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Published by Reuters By Danielle Kaye NEW YORK (Reuters) – Carla Benton, a Chicago-based book copy editor, was preparing for a Christmas trip to Europe when the Omicron variant of the coronavirus began to make headlines in late November. She quickly canceled her international travel plans due to rapidly changing travel restrictions and testing requirements, initially opting to stay in the United States and visit her sister in Houston, Texas instead. Benton ultimately decided to cancel all travel and stay home in Chicago for the holidays. “I’d initially hoped to be able to play some of my trip by ear,” Benton said. “While I’m fully vaccinated and following precautions here in Chicago, I was worried about the potential for a surprise positive test and quarantine abroad.” The Transportation Security Administration has screened more than 2 million people daily for the past four days, but it still remains down about 15% over pre-pandemic levels. TSA said it expects to screen 30 million people between Monday and Jan. 3 even as U.S. COVID-19 cases spike and Omicron spreads. Airlines have in recent weeks reported some uptick in cancellations. Still, millions of Americans are expected to hit the highways and board flights to celebrate with family and friends over the holidays. Delta Air Lines Inc said last week that Omicron had slowed international bookings as many countries imposed new travel restrictions. However, the airline’s chief executive officer, Ed Bastian, told CNBC that “Omicron (is) not going to impact our holiday bookings.” United Airlines is flying its busiest schedule this month since the start of the pandemic, with more than 4,000 flights per day on average during the year-end holidays. The airline said it added more than 200 daily domestic flights to meet holiday travel demand. Similarly, Southwest Airlines said on Monday the airline is encouraged by holiday demand trends. American Airlines incoming Chief Executive Robert Isom told Reuters the airline’s domestic business remained strong but the new travel restrictions had dampened demand in some international markets. Nationally, COVID cases rose 9% in the past week but are up 57% since the start of December, according to a Reuters tally. The spike in U.S. COVID-19 cases is causing some worry about the future of travel. Omicron fears and new travel restrictions have prompted a rise in global hotel cancellations, according to online hotel search firm Trivago. As cases continued to climb, investors pushed airline and travel stocks lower on Monday. United Airlines dropped 3.3%, while Royal Caribbean Group slipped 3.4% after 48 people on its Symphony of the Seas cruise ship tested positive for COVID-19. And Carnival Corp said on Monday Omicron is already hitting the cruise line’s near-term bookings. But more than half of Americans still did not intend to cancel their holiday travel plans as of early December, according to a poll from market research firm Ipsos released Dec. 7, when Omicron was already spreading in the United States. The American Automobile Association still expects this year to bring holiday travel in line with 2017 volumes, following the dramatic decrease in 2020. “Our forecast focuses on domestic travel, which we do not expect to be affected to the extent that international travel might,” said Ellen Edmonds, public relations manager at AAA. Major U.S. airports, preparing for a surge in holiday travelers, are maintaining their existing COVID-19 safety protocols like mandatory masking and extra cleaning. Denver International Airport spokesperson Alex Renteria said the airport still expects an uptick in travel over the holiday period, in line with high passenger volume since Thanksgiving. In the first half of December, passenger traffic at Miami International Airport was up 9% compared to the same period in 2019, according to communications director Greg Chin. Travel through the Florida airport is surpassing even pre-pandemic levels, with the average number of daily departing flights up nearly 12% compared with December 2019. (Reporting by Danielle Kaye; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) View the full article

Published by AFP Former US president Donald Trump is to hold a news conference in Mar-a-Lago on January 6, 2022 Washington (AFP) – Donald Trump announced on Tuesday he will hold a news conference in Florida on January 6, the anniversary of the violent storming of Congress by his supporters. The 75-year-old former president said he would discuss the November 2020 election and repeated his false claims that he defeated Joe Biden. Trump, in a statement released by a spokeswoman, also criticized the congressional committee investigating the January 6 assault on the US Capitol. He said the House of Representatives committee of “highly partisan political hacks” should instead be probing the “rigged Presidential Election of 2020.” “I will be having a news conference on January 6th at Mar-a-Lago to discuss all of these points, and more,” Trump said. “Until then, remember the insurrection took place on November 3rd, it was the completely unarmed protest of the rigged election that took place on January 6th,” he said. Trump, who lost the 2020 election to Biden by more than seven million votes, has hinted in recent months that he may seek the Republican presidential nomination again in 2024. Trump was impeached by the Democratic-majority House following the January 6 attack on the Capitol but was acquitted by the Republican-controlled Senate. