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Published by BANG Showbiz English Betty White has joked that Ryan Reynolds can’t get over her. The 99-year-old actress starred alongside Ryan, 45, and Sandra Bullock, 57, in 2009 movie ‘The Proposal’ and quipped that Ryan – who is married to Blake Lively – has a huge crush on her but she has her eye on another actor. She told PEOPLE: “I’ve heard Ryan can’t get over his thing for me but Robert Redford is The One.” Ryan said he has been a fan of Betty “for as long as I can remember” and joked she is “a typical Capricorn. Sleeps all day. Out all night boozing and snacking on men.” He also praised her work in sitcom ‘Golden Girls’, saying: “I heard that scripts for Golden Girls were only 35 pages, which makes sense because so many of the laughs come from Betty simply looking at her castmates.” Sandra added: “Timing isn’t easy in comedy, because you have to navigate other people’s timing. Betty pivots like I have never seen, making it look seamless. The rest of us just remain silent and pray we’re not cut out of the scene.” Betty – who will turn 100 on January 17 – said she feels lucky to be in such good health at her advanced age. She explained: “I’m so lucky to be in such good health and feel so good at this age. It’s amazing.” Betty was “born a cockeyed optimist” and she thinks that’s the key to her positive outlook. She said: “I got it from my mom, and that never changed. I always find the positive.” Betty also thinks that her diet is one of the keys to her good health. She quipped: “I try to avoid anything green. I think it’s working.” View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) -The average number of daily confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States hit a record high of 258,312 over the past seven days, a Reuters tally showed on Wednesday, as U.S. officials weigh the impact of the more transmissible Omicron variant. The previous peak for the seven-day moving average was 250,141 confirmed cases recorded on Jan. 8 of this year. Daily records were broken this week in at least seven European nations. The surge comes as Americans travel over the holidays. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled across the country each day since Christmas as airline staff test positive for the coronavirus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it was monitoring 86 cruise ships that have reported COVID-19 cases. While some data from other countries showed less disease with Omicron, it was too early to gauge the impact across the United States, particularly given its uneven vaccination rates, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on Wednesday. Still, she noted in a call with reporters that while the seven-day daily average of positive cases is up 60% over the previous week, the hospitalization rate for the same period is up only 14%, to about 9,000 per day. Deaths were down about 7% to 1,100 per day, she said. More than 76,000 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 nationwide, up 19% in the past 10 days, according to a Reuters tally. The CDC released new guidance this week shortening the isolation period for people with a confirmed infection to five days from 10, so long as they are asymptomatic. The move was partly designed to ease staff shortages in hospitals, airlines and other vital services. Some infectious disease experts, however, have faulted the policy for not distinguishing between vaccinated and unvaccinated people, who recover from the virus at different rates. The new policy also does not require testing to confirm that a person is no longer infectious before they go back to work or socialize. States showing the highest daily infection numbers on Tuesday included New York, which reported 40,780 cases, and California, which reported over 30,000. Texas reported more than 17,000 cases and Ohio over 15,000. The Omicron variant was estimated to account for 58.6% of U.S. infections as of Dec. 25, according to CDC data released on Tuesday. (Reporting by Alexandra Alper and Susan Heavey in Washington, Lisa Shumaker and Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago, Aparupa Mazumder in Bengaluru; Writing by Keith Weir and Jonathan Allen; Editing by Gareth Jones, Chizu Nomiyama, Mark Porter and Richard Chang) View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration plans to announce on Wednesday a $137 million contract for Millipore Sigma, a unit of Germany’s Merck KGaA, to boost production capacity of a highly constrained component of rapid coronavirus tests, a senior administration official told Reuters. The money will allow the company over three years to build a new facility to produce nitrocellulose membranes, the paper that displays test results, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. That, in turn, will allow for 85 million more tests to be produced per month, the official said. It was not immediately clear when the facility would ramp up to full production. “It’s probably the most constrained piece of technology in expanding capacity, in making more of these over-the-counter or point-of-care tests,” the official said. “This amount they’re going to produce is roughly equivalent to another billion over-the-counter tests being able to be made,” he added. Millipore Sigma is a supplier to major U.S. COVID-19 antigen test manufacturers, he said, without providing further details. The contract, which will be announced by the Department of Defense for the Department of Health and Human Services, is part of a bid by the Biden administration to ramp up production of scarce rapid COVID-19 tests, which has taken on more urgency as nations grapple with the highly infectious Omicron variant of the coronavirus. The average number of daily COVID-19 cases in the United States has hit a record high of 258,312 over the past seven days, according to a Reuters tally. Earlier this month, President Joe Biden announced a plan to distribute 500 million at-home coronavirus test kits to help address the crisis, building on prior pledges to invest $3 billion in test kits. But U.S. testing is behind the curve because of a lack of skilled workers, a shortage of at-home tests and under-investment in recent months, and health experts in the U.S. said Biden’s latest plan was “too little, too late.” The government is invoking the Defense Production Act (DPA) to award the contract and has many more similar contracts in the works, the official said. The Biden administration has used the DPA – a 1950s Korean war-era law which gives federal agencies the power to prioritize procurement orders related to national defense – to speed production of swabs and pipettes for COVID-19 test production previously. (Reporting by Alexandra Alper; Additional Reporting by Carl O’Donnell; Editing by Chris Reese) View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Sarah Jessica Parker is pissed, and it’s not just because the Sex and the City reboot won’t be getting a season 2. The 56-year-old actress is reportedly “livid” with her co-star Chris Noth after several women accused him of sexual assault. “She is fiercely protective of Carrie Bradshaw and livid that she and everyone else at the show has been put into this position,” an insider spilled to Us Weekly. SJP believes his accusations tarnish their show’s legacy. ‘Sex And The City’ Dead: Talks Of Another Season Abruptly End “It is not about the money, but rather her legacy,” they explained. “Carrie was all about helping women and now, under her watch, women are saying that they have been hurt.” The source claims SJP isn’t just mourning Mr. Big’s death. Chris Noth Fired From ‘The Equalizer’ After Third Accuser Comes Forward With Sexual Assault Allegations HBO Max The actress “feels like there has been two deaths” in her life. Several women came forward with sexual assault accusations against Noth after the And Just Like That… reboot began streaming on HBO Max. “She takes the power of being Carrie Bradshaw very seriously. With great power comes great responsibility and although SJP knows this is about him, not her, she feels like she has let everyone down,” the insider revealed, adding she had “no idea” about the alleged incidents and was completely “blindsided” by the allegations. As Radar exclusively reported, all talks about a second season are dead and buried in the wake of the piling allegations against Noth. “There was so much excitement around the show that a second season was all-but-guaranteed. There had even been discussions about how Kim Cattrall’s character, Samantha Jones, could return from London and join the ladies again. Cast and crew members were all leaving their spring schedules open as they were sure they would be shooting again. However, suddenly all those conversations have gone silent,” sources tell Radar. “After Chris (Noth) and the negative critical response to the show, it is dead. There will be no more.” The Hollywood Reporter first broke the allegations against Noth. Two women using fake names came forward accusing the actor of sexual assault in 2004 and 2015. One of the women alleged Noth raped her in his Los Angeles apartment. The other claimed the actor “pretty forcibly” had sex with her after they met in an NYC nightclub in 2015. They aren’t the only women with accusations against him. Since THR’s story, more women have come against the star. Noth has denied any wrongdoing, claiming, “the accusations against me made by individuals I met years, even decades, ago are categorically false. These stories could’ve been from 30 years ago or 30 days ago — no always means no — that is a line I did not cross.” MEGA View the full article

Published by Reuters By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty by a U.S. jury on Wednesday of helping the late financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls, sealing a remarkable fall from grace for the British socialite. Maxwell, 60, was accused of recruiting and grooming https://www.reuters.com/world/us/opening-statements-ghislaine-maxwell-sex-abuse-case-set-begin-2021-11-29 four teenagers for Epstein between 1994 and 2004. Her former boyfriend Epstein killed himself in 2019 in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial on sex abuse charges of his own. She was convicted on five of six counts. After the verdict was read, Maxwell pulled down her face mask and poured herself a glass of water. The jury deliberated for five full days before reaching the verdict. Along with the trials of movie producer Harvey Weinstein and singer R. Kelly, Maxwell’s case is among the highest-profile trials to take place in the wake of the #MeToo movement, which encouraged women to speak out about sexual abuse by famous and powerful people. During the trial’s closing arguments in federal court in Manhattan a prosecutor said Maxwell was Epstein’s “partner in crime https://www.reuters.com/world/us/closing-arguments-ghislaine-maxwells-sex-abuse-trial-kick-off-2021-12-20.” “Ghislaine Maxwell made her own choices. She committed crimes hand in hand with Jeffrey Epstein. She was a grown woman who knew exactly what she was doing,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe said. Maxwell’s attorneys argued she was being used as a scapegoat for Epstein and sought to portray the accounts of her four accusers as not credible, saying their memories had been corrupted over the decades and that they were motivated by money. “Epstein’s death left a gaping hole in the pursuit of justice for many of these women,” Maxwell’s defense lawyer Bobbi Sternheim said. “She’s filling that hole, and filling that empty chair.” Maxwell dated Epstein for several years in the 1990s, when the pair attended high society parties and traveled on