bradley Cooper says filming full-frontal nude scenes in ‘Nightmare Alley’ was “pretty heavy”. The 47-year-old actor stars in Guillermo del Toro’s as an ambitious carnival worker and explained how he had to get his kit off on camera in an intimate scene with Toni Collette’s character in a bathtub. Bradley told ‘The Business’: “I remember reading in the script and thinking, he’s a pickled punk in that bathtub and it’s to story. You have to do it. “I can still remember that day just to be naked in front of the crew for six hours, and it was Toni Collette’s first day. It was just like, ‘Whoa’. It was pretty heavy.” Bradley had no qualms about appearing in the nude during the making of the movie as he felt it was “demanded” to make the project a success. The ‘A Star Is Born’ actor said: “The content of what the movie is, what we were exploring, in order to do it in a real way, it demanded that we’d be naked emotionally and soulfully.” Bradley also explained the process of delving deep to give the best possible performance in the flick. He said: “It really is akin to putting on a miner’s kit, hat and flashlight, and looking at each other and then going down in the tunnel, knowing that you may be excavating a route that won’t ever get you to the end that day but you come back up and go down again the next day.” The ‘Hangover’ star previously explained that it was a “unique experience” making the film amid the coronavirus crisis. Bradley said last year: “We have been making ‘Nightmare Alley’ for the last two and a half years. “It was a unique experience, going through the pandemic, taking six months off and revisiting it. We not only became lifelong friends, but it was an artistic experience.” View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] Published by BANG Showbiz English ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos’ has aired a tribute to former host Bob Saget. The ‘Full House’ star was found dead in a hotel room last weekend and the long-running television series – which shows humorous homemade clips that are sent in by viewers – opened the latest episode by paying respects. Current host Alfonso Ribeiro said: “As you’ve heard, the world lost a legend this week. And ‘AFV’ lost a family member. Bob Saget is synonymous with ‘AFV’ to this day. This show wouldn’t have been the same without his unique sense of humour. It’s been my honour to continue carrying the torch Bob so brightly lit. Take a look back at Bob being Bob.” After Alfonso read out the introduction, a video montage showed Bob during his days at the helm of the show, with one highlight the comedian crashed through a set window, and another snippet reminding viewers of the time he presented with a monkey sitting on his shoulder. The montage also showed Tom Bergeron – who was one of Bob’s successors on the programme – interviewing the late star as part of the show’s 20th anniversary celebrations back in 2017. A description of the tribute on YouTube read: “By now, pretty much the world has heard of Bob Saget’s passing Sunday morning. Bob was the backbone of a TV show that has gone onto entertain not only America, but the world.” “Bob made us smile, he made us laugh out loud and, often times, he would make us giggle. A comedy legend. A kind soul. Our dear friend. We will miss you, Bob.” Bob was the original host of the show when it premiered back in 1999 and went on to front the series for eight seasons in total. Bob Saget Dirtiest Joke on Towleroad RIP Unintended Star Of Gay Best-Seller, Pence Eulogizes Pet Rabbit, “We Had Some Wild Times Together”; (Lucky For John Oliver, Parody Bunnies Live Forever) More That Explains the Gaga Dog Kidnapping — Why thieves are snatching French bulldogs across the US More Leah Remini reflects on upbringing in Church of Scientology More No vaccine, no French Open for Djokovic, says French Sports ministry More Rabbi threw chair at Texas synagogue hostage-taker before escaping More Family of Martin Luther King Jr. lead D.C. march for right to vote More Coretta Scott King Origin Story; First Lady of Civil Rights Was A Staunch LGBT Ally; Ms. Magazine Says ‘Her Vision…Was Bolder And More Revolutionary’ More Netflix Cheer Season 2; Dark Docuseries, Tough Competitions; ‘Devastated’ Squad Regroups, 1st Season Fame Complicates; We Say …Bring It On More Big brands call for global pact to cut plastic production More Not All Straight People But … Playboy Mansion Secrets: ‘Drugs And Orgies The Norm’, ‘Not Safe Haven Some Women Thought’; Consent? Not So Much. More Trump rallies faithful at ‘MAGA Woodstock’ More Prince Andrew’s Accuser Virginia Giuffre Wants To Destroy And Leave Him ‘Broke’ After His Lawyer Requests To Interview Her Psychologist More Djokovic flies out of Australia after losing court appeal More Load More View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] Published by AFP The Pence family announced over the weekend that Marlon Bundo — their pet rabbit seen here in May 2017, when Mike Pence was US vice president — had died Washington (AFP) – The family of former US vice president Mike Pence has announced the death of Marlon Bundo, their pet rabbit who starred in a children’s book series by the second family as well as a parody version supporting gay rights. The