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Spurred by the coronavirus pandemic, dozens of U.S. cities are deploying a new tool in their war on poverty: cash. At least 16 cities and counties are handing out no-strings-attached payments to some low-income residents, a Reuters tally found. At least 31 other local governments plan to do so in the months ahead. That’s a departure from most U.S. anti-poverty programs, which provide benefits for specific needs like groceries or rent and require recipients to hold a job or look for work. Advocates say the people receiving the aid, not bureaucrats, know best how to spend their money. “It’s a complete rejection of the notion that we need to Big Brother people to a way out of poverty,” said Michael Tubbs, who set up the nation’s first “basic income” program in 2019 while he was mayor of Stockton, California. Jonathan Pedro, 37, said he has been able to pay down debt and buy hockey equipment for his 11-year-old son thanks to the $500 monthly checks he gets through a Cambridge, Massachusetts program aimed at single parents. “I’ve been trying really hard to bounce back and this check makes it so much easier,” he said. Cash payments were a pillar of the U.S. safety net for much of the 20th century but fell out of favor amid criticism that they discouraged people from working. Democratic President Bill Clinton scaled them back, made them temporary and added a work requirement in 1996. Fewer than one in four poor families now get those benefits. In recent years, the notion of a universal basic income has gained currency in the face of worries that automation will lead to widespread layoffs, and a belief among racial-justice advocates that the current system is inadequate and demeaning. Andrew Yang made it the centerpiece of his long-shot bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. The federal government provided a proof of concept over the past two years, sending more than $800 billion to households in three COVID-19 aid packages. Washington delivered another $93 billion to 36 million families this year through an expanded child tax credit. Those relief packages included $500 billion to state and local governments, and at least 16 local governments are using the money to set up Stockton-style basic income programs for low-income residents, records show. Others are drawing on funds provided by Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, an advocacy group formed by Tubbs, or private philanthropy. “We’re 60 years into the war on poverty, and the notion of giving money to poor people still feels profoundly new. Maybe that’s the problem,” said Melvin Carter, the mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, which launched a basic income program last year. Unlike Yang’s proposal, which would have covered everybody, the new city-based programs are small in scale, typically serving several hundred families, and are aimed only at low-income people. Some cities invite people to apply and then do a random drawing. Others focus on specific populations: St. Paul targets families with newborn children, while Pittsburgh says half of its 200 participants will be Black women. Durham, North Carolina, will provide checks to people getting out of prison. A program in Jackson, Mississippi, focuses on Black mothers in public housing. Advocates hope these efforts will ultimately convince Washington to set up a national basic income program. They point to a sheaf of studies that show positive results. Participants in Stockton’s program were more likely to be working full-time, while participants in Jackson were more likely to pay their bills on time. One survey found that recipients spent less on alcohol and tobacco than they did before. ‘ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS’ With many U.S. businesses struggling to hire workers, some say it would be better to expand existing programs. “If the goal is more work, then we have alternative options,” said Kevin Corinth, who served as a top White House economist in the Trump administration and is now at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. A national program also would be expensive. One proposal to keep every American above the poverty line, set at $26,500 for a family of four in 2021, would cost $876 billion, more than doubling U.S. anti-poverty spending. Another would cost more than twice that amount. Advocates say their first step is to shore up the expanded child tax credit, which is due to expire at the end of this year. Cost concerns prompted Democrats to cut a permanent expansion from President Joe Biden’s imperiled $1.75 trillion “Build Back Better” spending proposal. In the meantime, low-income participants like Andrea Coleman, 40, are finding it a little easier to make ends meet. The mother of three, who works as a home nurse, said she plans to buy a proper pair of shoes to replace the foam sandals that serve as her only footwear in St. Paul, Minnesota, where the temperature is expected to dip to 7 degrees Fahrenheit (-13.9° Celsius) this week. “It’s that extra money that helps get over that little hump, helps get that burden off your back,” she said. “It gives me a free heart.” (Reporting by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Scott Malone and Paul Simao) View the full article