luxurious private jets. A few months after Epstein’s death, Maxwell purchased a home https://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-ghislaine-maxwell-bradford/a-good-place-to-hide-new-hampshire-locals-had-no-idea-jeffrey-epstein-ally-holed-up-nearby-idUSKBN2433D5 for $1 million in cash in Bradford, New Hampshire where she remained out of the limelight until her July 2020 arrest. An FBI official said Maxwell had “slithered away.” Daughter of British press baron Robert Maxwell, Ghislaine Maxwell had been accustomed to opulence all her life. Her father founded a publishing house and owned tabloids including the Daily Mirror. He was found dead off his yacht near the Canary Islands in 1991. GRAPHIC TESTIMONY During the trial, jurors heard emotional and graphic testimony from four women, two of whom said they were 14 when Epstein began abusing them. Three of the women said Maxwell herself had inappropriately touched them. The jury requested transcripts of the four women’s testimony during their deliberations, suggesting the jurors discussed the women’s accounts before reaching the verdict. A woman known by the pseudonym Jane testified that she was 14 when Epstein first abused her in 1994. Maxwell sometimes took part in her sexual encounters with Epstein and acted as if it was normal, Jane testified. “It made me feel confused because that did not feel normal to me,” Jane said. “I’d never seen anything like this or felt anything like this.” Moe said during her closing argument that Maxwell’s presence made young girls feel comfortable with Epstein. Otherwise, receiving an invitation to spend time with a middle-aged man would have seemed “creepy” and “set off alarm bells,” Moe said. “Epstein could not have done this alone,” she said. Moe reminded jurors of bank records they saw at trial showing that Epstein paid Maxwell millions of dollars over the years. She said Maxwell was motivated to do whatever it took to keep Epstein happy in order to maintain her luxurious lifestyle. Defense attorney Laura Menninger countered during closing arguments that Maxwell was an “innocent woman” and that prosecutors had not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Maxwell was aware of or involved in any crimes Epstein committed. “They certainly proved to you that Epstein had abused his money and his power,” Menninger said. “That has nothing to do with Ghislaine, and everything to do with Jeffrey Epstein.” Maxwell’s lawyers aggressively pushed back on the accusers’ accounts during the trial, arguing that their stories had shifted over the years. Under cross-examination by Menninger, Jane acknowledged that she did not initially tell the FBI everything about Maxwell’s involvement because she was not comfortable sharing all the details. “I was sitting in a room full of strangers and telling them the most shameful, deepest secrets that I’d been carrying around with me my whole life,” she said. Maxwell’s defense said the women were motivated by money to implicate Maxwell since all four had received million-dollar awards from a compensation fund for Epstein’s victims. “The money brought the accusers to the FBI,” Menninger said, saying the women were accompanied by personal injury lawyers to interviews with law enforcement agents. “Memories have been manipulated in aid of the money.” But the women disputed those characterizations, saying they decided to testify out of a desire for justice, not money. “Money will not ever fix what that woman has done to me,” testified one woman, known by her first name Carolyn. (Reporting by Luc CohenEditing by Noeleen Walder and Alistair Bell) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Harry Reid, the pugnacious son of a Nevada hard-rock miner who rose from poverty to become the U.S. Senate majority leader and earned a reputation as a fierce partisan fighter during an era of political gridlock in Washington, died on Tuesday. He was 82. Reid, a former amateur boxer who represented Nevada in the U.S. Congress as a Democrat for more than three decades, died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, his wife of 62 years, Landra, said in a statement. “I’ve had the honor of serving with some of the all-time great Senate Majority Leaders in our history. Harry Reid was one of them. And for Harry, it wasn’t about power for power’s sake. It was about the power to do right for the people,” U.S. President Joe Biden said in a written statement. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said late on Tuesday that the country had lost an honorable public servant, adding that the Reid made a meaningful difference in people’s lives. “Harry Reid rose through the ranks in Washington, becoming Senate Majority Leader, but he never forgot his humble beginnings in Searchlight, Nevada – and he always fought for working families and the poor,” Harris said in a separate written statement. As majority leader, Reid served as President Barack Obama’s point man in the Senate and helped secure congressional passage of Obama’s signature healthcare law, known as Obamacare, in 2010 over furious Republican opposition. Obama on Tuesday posted to social media a recent letter he had written to Reid: “You were a great leader in the Senate, and early on you were more generous to me than I had any right to expect,” Obama said in the letter. “I wouldn’t have been president had it not been for your encouragement and support, and I wouldn’t have got most of what I got done without your skill and determination.” Reid retired in 2016, one year after suffering broken ribs and facial bones and injuring an eye in an accident while exercising at home. He had ascended to the job of majority leader in 2007 despite being a political moderate who differed from many in his party on abortion, the environment and gun control. In that job Reid regularly clashed with the Republicans and maintained poor relations with the opposition party’s leaders. “I always would rather dance than fight but I know how to fight,” Reid said in 2004, in a reference to his boxing career. In 2012, Mitch McConnell, then the Senate’s top Republican, labeled Reid “the worst leader in the Senate ever” while Reid accused McConnell of a breach of faith on an important issue. During Reid’s time as majority leader, major legislation languished because Democrats and Republicans could not compromise. His relationship with McConnell was so strained that the Republican leader shunned Reid during crucial U.S. fiscal policy talks and dealt directly with Vice President Joe Biden. “The nature of Harry’s and my jobs brought us into frequent and sometimes intense conflict over politics and policy. But I never doubted that Harry was always doing what he earnestly, deeply felt was right for Nevada and our country. He will rightly go down in history as a crucial, pivotal figure in the development and history of his beloved home state,” McConnell said in a written statement. In 2013, fed up with Republican procedural moves blocking Obama’s judicial and executive branch nominees, Reid pushed through the Senate a historic change to the Senate’s filibuster rules, preventing a minority party from blocking presidential appointments except those to the Supreme Court. Republicans said the move was a naked power grab. Reid was first elected to the House in 1982 and was sent to the Senate by Nevada voters in 1986. He showed remarkable resilience, fighting off spirited re-election challenges. HUMBLE ORIGINS Tact was not Reid’s strong suit. He called Republican President George W. Bush a “loser” and “liar” and said Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan was “one of the biggest political hacks we have in Washington.” He apologized in 2010 for referring to Obama, the first black U.S. president, in private conversations two years earlier as “light-skinned” with “no Negro dialect,” saying, “I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words.” Reid became a Mormon as a young man and eventually became the highest-ranking member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in U.S. public office. During the 2012 presidential race, Reid became a Democratic attack dog, accusing Obama’s Republican challenger Mitt Romney of paying no federal income taxes for 10 years. Romney insisted he paid “all the taxes required by law.” Harry Mason Reid was born into a poor family in the tiny desert mining town of Searchlight, Nevada, on Dec. 2, 1939. His father was a miner with an eighth-grade education who committed suicide in 1972. His mother, who never finished high school, took in laundry from brothels to help out financially. The family lived in a small cabin with no indoor plumbing, hot water or telephone. “I learned in America, it doesn’t matter the education of your parents, what their religion is or isn’t, their social status – we had none – the color of their skin or their economic status. I am an example of this. If I made it, anyone can,” Reid said in 2007. Reid attended a two-room school through eighth grade, then hitchhiked 40 miles (64 km) each week to high school, boarding with local families before hitchhiking home each weekend. He graduated from Utah State University in 1961 and then worked nights as a U.S. Capitol policeman while he attended law school at George Washington University in Washington. He earned his law degree in 1964 and moved back to Nevada. Reid was a trial lawyer and held various Nevada state offices. He headed the Nevada Gaming Commission from 1977 to 1981. In the Senate, Reid won passage of an ethics measure barring senators from accepting gifts, meals or trips from lobbyists in 2007. He voted for Iraq war resolutions in 1991 and 2002. While Reid remained a backer of the first Iraq war, he reversed himself and opposed the second one, accusing Bush’s administration of misleading the nation into it. Reid and his wife, Landra, had five children. (Reporting by Will Dunham; Additional reporting by Eric Beech, Dan Whitcomb and Moira Warburton and Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; Editing by Himani Sarkar, Sandra Maler and Raju Gopalakrishnan) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Billie Lourd has described her grief over Carrie Fisher’s death as a “multi course meal with many complicated ingredients”. The 19-year-old actress – whose late mother died aged 60 on December 27, 2016 – paid tribute to the ‘Star Wars’ icon on the anniversary of her passing and revealed everyone deals with things as their own pace. Alongside an adorable throwback photo of her, Carrie and a koala bear, she wrote: “People always ask me what stage of grief I’m in. And my answer is never simple. “I’m in a different stage of grief in each moment of every day. My grief is a multi course meal with many complicated ingredients. “An amuse bouche of bargaining followed by an anger appetizer with a side of depression, acceptance for the entree and of course a little denial for dessert. “And that’s how grief should be – all things all at once – actually there is no “should” in grief – grief just is whatever it is for you and that is how it “should be”.” Billie celebrated Christmas in Australia with her fiance Austen Rydell and their 15-month-old son Kingston, and she referenced her arrangement in the tribute to Carrie. She added: “What better thing to post for my Momby’s Australian death anniversary (4 words I never thought I’d be putting next to each other?!?) than this picture of her and I with a koala!? sending my love to anyone out there who needs it (sic)” She also marked five years since her mum’s death as she teamed up with Kaitlyn Dever and Mady Dever on a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s track ‘Landslide’. She wrote: “We loved to sing. We loved Fleetwood Mac. We loved this song. It echoed in our living room throughout my childhood, playing slightly too loudly as she scribbled her marvelous manic musings on yellow legal pads (google them if you don’t know them – they’re the iPads of the past and are still pretty damn hip if you ask me). “I didn’t know who to be or what to do after my mom died. I was afraid of changing because I had built my life around her. Then she was gone. “And I had to rebuild my life without her. And it wasn’t (and still isn’t) easy. But time has made me bolder. I never stop missing her but I have gotten stronger with each passing year.