rabbit, whose name is a pun on actor “Marlon Brando,” lived with the Pence family at the vice president’s official residence in Washington, and was a frequent guest at events for children. “God brought you to us right when we needed you most,” said Pence’s daughter, Charlotte Pence Bond, who authored the series of children’s books told from Bundo’s point of view, in a Twitter post Saturday. “We had some wild times together and I’m forever grateful. Rest in sweet peace, little bunny.” When the first Bundo book was released, British-American comedian John Oliver announced his TV show would publish an alternate version, in which the male bunny falls in love with another male bunny. Sales of the book, which was meant to highlight Mike Pence’s opposition to homosexuality, quickly outpaced the original, and at one point held the number one spot on Amazon. Pence, a conservative Christian, was staunchly opposed to same-sex marriage and opposed LGBTQ-rights legislation while governor of Indiana. Proceeds from both versions of the book went to charity, with the HBO host choosing LGBTQ-focused non-profits. Pence’s daughter, who had originally bought the bunny for a student film, took the jab in stride. “The only thing better than one bunny book for charity is… TWO bunny books for charity,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. View the full article

Published by AFP French bulldogs like Magnolia — seen here sporting a tiny Chanel bag during New York Fashion Week in February 2021 — have become a favored target of thieves, some of them violent Washington (AFP) – The two thieves who brutally robbed 27-year-old Marieke Bayens at gunpoint on a California street were not after her purse — or her. They wanted the little dog at the end of her leash: Merlyn, a French bulldog. From New York to Los Angeles, and from Miami to Chicago, thefts of the prized breed have been on the rise. Small and friendly — and thus easy to grab — French bulldogs are hugely popular, selling for thousands of dollars on the black market. They have the added draw of being a “dog of the stars.” The most famous victim so far has been Lady Gaga. Armed men last year stole her pet bulldogs Koji and Gustav, even opening fire on an employee who was walking them (he was wounded but survived). The superstar singer offered a $500,000 reward for their return and eventually got the dogs back. Police made five arrests in the case. Bayens survived a similarly traumatic attack in November while walking Merlyn, a friend’s dog, in the California city of Oakland. The brazen attack occurred in broad daylight. “I was waiting for Merlyn to go about his business when I saw two people coming,” she told AFP. “Before I knew it, one was in front of me pointing a gun at my face and said, ‘Give me the dog.’ “The other had already grabbed Merlyn off the ground, and when I didn’t respond to the one pointing the gun, the other pulled the rest of Merlyn’s leash out from my hand. They ran away towards their car and sped away down a street,” going the wrong way on a one-way street, she said. Bulldog thefts elsewhere in the country have been carried out with similar cold-blooded tactics. Last year, people in San Francisco heard the distressing story of 30-something Sarah Vorhaus, who was stopped by three armed men — and brutally beaten by one — before they made off with her five-month-old French bulldog Chloe. Pictures on social media showed the young woman with a badly swollen face. Tempting target So why are French bulldogs quite such a tempting target for thieves? Two key reasons: their high resale value — $3,500 to $5,000 or more — and their relative rarity, Brandi Hunter Munden, vice president of the American Kennel Club, told AFP. “This is not a breed that has large litters… and it can take a while to get one,” she said. “Their rise in popularity has led to an increase in thefts. “The use of violence, however, is new and alarming.” In the face of the spate of “dognappings,” experts offer a list of precautions for owners: have a computer chip implanted in the pet to allow tracing; always keep it on a leash when outdoors (and seal any dog door that allows it to leave home unescorted); keep its identity papers in a safe place; use a GPS-equipped collar; and be wary of strangers who come knocking. But the most crucial recommendation — and the one probably least observed — involves social media: owners are strongly urged to resist the temptation of posting cute photos or videos of their pets, which may allow thieves to locate them. Countless celebrities — actors, athletes, musicians, models and influencers — have ignored that rule. They include stars like Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Jackman, Chrissy Teigen, Leonardo DiCaprio, Madonna, Snoop Dogg, Michael Phelps and Hilary Duff. So it’s not surprising that Hollywood has become a hotspot of French-bulldog thievery. In late December, one resident nearly lost his life in an incident near Sunset Boulevard. Robert Marinelli was walking Luca, his eight-year-old bulldog, when he was attacked. Two thieves beat him brutally, and when his shirt was caught in their car door, he was dragged briefly on the ground. He suffered extensive injuries and was hospitalized. View the full article