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Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Insurance companies will be required to cover eight over-the-counter at-home coronavirus tests per person each month starting Saturday, the Biden administration said, expanding access to highly sought-after kits as Americans grapple with a surge in coronavirus cases. The White House also said on Monday that there is no limit to the number of COVID-19 tests, including at-home tests, that insurers must cover if they are ordered or administered by a health care provider. The measures are part of a bid by President Joe Biden to make testing more widely available to Americans facing soaring coronavirus cases due to the highly infectious Omicron variant. In a speech in December, Biden outlined plans to distribute 500 million at-home coronavirus test kits and stand up new federal testing sites, adding to the 20,000 already in existence. However, experts decried the announcement as “too little too late” amid testing shortages nationwide. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday that Americans should be able to order the tests online later this month, noting that all contracts for 500 million rapid tests should be awarded over the next two weeks. The first two were signed last week, with two more announced on Monday. Under the insurer coverage plan announced Monday, the administration said that insurers are still required to reimburse tests purchased by consumers outside of their network, at a rate of up to $12 per individual test. It was not immediately clear what incentives were offered to insurers to agree to the plan. The Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Monday, the Defense Department said it had awarded contracts to Atlantic Trading, LLC, of Austin, Texas, and Medea Inc. of Pleasanton, California, for a combined total of 27 million at-home test kits. The contract awards bring the total of test kits ordered to over 50 million, a White House official said. (Reporting by Eric Beech, Alexandra Alper and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Chris Reese and Cynthia Osterman) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Daniel Trotta and Tyler Clifford (Reuters) – Robert Durst, the multimillionaire real estate heir who was serving a life sentence for murder in California and was the prime suspect in two other murders over the past four decades, died in prison at age 78, his lawyer’s office said on Monday. The law office of Chip Lewis told Reuters he died of natural causes, while Lewis told the New York Times that Durst went into cardiac arrest and died at the San Joaquin General Hospital, where he had been taken for testing. Durst had once been groomed to take over The Durst Organization, one of New York City’s premier real estate companies, but instead spent many of his formative years evading law enforcement and the last several years of life in jail. Durst mostly stayed one step ahead of the law until he told on himself during the making of the 2015 HBO documentary series “The Jinx,” in which Durst was caught on a hot microphone saying to himself, “What the hell did I do? … Killed them all, of course.” Durst was arrested just before the final episode aired. His wife Kathleen McCormack Durst went missing in New York in 1982, but no charges were filed until after a Los Angeles County in September found Durst guilty of murdering his best friend Susan Berman in 2000. Prosecutors said Berman was about to reveal she helped Durst create a cover story about his wife’s disappearance. In New York, after the Los Angeles trial ended, a Westchester County grand jury indicted him for his wife’s murder. Prosecutors also said Durst killed his neighbor Morris Black in Galveston, Texas, in 2001 because Black discovered his identity at a time when Durst was hiding from the law, sometimes disguising himself as a mute woman. A Galveston jury acquitted Durst, who argued self-defense, even though Durst also admitted to dismembering Black’s body. Durst listed his many health problems on the witness stand including surgeries for esophageal and bladder cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, neuropathy, chronic kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. A shunt relieved pressure on his brain. Shortly after his Los Angeles sentencing, his lawyer disclosed he had also contracted COVID-19. Los Angeles County prosecutor John Lewin, who had pursued Durst for years, credited “The Jinx” filmmakers Andrew Jarecki and Marc Smerling for their revealing interviews with Durst, telling reporters after the verdict: “Without them having conducted the interviews, we wouldn’t be where we are.” Durst’s story was also depicted in the 2010 film “All Good Things,” starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Jarecki. Durst is the grandson of Joseph Durst and son of Seymour Durst, who built The Durst Organization into one of New York City’s premier real estate companies and developed some of Manhattan’s signature skyscrapers. Robert Durst long ago left the company, now run by his estranged brother Douglas Durst, who testified at trial and said of his sibling: “He’d like to murder me.” (Reporting by Daniel Trotta and Tyler Clifford; Editing by Susan Heavey and Howard Goller) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Cassandra Peterson claims she lost 11,000 followers after coming out last year. The ‘Elvira: Mistress of the Dark’ star revealed in September she had been in a relationship with fitness trainer Teresa ‘T’ Wierson for 19 years and she’s now revealed her decision to speak publicly about her decision drove away many of her “old men” fans. Speaking on David Yontef’s ‘Behind the Velvet Rope’ podcast, she said: “I knew that there were going to be some horny old men out there who were just not going to like the fact that they didn’t have a chance with me anymore. And I hate to tell them they already didn’t have a chance with me anyway.” The 70-year-old actress – who gained 60,000 new followers after speaking out – admitted her revelation came as a shock to a lot of people. She said: “[It] flipped everybody out. Nobody was ready for that. People just said, ‘Elvira, you lied to me. I don’t respect you anymore. Goodbye.’ “ Cassandra previously admitted it had been a “little scary” but “very liberating and a real relief” to open up about her relationship and sexuality, and she praised the LGBTQ community for being “so supportive and sweet”. She said: “It’s been fantastic. Everybody is happy and thrilled about it. “I felt the strangest and most worried about my LGBTQ fans because I was thinking, ‘Are they going to think I’m a big hypocrite?’ And that I talk about coming out, being who you are, and then I’m hiding this gigantic secret.” Cassandra opened up about her relationship with Teresa in her memoir ‘Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark’, explaining how they had met at Gold’s Gym in Hollywood – but she thought she was a man at first. She wrote: “I couldn’t help noticing one particular trainer, tan, tattooed, and muscular, stalking across the gym floor, knit cap pulled so low over his long brown hair that it nearly covered his eyes. “Dark and brooding, he gave off such intense energy that when he crossed the enormous gym floor, the waters parted and people stopped in their tracks to stare. “A typical sexy bad boy, he was unaware he was so charismatic that he garnered his own unofficial fan club.” The “bad boy” turned out to be Teresa. Cassandra was married to her manager, Mark Pierson, at the time, but they later split. It wasn’t until later when Teresa became Cassandra’s trainer and the two developed a friendship, which eventually turned romantic. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden will travel to Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthplace of Atlanta on Tuesday to jump-start efforts to reform U.S. voting rights after some states passed new laws that activists say will deter Black voters from the polls. Biden, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, will speak at Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College, two historically Black schools, as Democrats gird themselves https://www.reuters.com/world/us/first-months-2022-crucial-biden-agenda-november-midterms-loom-2022-01-10 for tough 2022 congressional elections that could strip them of their majority and the chance to change federal voting laws. The speech will be Biden’s second in as many weeks warning about the health of democracy in the United States. On Jan. 6, he targeted https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-call-trump-threat-democracy-us-capitol-attack-anniversary-2022-01-06 former President Donald Trump’s “web of lies” about the 2020 election, blaming his Republican predecessor for the deadly attacks on the U.S. Capitol a year before. Trump continues to say that the 2020 election was stolen by Biden’s Democrats through voter fraud, despite recounts and investigations that found no evidence of the claim. Since then, Republican lawmakers in 19 states have passed dozens of laws https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republicans-erect-voting-barriers-politically-crucial-us-states-2021-06-16 making it harder to vote. Critics say these measures disproportionately affect minorities. Biden wants to build public support for proposed reforms to strengthen voting rights, particularly the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Both have so far withered under opposition from Republicans, who argue they would impose questionable national standards on local elections. “The next few days, when these bills come to a vote, will mark a turning point in this nation,” Biden plans to say Tuesday, according to excerpted remarks provided by the White House. “Will we choose democracy over autocracy, light over shadow, justice over injustice? I know where I stand. I will not yield. I will not flinch. I will defend your right to vote and our democracy against all enemies foreign and domestic. And so the question is where will the institution of United States Senate stand?” Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday: “Leading Democrats say they want to break the Senate because of a sinister anti-voting plot that is sweeping America. Of course this is totally fake. It does not exist.” Biden will be joined in Atlanta by Bernice King and Martin Luther King III, two of the slain civil rights leader’s children, as well as top civil rights activists, including Reverend Jesse Jackson, Reverend Al Sharpton, NAACP President Derrick Johnson and National Urban League President Marc Morial. But some advocacy groups have been frustrated with a lack of progress and will boycott https://www.reuters.com/world/us/some-black-hispanic-voting-rights-groups-boycott-bidens-atlanta-speech-2022-01-10 the president’s visit. “We, along with other Georgia-based groups, told the president this is not the time and that we don’t need a photo op,” said April England-Albright, legal director for Black Voters Matter in Atlanta. “There has not been any real movement around voting rights legislation.” Notably absent will be Stacey Abrams, a former Georgia lawmaker and voting rights activist who is seeking the Democratic nomination in Georgia’s governor’s race this