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Madonna has accused Tory Lanez of ripping off her 1985 hit ‘Into The Groove’. The Queen of Pop is not happy with the 29-year-old rapper’s “illegal” interpolation of her track, seemingly referring to the latter’s recent song ‘Pluto’s Last Comet’ from his LP ‘Alone at Prom’. The 63-year-old music legend commented on Lanez’s recent Instagram post: “Read your messages [f]or illegal usage of my song get into the groove!”, suggesting she has contacted him directly on the social media app. At the time of writing, it’s not known if the ‘Like a Virgin’ hitmaker will be making a formal complaint. Lanez has been in hot water of late. Last month, the Canadian record producer was told he won’t be offered a plea deal in a felony case for allegedly shooting Megan Thee Stallion. The ‘Say It’ rapper was accused by the ‘WAP’ hitmaker of shooting her in the foot after a party at Kylie Jenner’s house in July 2020. The music star – whose real name is Daystar Peterson – has been charged with felony assault. At a preliminary hearing on December 14, it was claimed Lanez shouted “dance, b****” before shooting Megan. Los Angeles detective Ryan Stogner told the courtroom in his testimony that “as she exited the vehicle, she heard Mr Peterson yelling obscenities at her, and he stated, ‘Dance, b****!’ and he then began firing a weapon at her.” Megan “immediately felt pain to her feet, observed blood, fell to the ground, and then crawled to an adjacent driveway of a residence.” He added: “She described her injuries as bleeding profusely.” He added: “Megan stated the defendant apologised for doing it and offered her money and begged her to please not say anything and made a reference to the fact he was already on probation.” Lanez is facing two felony charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, as well as the charge of having “personally inflicted great bodily injury”. If he is convicted on all charges, he could spend more than 22 years in Jail. Lanez is due to return to court next month. The ‘Broke in a Minute’ hitmaker previously pleaded not guilty to the charges last November and his lawyer, Shawn Holley, previously insisted “meaningful discussions” with prosecutors about a plea deal hadn’t affected that. She said: “As in every case, the lawyers for the parties discuss the possibility of resolving the case. This case is no different. That said, our position as to what did and did not happen in this matter remains unchanged, and Mr. Peterson’s plea of not guilty stands.” In January, Lanez’s team filed a motion asking for an amendment to a protective order surrounding the case because he wasn’t allowed to speak publicly about the dispute, but a judge ruled that the order must stay in place as it is. During a hearing at the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles, his lawyer argued the protective order was “unfair” because it doesn’t apply to Megan. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Gram Slattery and Augustin Geist RIO DE JANEIRO/BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Throughout much of 2020 and early 2021, South America was ground zero in the global fight against COVID-19. Oxygen ran low in Peru. Gravediggers worked through the night in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Bodies were stuffed into shipping containers in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Brazil, the largest country in Latin America, saw its COVID-19 death toll rise to the second-highest in the world, while Argentina and Peru reported some of the heaviest death per capita figures anywhere. But in recent months, despite patchy health services and lower income levels than in Europe or the United States, the region has emerged as a surprise winner in the vaccination race. South America is now the most vaccinated region in the world, with 63.3% of the population fully inoculated, according to the Our World in Data project, which collects official numbers from governments worldwide. Europe comes in second with 60.7%. In Africa, just 8.8% of the population has completed a full vaccination regimen. Infection and death rates have plummeted compared to the middle of the year when Latin America and the Caribbean accounted for almost half of global deaths and infections. Now it is Europe where – due to the spread of the Omicron variant – contagion is rebounding. Epidemiologists point to several factors to explain the speedy vaccination drive. But the most important, they say, has been decades of successful inoculation campaigns that have created the infrastructure needed to deliver jabs en masse, while instilling trust among the population. In Brazil, successful inoculation drives in the last half century against smallpox, meningitis, polio and measles means that very few people are opposed to vaccines, said Paulo Lotufo, an epidemiologist and professor at the University of Sao Paulo. In some major cities, including Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, over 99% of the adult population has received at least one dose, authorities say. Brazilians commonly claim with pride that the nation has a “cultura de vacinacao,” or “vaccine culture.” The same can be said for several other nations in the region, which have previously launched expansive inoculation campaigns after traumatic infectious disease outbreaks in recent decades. “This confidence, built up over several years, is based on the benefits of our extensive vaccination schedule,” said Leda Guzzi, a Buenos Aires-based infectious disease expert. Effective public health messaging has been key, too, said Albert Ko, a professor at the Yale School of Public Health and a collaborating researcher at Rio de Janeiro’s Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. In Brazil, for instance, a mascot resembling a docile white droplet, known as “Zé Gotinha,” has been heavily used by health officials to promote the vaccine, even as President Jair Bolsonaro has himself declined to be jabbed. Earlier this year, baile funk star MC Fioti released a viral video with a modified version of one of his hits in association with the Butantan biomedical institute in Sao Paulo promoting the vaccine. STORM CLOUDS GATHER The region, however, is far from out of the woods, particularly as the Omicron variant spreads across the globe. Even with an impressive 63.3% of the population vaccinated, the region remains below the threshold that most scientists say is needed to offer mass protection. Omicron is now raging in much of Europe despite similar levels of inoculation. Among children, vaccination rates also vary dramatically from country to country in Latin America, with authorities in Mexico and Brazil relatively slow to approve shots for minors. Another potential issue is the vaccines used. Many countries, such as Chile, Uruguay and Brazil, relied heavily on Coronavac, a vaccine produced by China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd, particularly in the initial phase of their vaccination drives. While the vaccine is credited with getting jabs into arms quickly, its efficacy is lower than that of its peers, and at least one initial study has indicated it may not produce antibodies against the Omicron variant. Earlier in December, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that recipients of Sinovac – as well as all other “inactivated” vaccines – should get boosted. Epidemiologists also say, Omicron may be more adept at dodging the immunity generated by previous COVID-19 infections. That could be bad news in a region where the virus ripped through entire neighborhoods in earlier stages of the pandemic. “Many people, particularly in vulnerable communities in Brazil, have been infected,” said Ko, the Yale epidemiologist. “We see this virus infecting people who had already gotten infected before.” (Reporting by Gram Slattery in Rio de Janeiro and Agustin Geist in Buenos Aires, additional reporting by Diego Ore and Dave Graham in Mexico City and Oliver Griffin in Bogota; Editing by Stephen Eisenhammer and Aurora Ellis) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Cynthia Nixon only agreed to star only agreed to star in the ‘Sex and the City’ sequel series if show bosses fixed the “lack of diversity” on the show. The 55-year-old actress has reprised her role as Miranda Hobbes in ‘And Just Like That…’ but has admitted that she was “reluctant” to return to the character unless things were changed from the original show. Cynthia told Australia’s Herald Sun newspaper: “It was a very hard decision. I really didn’t think I was going to do it – I was very reluctant. But the more I talked to Sarah Jessica (Parker), (writer-creator) Michael Patrick King, and Kristin (Davis), about the things I couldn’t go back without – a real sea change in terms of the lack of diversity in the original series, they were on board. “I was floored by how hard everybody listened, and how collaboratively we worked together to, not just redecorate the house, but to build a whole new house – that had us in it but new characters, too.” Sarah and Kristin have reprised their roles as Carrie Bradshaw and Charlotte York Goldenblatt respectively – although Kim Cattrall’s Samantha Jones does not feature in ‘And Just Like That…’ – and Cynthia has enjoyed exploring the characters as older women and the challenges that go with ageing. She said: “The characters are 55 so they’re in menopause. And menopause is the punchline of a lot of jokes and certainly has its unpleasant aspects. But it’s a time when women have spent decades looking after other people and can again focus on themselves: who am I? Who do I want to be?” Cynthia added that she is “very proud” of the original ‘Sex and the City’ series – which aired between 1998 and 2004 – but admits that she wants to known for more than her role as Miranda. The ‘Ratched’ actress said: “I’m very proud of the original series – despite it being occasionally tone deaf on race and gender – and being Miranda has opened up so many amazing roles for me over the years, but the further I get away from Miranda, the better they get, because people have stopped thinking of me as just that one character. “But ‘Sex and the City’ gave me an adult career. And I’ll always be grateful for that.” View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) -The Omicron variant was estimated to be 58.6% of the coronavirus variants circulating in the United States for the week ending Dec. 25, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The fast-spreading variant was first detected in southern Africa and Hong Kong in November, with the first known case in the United States identified on Dec. 1 in a fully vaccinated person who had traveled to South Africa. The agency also revised down the Omicron proportion for the week ending Dec. 18 to 22% from 73%, saying that there was a wide predictive interval posted in last week’s chart, in part because of the speed at which Omicron was increasing. The Delta variant accounts for 41.1% of all U.S. COVID-19 cases as of Dec. 25, according to the public health agency’s data on Tuesday https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions. Former U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said on Twitter https://twitter.com/ScottGottliebMD/status/1475848395768086529 that if the CDC’s new estimate of Omicron prevalence is precise then it suggests that a good portion of the current hospitalizations may still be driven by Delta infections. The agency said the data includes modeled projection that may differ from weighted estimates generated at later dates. (Reporing by Ankur Banerjee; Editing by Aditya Soni and Shailesh Kuber) View the full article

ApretudeFDA Approves Injectable PrEP Treatment The FDA gave the green light to a new injectable form of the HIV treatment pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) last week. The injection, named Apretude, will be available for use by at-risk adults and teens that weigh a minimum 77 pounds and test negative for HIV prior to treatment. the treatment’s approval comes after two double-blind studies found that patients that took Apretude were 90% less likely of contracting HIV as compared to study participants that took oral PrEP treatment Truvada. There is also hope that Apretude will boost adherence levels as well since it doesn’t have to be taken daily. Apretude is administered in two initial shots one month apart and subsequent injections every two months afterward. Unlike Greene claims, Kwanzaa itself isn’t a religion nor is it commonly characterized as a religious celebration. Created in 1966 by California State University, Long Beach African Studies department chair Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa is a holiday festival that encourages Black individuals to celebrate African traditions and heritage. Greene expectedly didn’t cry “pandering” when Donald Trump posted “Happy Kwanzaa” messages during his presidency. HIV Treatment: Previously on Towleroad FDA OKs Every 2 Months PrEP Jab to Prevent HIV; Qatar Bans Rainbow Toys; Trump Surrogate Marjorie Taylor Greene Calls Kwanzaa ‘Fake Religion’ Brian Bell December 28, 2021 Read More Omicron Result Of COVID HIV Connect, Mutated in Immune-Suppressed Untreated Person With HIV; ‘Most Plausible Origin Story’; ‘Pretty Good Bet’; Top Scientists Agree. Get Tested, Treated. Michael Goff December 7, 2021 Read More Black AIDS Groups Meet With DaBaby, Praise Rapper for Participation, While Founder Makes Unrelated Calls for Black AIDS Board to Resign Brian Bell September 2, 2021 Read More Veteran Atlanta Activist Becomes First Black Trans Woman Ever Named to Presidential HIV/AIDS Council Brian Bell August 24, 2021 Read More Possible HIV Treatment OK’d To expand Phase 1 Human Trials After Stopping HIV in Lab; Brian Bell August 18, 2021 Read More Moderna HIV Vaccine Phase 1 Human Trials to Start as Early as Next Week. Hope to Build on mRNA Learnings Brian Bell August 13, 2021 Read More Photo courtesy of Viiv Healthcare View the full article

Published by AFP Canadian filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallee, known for directing ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ and the HBO series ‘Big Little Lies’, has died at age 58 Montreal (AFP) – Award-winning Canadian filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallee has died at age 58, his publicist announced Sunday. “Rest In Peace, Jean-Marc Vallee. The world is far less interesting without you in it,” Hive Communication Collective wrote on Instagram. The Quebecois producer and director was Oscar-nominated for “Dallas Buyers Club” in 2013, for which actors Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto both took home Academy Awards. In recent years, he has drawn acclaim for his work on HBO shows “Big Little Lies”, for which he won an Emmy award, and “Sharp Objects”. US media reported that Vallee died suddenly in his cabin near Quebec City over the weekend. The cause of death was not immediately known. HBO said it was “shocked at the news of his sudden death.” “Jean-Marc Vallee was a brilliant, fiercely dedicated filmmaker,” the company’s statement to The Hollywood Reporter said. “Jean-Marc stood for creativity, authenticity and trying things differently,” Vallee’s producing partner Nathan Ross said in a statement shared with US media. “The maestro will sorely be missed but it comforts knowing his beautiful style and impactful work he shared with the world will live on.” His other notable works included the Oscar-winning 2009 film “The Young Victoria” starring Emily Blunt and “Wild” in 2014, for which Reese Witherspoon earned an Oscar nomination. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi ZURICH (Reuters) – People in Switzerland will be able to legally change gender by a visit to the civil registry office from Jan. 1, putting the country at the forefront of Europe’s gender self-identification movement. Switzerland joins Ireland, Belgium, Portugal and Norway as one of the few countries on the continent that allow a person to legally change gender without hormone therapy, medical diagnosis or further evaluation or bureaucratic steps. Under the new rules written into Switzerland’s civil code, anyone aged 16 and above who is not under legal guardianship will be able to adjust their gender and legal name by self-declaration at the civil registry office. Younger people and those under adult protection will require guardian consent. This marks a change from the current set of regionally prescribed standards in Switzerland, which often require a certificate from a medical professional confirming an individual’s transgender identity. Some cantons – semi-autonomous regions in federal Switzerland – also require a person to undergo hormone treatment or anatomical transition in order to legally change gender, while, for a name change, proof could be required that the new name has already been unofficially in use for several years. Switzerland, long known as socially conservative in the main, voted in September to legalise civil marriage https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/swiss-vote-allowing-same-sex-marriage-referendum-2021-09-26 and the right to adopt children for same-sex couples, one of the last countries in Western Europe to do so. With the new gender change rules, Switzerland joins just two dozen countries worldwide aiming to decouple gender choice from medical procedures. While some other European nations including Denmark, Greece and France have removed the requirement of medical procedures, including sex reassignment surgery, sterilisation or psychiatric evaluation, their rules require further steps or conditions. Spain in June approved a draft bill https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spains-government-approves-first-draft-gender-self-identification-bill-2021-06-29 allowing anyone over the age of 14 to change gender legally without a medical diagnosis or hormone therapy. Germany in 2018 became the first European government to introduce a third gender https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-lgbt-rights-idUSKBN1L1221 option but in June 2021 shot down two bills aiming to introduce gender self-identification. A new transgender member of parliament is hoping to address https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/two-transgender-women-win-seats-german-parliament-2021-09-27 that. (Reporting by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi; Editing by Mark Heinrich) View the full article

Published by The Boot Miranda Lambert has one more new song in store for fans this year, and it’s a team-up with the Season 6 premiere of reality TV series Queer Eye. The country superstar revealed on Sunday (Dec. 26) that her new track, “Y’all Means All,” is debuting when the first episode of the season airs on Dec. 31 on Netflix. This season of Queer Eye has a special connection to Lambert, as it was filmed in her home state of Texas. Both Lambert and the show shared news of the song on social media. “OMG. We partnered with THE country music queen,” reads a post on Queer Eye‘s Twitter page, which also added that … Read More View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA Gone too soon. 2021 has been a tumultuous year for many across the nation — and our favorite celebrities are no exception. From Sex and The City's Willie Garson to Boardwalk Empire's Michael K. Williams, all of these renowned Hollywood names will never be forgotten. Scroll through the images below to see some of the beloved celebrities who passed away in 2021: Virgil Abloh MEGA Virgil Abloh — a renowned fashion designer — passed away at the age of 41 on Sunday November 28 following a private battle with a rare form of heart cancer. Abloh was widely known and respected for being the founder and CEO of Off-White and an artistic director at Louis Vuitton. A good friend of Kanye West, he also was known for dressing a number of celebrities, including Gigi Hadid and Hailey Bieber — who he designed a custom wedding dress for. He is survived by his wife Shannon and his two children Grey and Lowe. Young Dolph MEGA Young Dolph passed away on Wednesday November 17, after being tragically shot and killed while in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. The rapper — who was only 36 — was murdered after a vehicle pulled up and fired gunshots through the front window. The gunman has not yet been identified. His partner, Mia Jaye, shared a message following his tragic death, asking for God's strength as she deals with the devastating loss alongside the pair's two children: Ari and Tre. James Michael Tyler MEGA James Michael Tyler died on Sunday, October 24 at the age of 59 following a difficult battle with prostate cancer. The actor is most well-known for his iconic role on the hit show Friends, where he played coffee shop worker Gunther. Before his death, he appeared virtually for the Friends: Reunion Special, where he reflected on his time on the award-winning sitcom. “It was the most memorable 10 years of my life, honestly,” he said at the time. “I could not have imagined just a better experience. All these guys were fantastic and just a joy to work with. It felt very, very special.” Peter Scolari MEGA Peter Scolari — known for his roles in The West Wing, HBO's Girls, and Bosom Buddies — died at the age of 66 on Friday, October 22 after a tough battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife Tracy Shayne and his four children. Willie Garson MEGA The Sex and the City alum passed away on Tuesday, September 21. As OK! reported at the time, Garson was believed to have been suffering from pancreatic cancer at the time of his death. Garson — who was 57-years-old when he died — was known for playing Stanford Blatch in the beloved HBO show alongside Sarah Jessica Parker's character Carrie Bradshaw. The actor also appeared in the show's revival series And Just Like That…, which began filming earlier this year and premiered this month. Richard Buckley MEGA Richard Buckley — the husband of famed designer Tom Ford— died of natural causes at the age of 72 on Sunday, September 19. He was in the company of Ford and their son Jack in their Los Angeles home when he peacefully passed away. Norm McDonald MEGA Beloved comedian Norm Macdonald passed away at the age of 61 on Tuesday, September 14. The Saturday Night Live veteran had reportedly been battling cancer in private for nearly a decade before his death earlier this year. Michael K. Williams MEGA Williams, 54, was found dead in his Brooklyn penthouse apartment on Monday, September 6 after suffering an apparent drug overdose. A medical examiner later ruled his death an accident caused by “acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine.” At the time, the NYPD announced they would be launching an investigation