year. Representatives for Abrams could not be immediately reached for comment, although she backed Biden’s efforts in a post on Twitter on Monday. “The fight for voting rights takes persistence,” wrote Abrams, who narrowly lost the 2018 gubernatorial election. “Thank you, @POTUS, for refusing to relent until the work is finished. Welcome back to Georgia where we get good done.” ‘NATIONAL IMPERATIVE’ Georgia was a battleground state in the 2020 election, and Democrats won two crucial U.S. Senate seats in runoff contests in January 2021 that gave them effective control of the chamber. Later in the year, the Republican-led state legislature approved sweeping voting restrictions https://www.reuters.com/world/us/big-changes-under-georgias-new-election-law-2021-06-14. The U.S. Justice Department sued, saying the law infringes the rights https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-sue-georgia-over-restrictive-new-state-voting-law-source-2021-06-25 of Black voters. King, who agitated for voting reforms and civil rights in the then-segregated South, was assassinated in 1968 and is remembered with a national U.S. holiday that will fall on Jan. 17 this year. Democrats have set the holiday as a deadline for action on voting rights. Biden, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other top Democrats have for months been honing a strategy to pass bills that would expand early voting and strengthen federal oversight in states with a history of racial discrimination at the polls, according to people familiar with the matter. Biden and Democrats “believe that passing federal legislation is a national imperative,” a White House official said. The president will support changing filibuster https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-biden-filibuster-idUSKBN2JK1L8 rules https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-is-us-senate-filibuster-why-is-everyone-talking-about-it-2021-10-06 that currently require 60 senators to support most legislation, the White House has said, but those changes do not have the support of all Democratic lawmakers. Amid the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, McConnell this month signaled interest in changing the Electoral Count Act, an 1887 law that allows members of Congress to dispute presidential election results. But Democrats have said such reforms do not ensure voting rights. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Additional reporting by Merdie Nzanga, Richard Cowan and Susan Heavey; Editing by Heather Timmons, Cynthia Osterman and Paul Simao) View the full article

Published by NJ.com The right for gay couples to get married in New Jersey is now officially enshrined in state law. Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday he signed a bill into law that codifies marriage equality in the state amid concerns the ability for gay couples to wed could be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. “Despite the progress we have made as a country, there is still much work to be done to protect the LGBTQ+ community from intolerance and injustice,” Murphy said in a statement. “New Jersey is stronger and fairer when every member of our LGBTQ+ family is valued and given equal protection under the law… Read More View the full article

Terri White (middle)“Queer Eye” Subject Faces Homophobia, Racism Allegations A Gawker report recently resurfaced a range of Yelp, TripAdvisor and Google Reviews with accusations that the family-owned business where “Queer Eye” subject Terri White gave dance lessons was rife with racial slurs, inappropriate groping, and a less than serious take on the severity of sexual assault during dance lessons. In 2016, Annetta White, Terri’s mother and co-owner of the Austin-based Broken Spoke bar, threatened to kick two women out after seeing them kiss at the bar. Annetta’s late husband James White said at the time that they did not allow public displays of affection at bar regardless of sexual orientation. Reviews published by Gawker claim tat straight couples “grinding and kissing” at the bar can “have at it.” “I think it’s more the homophobia than the racism. At least that’s what I’ve observed,” an Austin local who has interacted with the White family for two decades told The Daily Beast. “People will tell little jokes and it’s a little racist, but not over the top, you know, it’s enough to have plausible deniability. But the homophobia – they will straight up tap somebody on the shoulder and tell them they can’t do that, if it’s like two women dancing or if they’re sitting too close.” Queer Eye Subject Has Mixed RecordGender-diverse writer Karla Margeson experienced White’s teaching style firsthand while attending a lesson with White in 2020. “At one point she actually yelled in the microphone, ‘Her next tattoo should be “loser” across her forehead because she’s so bad at this,'” Margeson told The Daily Beast. “It was hard for me to root for her because I just know her to be so abusive to people who are vulnerable and excited, which in my mind there’s no excuse for that,” she said after viewing White’s episode of “Queer Eye.” Neither Netflix or the Queer Eye stars have returned requests by Gawker for comment regarding the vetting process for the show or White’s participation. Trans Texas Prisoner Challenges For Gender-Affirming Surgery Christina Iglesias, a trans woman currently incarcerated in Texas, could become the first person to receive gender-affirming surgery while detained in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Nancy Rosenstengal opened the door for Iglesias with a Dec. 27 decision that stated that the Texas Bureau of Prisons’ Transgender Executive Council (TEC) must evaluate Iglesias for receiving gender-affirming surgery by Jan. 24. Iglesias must get approval from both the TEC and the Bureau of Prisons’ medical director in order to move forward. If approval is granted, the bureau is required to begin planning for her surgery and care. Multiple incarcerated trans people have received approval for gender-affirming surgeries in state prisons, but Iglesias would be the first to do so in the federal prison system. Iglesias argued that denying her necessary gender-affirming care constituted “cruel and unusual punishment,” classifying it as a violation of her eighth amendment rights. “I am happy to have had the chance to tell my story and am hopeful that other transgender people will benefit from my case,” Iglesias told the Dallas Morning News following the decision. The decision marks another step in Iglesias’ quest for gender-affirming treatment and care during her 27 years in prison. Though she identified as a woman when jailed in 1994, Iglesias wasn’t moved to a women’s facility until May 2021. According to the ACLU of Indiana, who filed suit against the Texas bureau on Iglesias’ behalf, moving her to a facility that aligned with her gender only came after “experiencing severe physical and sexual violence.” “For years, Christina has suffered greatly from the denial of appropriate healthcare and the constant threats to her life while in BOP detention,” said the ACLU of Indiana’s John Knight in a statement. “Christina has fought for years to get the treatment the Constitution requires. The Court’s order removes the unnecessary hurdles and delays BOP has repeatedly constructed to prevent her from getting the care that she urgently needs.” Knight is hopeful that Iglesias’ case will help set precedent for “the many other transgender people in BOP’s custody who have also been denied surgery and other much-needed gender-affirming care.” Queer Eye: Previously on Towleroad Judge Rules Denying Inmate Gender Affirming Care is ‘Cruel and Unusual Punishment’; Queer Eye Subject Accused Of Homophobia, Racism; Brian Bell January 10, 2022 Read More Queen Honors Olympian Tom Daley for His Athletics and Advocacy; Diver, Knitting Entrepreneur Now ‘Officer of the Order of the British Empire’ Brian Bell January 4, 2022 Read More Stonewall UK Critic Joins Equality Commission; Quidditch Renaming After J.K. Rowling’s Transphobia; Chile Elects Pro-LGBTQ President Brian Bell December 21, 2021 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 Texas Trans Ban Is Law; Isiah Brown Sues for $24 Million; Twitter Suspends And Liz Cheney Busts Rep Jim Banks For Different Violations Brian Bell October 26, 2021 Read More Biden Recognizes National Coming Out Day, Condemns Against Anti-LGBTQ Bills and Again Calls For Passing Equality Act Brian Bell October 11, 2021 Read More Photo courtesy of Ilana Panich-Linsman/Netflix View the full article

Vancouver PrideCanada’s Conversion therapy Ban Goes Into Effect The Canada conversion therapy ban went into effect on Friday, making the practice a punishable offense. The ban, passed last year, classifies practicing conversion therapy as punishable by up to five years in prison regardless of the age or consent of those being subjected to the practice. Simply promoting or profiting from the practice carries a prison sentence of up to two years. The development makes Canada the fourth nation to ban the anti-LGBTQ practice, joining Brazil, Ecuador and Malta. practicing conversion therapy [in Canada] as punishable by up to five years in prison regardless of the age or consent of those being subjected to the practice. According to CTV News, The Canadian government called the new statute is “among the most comprehensive” in the world. A number of proposals to ban conversion therapy, including laws in 20 U.S. states and 100 U.S. cities, have only classified subjecting minors to the practice as a criminal offense. Washington, D.C. is the only American jurisdiction where subjecting adults to conversion therapy is banned. “Our government’s legislation has come into force – which means it is now illegal to promote, advertise, benefit from or subject someone to this hateful and harmful practice. LGBTQ2 rights are human rights,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Twitter. “This is a victory for Canada’s LGBTQ2 community and our entire country,” added Canadian MP David Lametti. “We are stronger when everyone can be who they are and love freely without fear.” Study Launched On Risk Of Blood Donation by Gay Men Blood donation non-profit Vitalant is partnering with OneBlood and the American Red Cross to gather and analyze data to determine the actual risk of blood donated by sexually active gay men. Dubbed the “ADVANCE Study,” the analysis will look at blood samples and survey answers provided by volunteers in hopes it will remove some limitations on the blanket banning of gay male blood donation. The blanket policy dates back to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Gay men were prohibited from donating blood for decades until the ban was revised to allow gay men who hadn’t engaged in sexual activity for one year to donate blood in 2015. That deferral period was reduced to three months in 2020, but blood donation organizations’ policies still applied simply on the basis of sexual orientation and base level sexual activity. “I think we understand a lot more about HIV and we don’t have to use those kinds of blanket deferrals in the future,” Dr. Brian Custer, Vitalant vice president of research told San Francisco local news outlet KPIX. “Maybe, one day, it will be eliminated altogether and the