into who sold the actor the deadly dose of narcotics. Prince Philip MEGA The Duke of Edinburgh,Prince Philip, died at the age of 99 on Friday, April 9. The beloved husband of Queen Elizabeth II“passed away peacefully” at Windsor Castle, per an announcement from the Palace. PRINCE CHARLES MAY NOT PASS DUKE OF EDINBURGH TITLE TO PRINCE EDWARD WHEN HE BECOMES KING, DESPITE PRINCE PHILIP'S WISHES Gregg Leakes MEGA Gregg Leakes— the husband of reality star NeNe Leakes— lost his battle with colon cancer at the age of 66 on September 1. The former The Real Housewives of Atlanta star announced the news of her husband's cancer returning over the summer, where she asked her fans to pray for their family. Charlie Watts MEGA Charlie Watts, the renowned drummer for The Rolling Stones, died peacefully in a hospital in London on Tuesday, August 24 at the age of 80. A cause of death was not publicly disclosed. Robert Downey Sr. @robertdowneyjr/Instagram Robert Downey Sr., the father of Marvel superstar Robert Downey Jr., passed away in his sleep in New York City on Wednesday, July 7 after suffering from Parkinson's Disease for over five years. He worked in the industry as a beloved filmmaker, director, actor and writer in the years before his death. He was 85 years old. Larry King MEGA The legendary TV personality passed away at the age of 87 on Saturday, January 23. The former broadcast journalist was hospitalized in December 2020 following a case of COVID-19, and that a sepsis infection eventually led to his death. “Well, he was finally ready to go, I will tell you that,” his wife told Entertainment Tonight. “You know, he never wanted to go but his sweet little body was just, it had just been hit so many times with so many things and once we heard the word COVID, all of our hearts just sunk. But he beat it, you know, he beat it, but it did take its toll and then the unrelated infection finally is what took him, but boy, he was not gonna go down easily.” Dustin Diamond MEGA Beloved actor Dustin Diamondfrom Saved by the Bell passed away at the age of 44 after battling stage 4 small cell carcinoma. According to the announcement of his death, he passed away just three weeks after he was given the diagnosis. As OK! previously reported, the series reboot is planning to honor the actor in season 2 following his tragic death. Christopher Plummer MEGA Sound Of Music star Christopher Plummer — who was famous for his portrayal of Captain Georg von Trapp in the iconic film — died at the age of 91 on Friday, February 5. He also starred in a number of major films throughout his prolific career, including All the Money in the World, Beginners, Knives Out and many more. He was also the proud owner of one Academy Award, two Emmys and two Tony Awards. He is survived by his daughter Amanda Plummer and his wife Elaine Taylor, who was reportedly by his side at the time of his death. Anthony Morales AKA Prince Markie Dee MEGA Prince Maarkie Dee — whose given name was Mark Anthony Morales — died in February at the age of 52. Best known for being a member of the Fat Boys, Morales suddenly passed away just one day before his own birthday. Cicely Tyson MEGA Legendary actress Cicely Tyson died in January at the age of 96. Notable names including Oprah Winfrey and former President Barack Obama penned heartfelt messages to honor the late actress after her passing was announced. Clarence Williams III MEGA The actor best known for his role as Linc Hayes in The Mod Squad died on Friday, June 4 after a battle with colon cancer. He was 81-years-old. Cloris Leachman MEGA Actress Cloris Leachman died at the age of 94 in February after suffering what appeared to be a stroke. Her death certificate also cited COVID-19 as a significant condition that contributed to her passing, although it wasn't considered the underlying cause. Deezer D MEGA Actor Dearon “Deezer D” Thompson, known for his role as Nurse Malik McGrath on the hit medical drama series ER passed away at the age of 55. At the time, it was reported that Dearon was found unresponsive at his L.A. home, leading his family to believe he suffered a heart attack. Dave Creek @dave_creek/Instagram Bob's Burgers animator Dave Creektragically died from injuries sustained during a skydiving accident in January, although the specific injuries were not disclosed. He was 42-years-old. 20th Television, FOX Entertainment and Bento Box Entertainment released a statement at the time, writing: “We are heartbroken at the tragic passing of Dave Creek, an extraordinary artist who had been with Bob's Burgers from day one. He was not just an incredible talent but a beautiful person as well, and our hearts go out to his family, friends and all his colleagues at the show who loved him and are grieving today.” DMX MEGA In April, the rap legend, actor and songwriter DMXpassed away after suffering a drug overdose that reportedly triggered a heart attack. To celebrate his life, other celebrity pals including Eve and Swizz Beats came together to hold a hopeful ceremony at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Ernie Lively MEGA Actor Ernie Lively — the father of A-lister Blake Lively— died at the age of 74 in early June. The actress' father — who played her character's dad in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, worked in the industry for over five decades before succumbing to cardiac complications earlier this year. George Segal MEGA The Goldbergs actor George Segal died at 87-years-old on Wednesday March 23. His wife, Sonia Segal announced the somber news in a statement at the time, where she revealed that her husband died following “complications from bypass surgery.” Gerren Taylor MEGA Gerren Taylor — known for starring on BET's Baldwin Hills passed away at the age of 30 in April of this year. A cause of death was not revealed, although Taylor was believed to have been treated with dialysis at the time following a battle with Lupus. Harry Bryant MEGA Style icon Harry Bryant tragically passed away at the young age of 24 on Sunday, January 17 after struggling with addiction for years. Bryant — who grew up with a wealthy father and a supermodel mother — reportedly got involved with drugs after being surrounded by lavish parties and over-the-top lifestyles from a young age. Jahmil French @jahmilfrench/Instagram Jahmil French, known for his role as Dave Turner on the hit series Degrassi passed away at the age of 29 in March of this year. A cause of death was not revealed. Some of his former costars penned messages on social media to honor the late actor, including Cristine Prosperi,who played Imogen Moreno, and Melinda Shankar, who played Alli Bhandari. Jessica Walter MEGA Actress Jessica Walterdied in her sleep on Wednesday, March 24 at the age of 80. Her daughter Brooke Bowman confirmed the news, remembering the Arrested Development star by writing: “Her greatest pleasure was bringing joy to others through her storytelling both on screen and off. While her legacy will live on through her body of work, she will also be remembered by many for her wit, class and overall joie de vivre.” Jim Steinman MEGA Jim Steinman — who has been known to collaborate withCéline Dion, Barbara Streisand, Def Leppard and more legendary music stars — died on Monday, April 19 following an undisclosed medical emergency. Joanne Rogers MEGA Joanne Rogers — the wife of the late Mr. Rogers died at 92 years old in January of this year. The Fred Rogers foundation released a statement at the time, saying: “Joanne was a brilliant and accomplished musician, a wonderful advocate for the arts, and a dear friend to everyone in our organization. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Joanne’s family and the thousands of people who had the privilege of knowing and loving her.” John Langley MEGA John Langley, the mind behind the hit reality series Cops died of an apparent heart attack on Saturday, June 26. He was 78 years old. Lisa Banes MEGA Broadway star Lisa Banes died at 65-years-old following a tragic hit-and-run accident in New York City in June. Banes was walking in a crosswalk when a motorcycle “with no plate” ran a red light and hit her. The Gone Girl actress reportedly suffered a “traumatic brain injury and was unable to recover.” Mary Wilson MEGA Mary Wilson passed away in her sleep on Monday, February 8 at her home in Los Angeles, Calif. Known for being the co-founder of the beloved girl group The Supremes, Wilson was aged 76 at the time of her death. She is believed to have died of natural causes after suffering from a cardiovascular disease. Olympia Dukakis MEGA Olympia Dukakis died on Saturday, May 1 at the age of 89. The news was announced by her brother Apollo, who revealed the Moonstruck actress was “finally at peace,” but did not disclose any details regarding the circumstances of her death. Richard Donner MEGA Richard Donner — whose full given name was Richard Donald Schwartzberg — died at the age of 91 on Monday, July 5. The legendary film director is known for his work in Superman starring Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder, which was nominated for a total of four Academy Awards in 1979. Richard Gilliland MEGA Designing Women star Richard Gilliland — the husband of Jean Smart — died in March following what was described as a “brief illness,” although no further details were given. He was 71 at the time of his death. Robert Hogan MEGA Actor Robert Hogan — who appeared in more than 100 television shows during his career — passed away at the age of 87 back in May. He died at his home in Maine following complications from pneumonia. Roger Mudd The History Channel The beloved CBS and NBC news reporter Roger Mudd died in March following complications of kidney failure. The broadcast journalist passed away at his home in McLean, Virginia at the age of 93. Sabine Schmitz MEGA German race car driverSabine Schmitz lost her battle with cancer after suffering with the illness since 2017. The former Top Gear host was only 51 when she died. Samuel E. Wright MEGA Samuel E. Wright,famous for voicing the iconic character Sebastian from The Little Mermaid, died on Tuesday, May 25 after a 3-year battle with prostate cancer. Aside from his work as the voice of Ariel's animal friend, he was also featured in the The Lion King Broadway Show as Mufasa when the show opened back in 1997. Gregory ‘Shock G’ Jacobs MEGA Digital Underground's Gregory Jacobs — who used the stage name Shock G — died at the age of 57 on Thursday, April 22. His death was later revealed to have been caused by an accidental overdose of fentanyl, ethanol and methamphetamine. Suzanne Douglas @suzzannedouglas/Instagram The Parent 'Hood actress died at the age of 64 on Tuesday July 6, as announced on a family member's Facebook page at the time. She is survived by husband and neuro-radiologist Roy Jonathan Cobb and their daughter Jordan Cobb. Her cause of death was not shared. View the full article

Published by AFP Sarah Weddington is believed to have been one of youngest people ever to win a case before the US' top court Washington (AFP) – Sarah Weddington, who successfully argued the landmark Roe v. Wade case that enshrined abortion as a legal right in the United States, died Sunday aged 76, according to a former student and media reports. In 1973, Weddington argued on behalf of plaintiff Norma McCorvey — known by the pseudonym “Jane Roe” — against Dallas district attorney Henry Wade in the US Supreme Court. The top court ultimately ruled that access to abortion was a constitutional right — striking down restrictive state laws. Weddington is believed to have been one of youngest people ever to win a case before the US’ top court. She died “after a series of health issues”, former student Democratic candidate for Texas agriculture commissioner Susan Hays said on Twitter. Abortion has been legal in the United States for nearly 50 years but remains a bitterly contentious issue, and access to the procedure varies from state to state. Legal observers expect the conservative-dominated Supreme Court to also overturn Roe v. Wade next year, which would pave the way for total bans at the state level. In 1998, Weddington expressed alarm when state-led abortion limitations mushroomed nationwide. “I think of Roe v. Wade as a house that’s sitting on the edge of a beach, where the water is coming under it and taking the sand out,” she said. “The house is still standing there, but it is more and more in danger of collapsing in the water.” View the full article