ADVANCE study is kind of the first step,” added Vitalant spokesperson Kevin Adler. [This post contains video, click to play] European Court Declines Religious Cake Refusal Case on Technical Basis The European Court of Human Rights turned down hearing a case out of Northern Ireland Thursday that challenged a Christian baker’s refusal to make a cake supporting gay marriage. The case dates back to 2014 when activist Gareth Lee asked Belfast bakery Ashers Baking Co. to make a cake showing “Sesame Street” characters Bert and Ernie and the phrase “Support Gay Marriage.” Bakery owners Amy and Daniel McArthur refused to make the cake, citing doing so would go against their religious beliefs. The Court deemed the case “inadmissible” because Lee “failed to exhaust domestic remedies” to settle the dispute. The decision was determined based on the fact that Lee hadn’t filed a challenge to a 2018 U.K. Supreme Court decision in the McArthurs’ favor in U.K. courts. Lee filed his complaint with the European Court claiming the Supreme Court’s ruling was counter to the European Convention of Civil Rights. The ruling drew frustration from Lee and other U.K.-based LGBTQ advocacy groups. “When a commercial business is providing services to the public, they cannot discriminate against their customers or clients on any grounds protected by equality law,” Rainbow Project director John O’Doherty told NBC News. O’Doherty stated that the 2018 ruling created legal uncertainty and “with today’s decision, that uncertainty will remain.” Canada Conversion Therapy: Previously on Towleroad Canada Conversion Therapy Ban Goes Into Effect; European Court Declines Gay Marriage Cake Case; New Study on Blood Donations By Gay Men Underway: NEWS Brian Bell January 10, 2022 Read More Repeated Misgendering Of Employees On Purpose is a Human Rights Violation in Canada. ‘Like a Name, Pronouns are… part of a Person’s Identity’ Brian Bell October 5, 2021 Read More Canada Transgender Pastor Sues Former Church For Being Fired After Coming Out During Pride Month Sermon Brian Bell August 12, 2021 Read More Soccer Star Quinn is First Out Trans Nonbinary Olympic Gold Medalist as Canada Tops Sweden in 3-2 Shootout Brian Bell August 6, 2021 Read More U.S. Extends Severe Travel Restrictions On Land Border Crossings to Canada, Mexico Through Aug. 21 Towleroad July 22, 2021 Read More Meet Your New ‘Canada’s Drag Race’ Queen [FINALE RECAP] Bobby Hankinson September 23, 2020 Read More Photo courtesy of vl04/Creative Commons View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jennifer Hudson would “love” to have her own talk show. The 40-year-old singer-and-actress – who shot to fame when she competed on ‘American Idol’ back in 2004 – was reportedly pitching a daytime chat show to television stations in 2021 and would jump at the chance to front one because she “loves talking.” She said: “I would love to do a talk show. That would be a whole new interesting world to walk into. I do love talking as you could probably already tell, and I love to Jennifer-ise people. So maybe I will make it into your living room, 2022 is definitely going to let us know for sure.” The ‘Cats’ star – who heads up her own company, Jhud Productions – claimed there is “always a plan” behind the scenes and told fans that they will always see her “try to grow” throughout her career. She added: “Here at Jhud Productions, we always got a plan. And we never stop working and, as I always say, you will always see me try and grow so there’s always a plan, I can tell you that much.” The ‘Dreamgirls’ actress had reportedly been negotiating a deal with Warner Bros television to launch her own show, the same company behind ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’, which is due to come to an end after almost two decades and even shot a pilot on the same stage used by the 63-year-old comedienne. Upon quitting her flagship talk show, Ellen told The Hollywood Reporter: “It’s going to be really hard on the last day, but I also know it’s time. When you’re a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged – and as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it’s just not a challenge anymore. I need something new to challenge me.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Mj Rodriguez has become the first black transgender woman in history to win a Golden Globe. The 31-year-old actress was named Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista in the hit FX show ‘Pose’, which centres on the drag culture of the 1980s. Reacting on Instagram, Mj wrote: “OMG OMGGG!!!! @goldenglobes Wow! You talking about sickening birthday present! Thank you! This is the door that is going to Open the door for many more young talented individuals. They will see that it is more than possible. (sic)” The star – who had celebrated her 31st birthday just two days before her win – added how the “door is now open” for fellow LGBTQAI talent to “reach the stars.” She added: “They will see that a young Black Latina girl from Newark New Jersey who had a dream, to change the minds others would WITH LOVE. LOVE WINS. To my young LGBTQAI babies WE ARE HERE the door is now open now reach the stars!!!!! @goldenglobes.” Mj concluded her statement by speaking out about her fellow nominees, which included the likes of Uzo Adaubo for ‘In Treatment’ and Jennifer Aniston for her role in ‘The Morning Show’. She wrote: “To the nominees we are Queens. I’m so happy to share space with you! Each and every last one of you women are phenomenal.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Dark Western “The Power of the Dog” and a remake of “West Side Story” won the biggest awards on Sunday at a diminished Golden Globes ceremony held privately without the usual glitzy lineup of Hollywood’s top television and movie stars. Actors, directors and film studios largely ignored the Globes this year after criticism in 2021 that its organizers, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), operated with questionable ethics policies and no Black members https://www.reuters.com/article/us-awards-goldenglobes-diversity-idUSKBN2AR01A. Longtime broadcaster NBC opted not to air this year’s awards. The HFPA, which has expanded and diversified its membership https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/golden-globes-group-adds-new-members-it-works-diversify-2021-10-01 and overhauled its practices, announced its picks at a Beverly Hills ceremony held behind closed doors. Recipients of HFPA philanthropic grants sat in the audience and announced winners. Honorees were revealed via social media and a live blog. Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” a tale of young love set among rival street gangs, was named best musical or comedy film. Released by Walt Disney Co, the film earned three trophies overall, including best actress for Rachel Zegler. Netflix’s “The Power of the Dog” also won three awards including best director for Jane Campion. Other acting honors went to Will Smith for playing the determined father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams in “King Richard” and Nicole Kidman for her role as Lucille Ball in “Being the Ricardos.” “Thank you for the acknowledgement!” Kidman, one of few winners to acknowledge their award, wrote on Instagram. “Lucille, this is for you and all the other incredible women nominated.” Andrew Garfield won a best actor award for his role as playwright Jonathan Larson in musical “Tick, Tick… Boom!” For television, cutthroat corporate family saga “Succession” received the best drama award and “Hacks,” about a fading female comedian, was crowned best comedy. Netflix led all studios with four film awards. HBO and HBO Max landed the most television honors, with six. ‘JOURNEY OF CHANGE’ Mj Rodriguez, was named best TV drama actress for “Pose”. It was the first Golden Globe given to a transgender actress. “Wow! … Thank you!” she wrote on Instagram. “This is the door that is going to open the door for many more young talented individuals.” “West Side Story” stars Zegler and Ariana DeBose, who won best supporting actress, also acknowledged their wins. “There is still work to be done, but when you’ve worked so hard on a project- infused with blood, sweat, tears and love- having the work seen and acknowledged is always going to be special. Thank you,” DeBose tweeted. The Globes normally draw millions of TV viewers to a celebrity-filled red carpet and champagne-fueled dinner that makes for a glamorous yet informal contrast to the Academy Awards, the industry’s highest film honors. In the past, winning a Globe provided a boost to movies making a run for the Oscars. This year, the significance is less clear. Awards watchers will follow closely other upcoming award ceremonies like the Screen Actors Guild and Producers Guild of America ahead of the March 27 Oscars. Critics had objected to the HFPA not having any Black members and raised questions over whether close relationships with Hollywood studios influenced the selection of nominees and winners. In May, Tom Cruise returned the three Golden Globe statuettes he had won. The HFPA responded https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/golden-globes-group-adds-new-members-it-works-diversify-2021-10-01 by adding 21 new members, six of whom are Black, banning gifts and favors, and implementing diversity and sexual harassment training. The group now has 105 members and plans to expand this year. “We are on a journey of change and we’re not going to rest,” HFPA President Helen Hoehne said in a statement. At the ceremony, the HFPA played videos of support from actors Jamie Lee Curtis, who praised the group’s charitable work, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who said winning a Golden Globe in 1977 helped launch his career. “They understand that to support the arts and creativity, one must cultivate new, original and diverse voices,” he said of the HFPA. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Additional reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Christopher Cushing, Karishma Singh and Gerry Doyle) View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA It seems that at least one celeb was involved with the Golden Globes this year. Not only was there no audience or nominees present at the award ceremony this year, but it was not broadcast either. Only “select members and grantees” were in attendance, as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, People reported. After the Los Angeles Times reported that there were no Black members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) — who are a group of international journalists who determine the nominees and winners of the Golden Globe Awards, NBC revealed that it would not broadcast the 2022 show. Jamie Lee Curtis appeared virtually at the show. MEGA TOM CRUISE RETURNS GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS AS HFPA CONTROVERSY RAGES ON FOR LACK OF DIVERSE INCLUSION “We are honored to have @jamieleecurtis join us to share a message on the importance of the HFPA’s philanthropic efforts year round as a non-profit trade association as a 501(C)(3) Charitable organization,” the Golden Globe Awards tweeted on Sunday, January 9. The 63-year-old said in a video that she was “proud” to be associated with the HFPA, as they “use the funds