Published by Reuters BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese citizens lashed out online against billionaire Tesla founder Elon Musk’s space ambitions on Monday after China complained that its space station was forced to take evasive action to avoid collision with satellites launched by Musk’s Starlink programme. The satellites from Starlink Internet Services, a division of Musk’s SpaceX aerospace company, had two “close encounters” with the Chinese space station on July 1 and Oct. 21, according to a document submitted by China earlier this month to the U.N.’s space agency. “For safety reasons, the China Space Station implemented preventive collision avoidance control,” China said in a document published on the website of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. The complaints have not been independently verified. SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a post on China’s Twitter-like Weibo microblogging platform on Monday, one user said Starlink’s satellites were “just a pile of space junk”, while another described them as “American space warfare weapons”. With nearly 30,000 satellites and other debris believed to be orbiting the planet, scientists have urged governments to share data to reduce the risk of catastrophic space collisions. SpaceX alone has deployed nearly 1,900 satellites to serve its Starlink broadband network, and is planning more. “The risks of Starlink are being gradually exposed, the whole human race will pay for their business activities,” a user posting under the name Chen Haiying said on Weibo. U.S. space agency NASA was forced to abruptly call off a spacewalk at the end of November, citing risks posed by space debris. Musk tweeted in response that some Starlink satellite orbits had been adjusted to reduce the possibility of collisions. China began constructing the space station in April with the launch of Tianhe, the largest of its three modules. The station is expected to be completed by the end of 2022 after four crewed missions. Musk has become a well-known figure in China, though Tesla’s electric-vehicle business has come under growing scrutiny from regulators, especially after a customer climbed on top of a Tesla car at the Shanghai auto show in April to protest against poor customer service. (Reporting by Liangping Gao and David Stanway; Editing by Bernadette Baum) View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, seemed more relaxed than usual in the annual holiday card they shared on December 11. In it, the royal couple and their three children, Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3, can be seen smiling for the camera as typically PDA-shy William and Kate casually rest their hands on each other’s knees. The color-coordinated crew rock bright blues and earthy khakis in the sweet snap, taken during a private family trip to Jordan. A typically buttoned-up William is even wearing shorts! Vacation clearly looks good on them — and OK! can reveal they’re already planning another group getaway, this time to the United States! News of the upcoming trip comes on the heels of William’s recent announcement that the Earthshot Prize (awarded to five winners for environmentalism, a cause close to the 39-year-old’s heart) will be held stateside in 2022. MEGA Now, an insider says Queen Elizabeth II has secretly ordered William and Kate to take some time off to enjoy themselves while overseas. “The planning was done mostly behind closed doors,” spills the insider, noting that it was “orchestrated” by Her Majesty. As OK! previously reported, the 95-year-old monarch wants William to replace her when she steps down from the throne, instead of his father, Prince Charles, 73. “She feels Williams’ a better fit for taking over than Charles,” says the insider. The getaway will give William and Kate, 39, a chance to get some well-deserved downtime with the kids before William takes on more responsibility at home. KATE MIDDLETON HAS BEEN ‘REALLY, REALLY UPSET’ OVER ESTRANGED RELATIONSHIPS WITH PRINCE HARRY & MEGHAN MARKLE, SPILLS SOURCE “It’s set to be a relaxed trip without all the pomp and formality of a royal tour,” explains the insider. “William and Kate are planning to have a lot of fun.” A stop in New York City is at the top of their to-do list. “William and Kate are keeping the specific details hush-hush, but there are whispers they’ll lease a townhouse overlooking Central Park,” dishes the insider. “They prefer the idea of doing that over staying in a hotel, which would be less private.” MEGA While there are sure to be dinners with elected officials, the insider says the pair — who last visited NYC seven years ago — want to check out The Metropolitan Museum of Art and a zoo for the children. “The kids adore animals,” says the insider, “and Williams and Kate want to make sure they enjoy themselves.” BILLION DOLLAR BABIES! SEE HOW MUCH PRINCE GEORGE, PRINCESS CHARLOTTE, NORTH WEST & MORE CELEBRITY KIDS ARE SET TO INHERIT Then they’ll hit the West Coast. “The plan is to stay at a rented mansion in the Beverly Hills area, which will be gated and protected by armed guards,” says the insider, adding the Cambridges will be traveling with their own security team. The pair, who wed in 2011, have carved out special time for date nights too. “Kate’s a wonderful cook,” notes the insider, “and she can’t wait to sample the cuisine at a couple of fine restaurants.” There will be the opportunity for a candlelit dinner or two at home as well. “They’ve hired an in-house chef, and they’ll also try to make time for a movie night with the kids.” One thing that’s not on the agenda yet is a visit with William’s estranged brother, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle. Harry, 37, and Meghan, 40, have been busy settling into their new life in Montecito, Calif., with son Archie, 2, and daughter Lilibet, 7 months. The brothers haven’t seen each other in person since July when they reunited at a memorial for their late mother, Princess Diana. “The relationship between William and Harry has hardly improved since the Sussexes left England,” confides the insider. “They don’t talk much.” MEGA While nothing is set in stone, the insider says Harry and Meghan have yet to invite Kate and WIlliam to their estate, adding that the duo are territorial of their star-studded neighborhood. “Harry and Megan constantly rub shoulders with the likes of Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry and are frequent guests of Ellen DeGeneres‘, and they wouldn’t want William and Kate to steal their thunder.” Kiddos George and Charlotte are said to be upset and tearful over Harry’s snub. “They really wanted to see their cousin Archie and meet Lilibet,” shares the insider. “William and Kate have tried to explain it in simple terms — and a reunion could still happen — but they don’t want the children to pin their hopes on it.” At the end of the day, William and Kate won’t let anything put a damper on their dream getaway. Adds the insider: “The Cambridges are focused on making sure it’s an epic adventure for the whole family.” View the full article

Published by AFP National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci promised more Covid testing available to Americans in January Washington (AFP) – Top US pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci on Sunday acknowledged a Covid “testing problem” as the Omicron strain overwhelms the nation, and he vowed to make more tests available to Americans next month. “One of the problems is that that’s not going to be totally available to everyone until we get to January, and there are still some issues now of people having trouble getting tested,” Fauci told ABC talk show “This Week.” “But we’re addressing the testing problem,” he added, saying it should be corrected “very soon.” Covid cases have skyrocketed across the United States in recent weeks as the highly infectious Omicron variant became the dominant strain, overwhelming hospitals and Covid testing sites as Americans rushed to get tested for holiday travel. Authorities have recorded an average of over 175,000 new daily cases over the recent period, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Omicron has forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights in the United States as crews called in sick or had to quarantine after exposure to the virus and airlines scrambled to rebook frustrated passengers who had hoped to spend Christmas with their families. Fauci said the administration was ramping up in order to cope. “The president’s multi-part component of the response is to make sure that we have adequate backup for hospitals with military personnel, doctors, nurses and other health care providers, making sure that there’s enough PPE (personal protective equipment) and that if needed, there’s enough ventilators in the national strategic stockpile,” he said. The White House adviser also stressed that Omicron was “extraordinarily contagious.” At the same time, Fauci noted that recent studies in South Africa and Britain indicate that Omicron was less likely to lead to hospitalization than the previous strains of the virus and that the duration of hospital stays and oxygen needs for patients were lower. But Fauci also warned that Omicron’s apparent lower severity is likely to be neutralized by how fast it is spreading. “The issue that we don’t want to get complacent about… is that when you have such a high volume of new infections, it might override a real diminution in severity,” Fauci said. On Tuesday, the White House announced its new Covid response plan, which includes additional aid to hospitals and ramping up vaccination and testing, but no new restrictions ahead of the end-of-year holidays. View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) -South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a veteran of the struggle against white minority rule, died on Sunday aged 90. Following are reactions to his death. PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA “The passing of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu is another chapter of bereavement in our nation’s farewell to a generation of outstanding South Africans who have bequeathed us a liberated South Africa. “Desmond Tutu was a patriot without equal; a leader of principle and pragmatism who gave meaning to the biblical insight that faith without works is dead.” THABO MAKGOBA, ARCHBISHOP OF CAPE TOWN “Desmond Tutu’s legacy is moral strength, moral courage and clarity. He felt with the people. In public and alone, he cried because he felt people’s pain. And he laughed – no, not just laughed, he cackled with delight when he shared their joy.” NELSON MANDELA FOUNDATION “His contributions to struggles against injustice, locally and globally, are matched only by the depth of his thinking about the making of liberator futures for human societies. He was an extraordinary human being. A thinker. A leader. A shepherd.” VATICAN