generated by the Golden Globe Awards and the telecast to fund incredible programs throughout our community.” The Halloween star explained that they fund creators, educators, institutions of higher learning and film preservation organizations in a very “low-key off-the-record evening.” “I’ve been the lucky host of that evening a couple of times. And so I just wanted to honor and stand with them in this continued advocacy of great need and great support that the HFPA continue to serve and offer with their generosity,” she said. Michaela Jaé Rodriguez made history as the first transgender actress to win a Golden Globe. She won Best Actress in a TV Drama for her role in Pose. Rodriguez gushed on Instagram that the feat will open the door for more talented young people. “They will see that it is more than possible. They will see that a young Black Latina girl from Newark New Jersey who had a dream, to change the minds others would WITH LOVE. LOVE WINS. To my young LGBTQAI babies WE ARE HERE the door is now open now reach the stars!!!!!” she wrote. Meanwhile, The Power Of The Dog had a big night. The film won Best Drama Motion Picture. Jane Campion was crowned Best Director Of A Motion Picture and Kodi Smit-McPhee won Best Supporting Actor In A Motion Picture for her role. Benedict Cumberbatch was nominated for Best Actor In A Drama Motion Picture, and Kirsten Dunst was nominated for Best Supporting Actress In A Motion Picture. Succession also took home three awards, including Best Drama TV Series. Jeremy Strong won Best Actor In A Drama TV Series and Sarah Snook won Best Supporting Actress In A Series, Miniseries, Or Motion Picture Made For Television. HOODIES, PAJAMAS, HAWAIIAN SHIRTS: JASON SUDEIKIS, JODIE FOSTER, BILL MURRAY, MORE STARS WHO DIDN’T DRESS UP FOR THE 2021 GOLDEN GLOBES MEGA Billie Eilish‘s song, “No Time To Die” became the third song from a James Bond movie to win a Golden Globe for Best Original Song, Billboard reported. Eilish wrote the song with her brother, Finneas O’Connell. The organization announced in a press release in December that they have overhauled its bylaws and implemented changes to address “ethics and code of conduct, diversity, equity and inclusion, governance, membership and more.” View the full article

Published by Reuters LONDON (Reuters) – British republicans said on Monday they would launch a campaign to end the monarchy in the run-up to celebrations to mark Queen Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne. Elizabeth, 95, the world’s oldest and longest-reigning monarch, will mark her seventh decade as sovereign next month and on Monday Buckingham Palace detailed plans for four days of celebrations for her Platinum Jubilee in June. But anti-monarchy group Republic used the occasion to say it would begin a “Not Another 70” campaign to call for an end to the historic institution. “While a vocal minority will want to celebrate the queen’s seventy year reign, we must all start looking to the future. The prospect of King Charles is not a happy one, and there is a good, democratic alternative on offer,” Republic’s Graham Smith said. “It’s time to have a serious debate about our constitution, accept that Charles is not the best the country has to offer, and that as a nation we are quite capable of choosing our head of state.” Polls indicate the vast majority of people in Britain support the monarchy and the queen herself is hugely popular. But there is not as much support for her eldest son and heir Charles, and surveys suggest there is growing republican sentiment among younger Britons. (Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Guy Faulconbridge) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jarrett Renshaw and Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden has three years left in office, but some of his domestic agenda may have a much shorter clock. The White House has a small window of time to pass any meaningful laws in 2022, including the ‘Build Back Better’ plan, Biden allies tell Reuters, before Congress shifts its attention to the November midterm elections. If Democrats in swing districts get cold feet about passing sweeping legislation as voting gets closer, the $2 trillion landmark bill that funds universal preschool and climate initiatives could be derailed entirely. Democrats believe chances are slim they will retain a narrow majority in both houses of Congress, which allowed them to pass the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill in 2021. All 435 members of the House are up for reelection in 2022, and one-third of the U.S. Senate, including Democrats in competitive districts in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada. “History has shown that lawmakers are risk averse during the mid term,” says Phil Schiliro, who served as legislative affairs director under former president Barack Obama. “Some have felt they have taken enough difficult votes and they want to focus on reelection,” Schiliro says. What that means is “the first few months, from a legislative perspective, could be the last-best chance for this administration to get anything done,” said a Biden ally. Some congressional aides and White House allies are holding out faint hope that Biden can renew discussions with U.S. Senate Democrat Joe Manchin, a conservative Democrat from West Virginia, and pass key aspects of the Build Back Better plan. White House officials say there has been no sign of progress with Manchin since he said he wouldn’t back https://www.reuters.com/world/us/manchin-says-white-house-staff-drove-him-reject-bidens-social-policy-plan-2021-12-20 the current bill in mid-December, even on a plan Manchin told Biden he could support just a month ago. “If it doesn’t happen in the first quarter, we are cooked,” said a Democratic legislative aide involved in the discussions, referring to the first three months of 2022. VOTING RIGHTS DILEMMA The White House is expected to detail its midterm strategy in the upcoming weeks, including more aggressive https://www.reuters.com/world/us/bidens-2022-pitch-target-trump-acolytes-woo-swing-voters-2022-01-09 attacks against acolytes of former President Donald Trump. The strategy includes heavy investment of time and money in competitive elections in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia and Arizona – all states also considered crucial to retaining the White House in 2024, according to three sources familiar with the plan. With few potential legislative options, the White House is expected to continue to make fighting COVID and inflation a priority as Biden and other officials tour the country selling the benefits of a $1 trillion infrastructure law https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-needing-boost-sign-1-trillion-infrastructure-bill-2021-11-15 passed in November. That includes leaning into more grassroots liberal issues like voting and abortion rights and gun control. While the issues may energize Democratic voters, the path forward for new laws is unclear. Republicans blocked multiple attempts to pass voting-rights reform bills last year, leaving top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer threatening to make changes to the “filibuster” rule https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-is-us-senate-filibuster-why-is-everyone-talking-about-it-2021-10-06, which requires 60 of the 100 senators to agree on most legislation. Democrats Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema oppose changes, saying they would damage the way the Senate operates. While other Democrats lean on the duo to change their views, top Senate Republican suggested another approach – changing the 1887 Electoral Count Act https://www.reuters.com/world/us/top-senate-republican-signals-interest-narrow-approach-us-election-reform-2022-01-05, which allows members of Congress to dispute presidential election results when they certify them on January 6th. After the attack on Congress by Trump supporters on Jan. 6 of 2021, experts fear the process could be at the center of a constitutional crisis over future elections. “I think it’s worth discussing,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters, without providing specifics of what he would change. Democrats say his suggestion is insufficient because it doesn’t include plans to expand access to ballots or remove new barriers being erected by Republican-controlled states. Biden is expected to publicly demand changes to the filibuster rule to pass voting rights legislation as soon as Tuesday, when he and Vice President Kamala Harris visit Georgia to make a push for voting rights, and make the case that he exhausted options on an issue that his base cares deeply about. Civil rights groups are asking for more. “Many policy makers, including in the White House, did not prioritize this issue early enough,” Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP told Reuters, adding the group plans on “doubling down” on efforts to pressure Congress and the White House to act. However, he said it may be too late. Johnson said the lack of action has the left the country in a “precarious situation” that allowed Republicans to redraw congressional districts, particularly in southern states, without any federal protections against disparate impacts to black voters. “In addition to that, we’re looking at a midterm elections where many voices will be hampered from truly participating in the election,” Johnson said. (Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw, Trevor Hunnicutt and Richard Cowan in Washington; Editing by Heather Timmons and Diane Craft) View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. greenhouse gas emissions rose by 6.2% from 2020 levels last year as the use of coal-fired electricity jumped 17% and drivers returned to the roads after the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report released on Monday. The projected emissions increase shows the U.S. is now further off the target set by the Biden administration under the Paris climate agreement to slash emissions 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030. U.S. greenhouse gas emissions were 17.4% below 2005 levels in 2021, up from 22.2% below 2005 levels in 2020, according to the Rhodium Group, a research organization. The group analyzed preliminary U.S. emissions data for 2021, a year that was supposed to be marked by recovery after the pandemic-related upheaval of the economy. It found that emissions growth outpaced the rate of economic recovery, using estimates that GDP grew by 5.7% year-on-year. Driving the emissions growth were the transportation and electric power sectors, whose greenhouse gas emissions rose 10% and 6.6%, respectively in 2021, both rebounding around 2/3 of the drop from 2019 levels. In the power sector, high natural gas prices led to a 17% rise in coal generation – the first increase since 2014 – which drove up emissions. The U.S. transportation sector, which accounts for nearly a third of net US emissions, saw the largest spike in emissions in 2021, a year after experiencing a 15% decline in 2020 from 2019 levels – the largest decline in greenhouse gas emissions led by a drastic drop in road travel due to the coronavirus. (Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; editing by Philippa Fletcher) View the full article