TELEGRAM “His Holiness Pope Francis was saddened to learn of the death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu… Mindful of his service to the gospel through the promotion of racial equality and reconciliation in his native South Africa, his Holiness commends his soul to the loving mercy of Almighty God.” FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA “Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a mentor, a friend and a moral compass for me and so many others. A universal spirit, Archbishop Tutu was grounded in the struggle for liberation and justice in his own country, but also concerned with injustice everywhere. “He never lost his impish sense of humour and willingness to find humanity in his adversaries, and Michelle and I will miss him dearly.” UK’S QUEEN ELIZABETH “I am joined by the whole Royal Family in being deeply saddened by the news of the death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a man who tirelessly championed human rights in South Africa and across the world. I remember with fondness my meetings with him and his great warmth and humour. “Archbishop Tutu’s loss will be felt by the people of South Africa, and by so many people in Great Britain, Northern Ireland and across the Commonwealth, where he was held in such high affection and esteem.” UN SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES “I am deeply saddened by the passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu – a towering global figure for peace & justice, voice of the voiceless & inspiration to people everywhere. “We will continue to draw strength from his humanity, passion & resolve to fight for a better world for all.” FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER “No words better exemplify his ministry than the three he contributed to a work of art at The Carter Center: Love, freedom and compassion.” JOHN STEENHUISEN, LEADER OF SOUTH AFRICAN OPPOSITION PARTY THE DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE “A true South African giant has left us today, but his spirit will live on … in our continued effort to build a united, successful, non-racial South Africa for all … When we lost our way, he was the moral compass that brought us back.” EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JOSEP BORRELL “Desmond Tutu did a lot of good for the world. His legacy of resistance to apartheid and to inequalities lives on in today’s South Africa and for all humankind.” ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY JUSTIN WELBY “Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a prophet and priest, a man of words and action – one who embodied the hope and joy that were the foundations of his life.” THE DALAI LAMA, TIBET’S SPIRITUAL LEADER “The friendship and the spiritual bond between us was something we cherished. Archbishop Desmond Tutu was entirely dedicated to serving his brothers and sisters for the greater common good.” BERNICE KING, DAUGHTER OF MARTIN LUTHER KING “I’m saddened to learn of the death of global sage, human rights leader, and powerful pilgrim on earth … We are better because he was here.” WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES “His contagious sense of humour and laughter has helped to resolve many critical situations in South Africa’s political and church life. He was able to break almost any deadlock. He shared with us the laughter and grace of God many a time.” UK PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON “He was a critical figure in the fight against apartheid and in the struggle to create a new South Africa – and will be remembered for his spiritual leadership and irrepressible good humour.” UK DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER DOMINIC RAAB “His adage, ‘Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument’, has never felt more apt.” MEXICAN PRESIDENT ANDRES MANUEL LOPEZ OBRADOR “One of his sayings is terse, but forceful and true: ‘If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.'” BASIM NAEEM, SENIOR OFFICIAL WITH PALESTINIAN ISLAMIST MILITANT GROUP HAMAS “Our Palestinian people lost a strong supporter of their march towards freedom and independence. Father Desmond Tutu spent his entire life struggling against racism and defending human rights and especially on the Palestinian land.” WASEL ABU YOUSSEF, MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANISATION “Father Desmond Tutu was one of the biggest supporters of the Palestinian cause. He had always advocated the rights of the Palestinians to gain their freedom and rejected Israeli occupation and apartheid.” UNAIDS, THE JOINT UNITED NATIONS PROGRAMME ON HIV/AIDS “He was a powerful voice in the fight against AIDS, combating denial, demanding access to treatment for all, calling out against discrimination of people living with HIV, and championing the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, women, and children. His work on HIV and tuberculosis prevention and treatment changed global paradigms and saved many lives.” (Reporting by South Africa bureau; Additional reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru and Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza; Editing by David Goodman, John Stonestreet and Hugh Lawson) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Nqobile Dludla and James Macharia Chege JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and veteran of South Africa’s struggle against apartheid who was revered as his nation’s conscience by both Black and white, died on Sunday aged 90. Tutu won the Nobel prize in 1984 Key dates in the life of South African cleric and activist Desmond Tutu in recognition of his non-violent opposition to white minority rule. A decade later, he witnessed the end of that regime and chaired a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, set up to unearth atrocities committed under it. Ever outspoken, he preached against the tyranny of the white minority. After apartheid ended, he called the Black political elite to account with as much feistiness as he had the Afrikaners, but his enduring spirit of reconciliation in a divided nation always shone through, and tributes https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/reaction-death-south-africas-desmond-tutu-2021-12-26 to him poured in from around the world on Sunday. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described Tutu in a televised address as “one of our nation’s finest patriots” adding, “our nation’s loss is indeed a global bereavement.” U.S. President Joe Biden said Tutu followed his spiritual calling to create a better, freer, and more equal world. “His legacy transcends borders and will echo throughout the ages.” “Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a mentor, a friend and a moral compass for me and so many others,” former President Barack Obama said. “He never lost his impish sense of humour and willingness to find humanity in his adversaries.” Bill Clinton called Tutu’s life “a gift.” TWO NOBELS ON ONE STREET Born near Johannesburg, Tutu spent most of his later life in Cape Town and led numerous marches and campaigns to end apartheid from St George’s Cathedral’s front steps. Tutu died “peacefully” on Sunday morning in a Cape Town nursing home, a representative of his Archbishop Desmond Tutu IP Trust said. He will lie in state at St George’s on Friday before his funeral service there on Saturday, it said. Looking frail and in a wheelchair, he was last seen in public in October at St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town – a one-time safe haven for anti-apartheid activists – for a service marking his 90th birthday. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the late 1990s and was later hospitalised several times to treat infections associated with treatment for it. In his final years he also regretted that his dream of a “Rainbow Nation” https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africas-tutu-anti-apartheid-hero-who-never-stopped-fighting-rainbow-nation-2021-12-26 had yet to come true, and often fell out with erstwhile allies at the ruling African National Congress party over their failures to address the poverty and inequalities that they promised to eradicate. Just five feet five inches (1.68 metres) tall and with an infectious giggle, Tutu travelled tirelessly through the 1980s to become the face of the anti-apartheid movement abroad while many of the leaders of the then rebel ANC, including future President Nelson Mandela, were behind bars. Long-time friends, Tutu and Mandela lived for a time on the same street in the South African township of Soweto, making Vilakazi Street the only one in the world to have been home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners. “His most characteristic quality is his readiness to take unpopular positions without fear,” Mandela once said of Tutu. “Such independence of mind is vital to a thriving democracy.” ‘A PROPHET AND A PRIEST’ Having officially retired from public life on his 79th birthday Tutu – who once said of himself: “I wish I could shut up, but I can’t, and I won’t” – continued to speak out on a range of moral issues. John Steenhuisen, leader of opposition party The Democratic Alliance, said Tutu’s spirit would live on “in our continued effort to build a united, successful, non-racial South Africa for all.” In 2008, Tutu accused the West of complicity in Palestinian suffering by remaining silent. In 2013, he declared his support for gay rights, saying he would never “worship a God who is homophobic.” Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby on Sunday hailed Tutu as “a prophet and priest” while Pope Francis offered heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. In a letter to Tutu’s daughter Reverend Mpho Tutu, Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, said the world had “lost a great man, who lived a truly meaningful life.” “We are better because he was here,” said Martin Luther King’s daughter Bernice. (Additional reporting by Wendell Roelf and Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; Writing by James Macharia Chege;Editing by Kirsten Donovan, John Stonestreet and Richard Chang) View the full article

Key West is an ideal destination to go balls out on your next vacation. Photo courtesy Equator Resort.It’s not hard to sell prospective gay travelers on Key West’s gorgeous weather and vibrant LGBTQ+ community, but when it comes to the island’s clothing-optional culture, many folks are quick to decide it’s not for them. I should know. I used to be one of those people. I’d never been even a little curious about a clothing-optional vacation (in fact, I was fully swimming with a shirt on well into my 30s), but when I arrived for my first ever visit to Key West, it was nothing like I imagined … or feared. If you’ve ever been curious about what it’s like to trade your swimsuit for your birthday suit, we’ve got 10 reasons why Key West is the perfect place to give clothing-optional a try on your next vacation. Sponsored Post We appreciate Key West as a Towleroad sponsor. Without their support we would not be able to bring the site to you. We think most of our readership will really enjoy Key West. So, if warmer weather travel is in your future, consider it. 1. You’re In Control The most important thing for first-timers to keep in mind is that “clothing-optional” does not mean “nudity-mandatory.” In most Key West clothing-optional spaces, you’ll encounter folks in all states of undress. Sure, some folks are wearing their bathing suit in the pool. They’re typically the minority, but they’re no less welcome. “Just remember, it’s optional,” said Anthony Sibilly-Juarez, general manager of the Equator Resort, one of Key West’s clothing optional guesthouses. “The clothing-optional aspect is not something that is required. It’s not what you’re fearing it is. You’re going to have a good time, you’re going to relax. If you choose to lose your clothes, great, if you don’t, great, too.” Is it a sexually-charged atmosphere? Sure. But not much more than most gay spaces. No matter anyone’s motivations, there’s room for all comers. “It becomes a sanctuary where you feel safe, you are among like-minded people,” Sibilly-Juarez said. “Whether you’re more of a nudist, and you enjoy the freedom of it, or the more sexual component to it, there’s lots of factors that play into it.” 2. You’ll Fit Right in A major concern for a lot of guys considering a clothing-optional vacation is what everyone else there will look like. Of course, every trip will feature its own rotating cast of fellow travelers, but it’s fair to expect you will be surrounded by people whom you do and do not want to have sex with, as well as people who do and do not want to have sex with you. Sort of like anywhere else. On my trips to the island, I’ve met men ages 18-80, hairy and smooth, twinks, bears, otters and every zoo creature in between. If there’s one kind of person not welcome in the Key West “One Human Family,” it’s the judgmental. 3. You Can Let Loose Most visitors aren’t in Key West for a long time, but they are typically there for a good time, which makes it easy to let your guard — and swim trunks — down. “During one of my first conferences, someone asked me, “What do you do for a living?” Sibilly-Juarez said. “Well, I make sure the boys are naked, the porn is on and the liquor is flowing.” Who could ask for anything more? Because Key West is such a popular vacation destination, folks are already primed to party. It’s easy to strike up a conversation with a good-natured stranger when everyone’s leaving their worries (and clothes and inhibitions) at the door. 4. You May Surprise Yourself Just slipping out of your Speedo may be achievement enough, but that could just be the beginning. Sibilly-Juarez recalled one specific guest: 5. You’ve Got Options Not all clothing-optional experiences are alike, and even on the 2-by-4 mile island, three male-only, clothing-optional guesthouses offer visitors a variety of vibes. Equator, for example, boasts a collection of uniquely designed rooms, pools and jacuzzis in a sexy, secluded, grotto-like atmosphere. Every room has its own bathroom (versus guesthouses that offer a broader price range with shared bathrooms), and they don’t offer memberships from locals. It keeps the property peaceful and serene, though happy hour brings out guests to mix and mingle. Meanwhile, New Orleans House on Duval Street offers guests unparalleled access to Key West nightlife and the backyard bar scene at Bourbon Street Pub. Centrally-located near the gay bars and drag shows, it’s a great spot for the guest who loves the nightlife (and doesn’t mean a little extra late-night ambiance from the streets below). Then there’s Island House, which famously blends the best of bathhouses and resort amenities while attracting a steady stream of locals for a reliably lively party atmosphere. The dedicated “play space,” steamrooms and wild pool parties make it a more sex-forward environment. Clothes on or off, everyone’s welcome in Key West. Photo courtesy Island House.6. You Don’t Need Apps to Get Laid Let’s get real: For all the talk about how sex isn’t a necessary component of the clothing-optional experience, it’s certainly not hard to find either. “This is debauchery at its finest, but it’s five-star sleaze,” said Jeffrey Smead, general manager of Island House. At Island House, sex does spill over from the “red room” to the jacuzzi and steam rooms, but it’s just as easy to avoid if it’s not your thing. For those travelers who have replaced cruising with apps, Island House offers a radically refreshing way to connect. “For that new generation that isn’t used to hearing about a product like this, they kind of put it in a box, they say, ‘Oh, well, that’s a bathhouse, and I don’t go to bathhouses.’ It’s like why don’t you just take the label away, and give yourself permission to experience something new?” 7. You’ll Make Friends No, really. Not “friends” like the guy saved in your phone as “Brandon? (Eagle),” but actual friends. “No other environment introduces people so casually yet in a setting that is so outrageous,” Smead is quick to point out. “This is the place where the couple from Tulsa, Oklahoma meets the couple from Tampa meets the couple from Connecticut, and they end up going to dinner together on the fly. Then a couple of them end up going to Bourbon Street Pub for late night cocktails and then they inevitably will come back 3 a.m. to Island House and get some elevated bar fare here, then hot tub and jacuzzi time. That’s what this place does, you don’t plan your experience. You come here with a clean slate, you take your watch off your wrist, you put your cell phone down and you jump in headfirst into the experience.” I’ve seen this at work in my own travels around the island. In just three short trips, I’ve nurtured enough relationships with locals and fellow travelers to coordinate future travel together. It may not have been solely the nudity that led to our friendship, but the general sense of openness and community didn’t hurt. Captain Nick on the BluQ (before the trunks came off). 8. You’ll Take More Than Half Off at This Sail Clothing-optional Key West experiences aren’t limited to the guesthouses — or even dry land! The BluQ offers all-male, clothing-optional sails (as well as sunset sails open to all LGBTQ+ people). The trip includes a half day on Key West’s beautiful waters, snorkeling, enjoying drinks (the sails are BYOB) on a sandbar with a group of fellow travelers. Sure, sitting in the surf with a cold one is great, but you should try it while soaking up all the sun in those places it doesn’t usually shine. Group sizes range from less than 10 to about two dozen for larger groups. It’s a great way to meet travelers staying at different guesthouses. 9. You Can Experience a True Key West Party For those looking for an even deeper dive into the clothing-optional experience, there’s Bone Island Bare It All, a gathering of gay nudists that takes over all three, all-male, clothing-optional resorts, plus Alexander Guesthouse, which typically is open to LGBTQ+ guests of all genders. 10. You’ll See How Normal Naked Can Be The most surprising thing about the nudity in Key West is just how unsurprising it can feel in practice. In Key West, even the realtors are naked, just ask Paul Brooks. You might recognize him from his cheeky postcards displayed at Island House and Equator (and soon New Orleans House as well). On the front, he’s naked, a black bar with the text “LOOKING … ” covering all the best bits. On the back it says, “TO BUY OR SELL A HOME IN KEY WEST?” It’s a clever way to catch some eyeballs, but it’s also a tactic tailor made for the Key West crowd. “Being here, being in a very clothing-optional community definitely allows me to do that,” he said. “Otherwise, it would be very plain real estate marketing.” Key West’s queer community and welcoming “Come As You Are” spirit are two reasons it’s so open to clothing-optional experiences, but Brooks thinks there’s another element at play. “It’s the tropics,” he said. “You’re in endless sunshine, of course you want to get naked and sunbathe, who doesn’t?!” If you can no longer resist the urge to strip down in the Key West sunshine, explore more of our previous Key West Content and start planning your next gaycation to Key West today. View the full article

=Buck SlipQueen Misses Husband. Doesn’t miss opportunity to say she understands the pain of others experiencing loss, and slips a gift in her almost hilarious modeling of a response to a fabricated constituent claiming that Xmas joy is for kids. Says kids are just half the story and that Xmas, of course, plays to the children in all of us. WATCH, Listen. She does it better. — Editor [This post contains video, click to play] Published by Reuters By Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Queen Elizabeth spoke of the loss of her husband Prince Philip on Sseaturday, remembering the “mischievous twinkle” in his eyes in an unusually personal Christmas message to the nation. The 95-year-old monarch said that while Christmas was a time of happiness for many, it could be hard for those who had lost loved ones, and this year especially she understood why, having lost Philip, 99, in April after 73 years of marriage. “His sense of service, intellectual curiosity and capacity to squeeze fun out of any situation were all irrepressible,” she said in her traditional pre-recorded festive broadcast, paying tribute to “my beloved Philip”. “That mischievous enquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him,” she said. The queen said she knew Philip would want his family to enjoy Christmas, and there would be joy for them despite the absence of his “familiar laugh”. She delivered her address seated at a desk on which stood a photograph of herself and Philip, standing arm-in-arm and smiling at each other. The photo was taken in 2007, when the couple were marking their Diamond Wedding Anniversary. For her broadcast, the queen wore a sapphire brooch that she wore on her honeymoon in 1947 and for the Diamond Wedding portrait. Photos of her and Philip at various stages of their lives appeared on the screen while she spoke. Elizabeth is spending Christmas at Windsor Castle, west of London, for the second year running, a break from royal tradition caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A palace source said this reflected a precautionary approach when the Omicron variant is spreading fast. Close family members were due to visit her, including her eldest son Prince Charles and his wife Camilla. She was not expected to make a public appearance. Usually, all the Windsors gather for Christmas at another one of her homes, the Sandringham estate in eastern England. Their walk to a nearby church for a Christmas service is a staple of the royal calendar. With Britain’s daily COVID infection numbers hitting records, the queen last week cancelled a pre-Christmas lunch with her family, also as a precaution. In her message, she also spoke of her upcoming Platinum Jubilee year, which starts in February and will mark her 70 years on the throne. She is the longest-reigning monarch in British history, having in 2015 overtaken her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria. She said she hoped the jubilee would be a chance for people “to give thanks for the enormous changes of the last 70 years, social, scientific and cultural, and also to look ahead with confidence”. (Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; editing by Barbara Lewis) Queen misses husband on Towleroad Johnny Depp To Grill James Franco Over Alleged Amber Heard Affair More U.S. airlines scrap hundreds of Christmas Day flights due to Omicron More NASA launches revolutionary space telescope to give glimpse of early universe More Americans proceed with holiday plans despite Omicron surge More James Franco’s accusers slam star over interview: ‘He continues to downplay survivors’ experiences’ More Trump asks Supreme Court to block release to Capitol riot probe More From Kabul to Kentucky: Afghans put down roots in refugee haven More Tom Holland: Playing Spider-Man is a ‘brotherhood’ More Olly Alexander eats mince pies every day More Jonathan Groff was amazed by the work ethic of Keanu Reeves during The Matrix Resurrections More US to lift travel ban on southern Africa: official More Load More View the full article