Published by DPA Maximillien Aguttes, Aguttes auction house's development manager, presents a screen showing a phone with the World's first ever SMS, a day before it is auctioned at the Aguttes auction house.The world's first Short Message Service item is going under the hammer at the Aguttes auction house in Paris as a non-fungible token (NFT), meaning it has a digital certificate of authenticity and is considered the original. Alain Jocard/AFP/dpa The world’s first SMS – a short greeting with only the words “Merry Christmas” – was sold at auction for 107,000 euros (121,000 dollars) on Tuesday. The Short Message Service (SMS) item went under the hammer at the Aguttes auction house in Paris as a non-fungible token (NFT), meaning it has a digital certificate of authenticity and is considered the original. The unidentified buyer of the NFT – secured by blockchain technology – is now verifiably the owner of the 2-word SMS from 1992. Vodafone programmer Neil Papworth sent the message in December that year to a colleague who received it while he was at the company Christmas party. Such digital certificates are gaining in popularity: The NFT of Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s first tweet was sold for 2.9 million dollars at auction earlier this year, while Tim Berners Lee’s first source code for the World Wide Web fetched 5.4 million dollars. Auction house development manager Maximilien Aguttes said the first SMS was “a historic testament to human and technological progress.” For legal reasons, the winning bidder also received tangible assets along with the SMS, including a digital picture frame to display it in. Vodafone said it would donate the proceeds of the auction to the UN refugee agency UNHCR. Despite alternatives like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, Papworth still believes in a future for the SMS. “SMS was declared dead 20 years ago, but it is still here – and it will still be here in the future,” Papworth, 51, told dpa in Montreal. “Next year the SMS will be 30 years old, and after that I guess we will also be celebrating its 40th birthday.” The demand for SMS has weakened in the last few years as many consumers have switched to using messaging apps instead. However, Papworth said those services were not relevant for some parts of the population. “When I ask some friends something on Facebook Messenger, they answer two weeks later; when I send them a text, they answer immediately,” Papworth said. He thinks that the SMS will still be important in future for elderly people and for countries with a weak network infrastructure. In the 90s, Papworth had been working in England for Sema Group, an IT company which did technical services and programming for Vodafone. “We wrote their original text messaging system,” he said. Nowadays he lives in Canada and works for another IT company where he is not in touch with telecommunication issues any more. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jarrett Renshaw and Ahmed Aboulenein WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration will open federal COVID-19 testing sites in New York City this week and buy 500 million at-home rapid tests that Americans can order online for free starting in January as it tries to tackle the Omicron variant of the coronavirus sweeping the country. Striking a more dire tone about the risks to the one-in-four American adults who are not fully vaccinated, President Joe Biden will lay out the initiatives in a speech on Tuesday warning of the risks from the fast-spreading variant https://www.reuters.com/world/us/omicron-fueled-covid-wave-crashes-into-new-york-days-before-christmas-2021-12-20, a senior administration official said. The measures include activating some 1,000 military medical personnel to support hospitals already being overwhelmed by COVID patients in some areas. “We will also note that if you are unvaccinated, you are at high risk of getting sick. This variant is highly transmissible and the unvaccinated are eight times more likely to be hospitalized and 14 times more likely to die from COVID,” the official said. Biden’s COVID-19 response has been criticized https://www.reuters.com/world/us/rising-cases-omicron-highlight-holes-bidens-covid-strategy-experts-say-2021-12-20 for focusing on vaccines at the detriment of testing and masking, and for underestimating the impact of the politically motivated anti-vaccine movement in the United States. The new federal measures will not be fully in place ahead of Christmas on Saturday, leaving many Americans scrambling to find available tests ahead of holiday gatherings and travel – and confused about whether it is safe to press ahead with their plans. The Omicron variant, first detected last month, is causing infections to double in 1.5 to 3 days, according to the World Health Organization. It is not yet known whether it causes more serious illness than the Delta variant. Several studies suggest that the original regimen of authorized vaccines do not work well at preventing COVID-19 infection caused by Omicron, although boosters appear to https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/moderna-says-booster-dose-its-covid-19-vaccine-appears-protective-vs-omicron-2021-12-20significantly increase protection in lab tests. Omicron now accounts for 73% of all new cases, according to the latest U.S. data, up from less than 1% at the beginning of the month. Texas health officials on Monday said the state recorded what is believed to be the first known U.S. death related to Omicron. The rapid rise of infections is once again disrupting life across the country, canceling events from Broadway shows to professional sports. On Monday, the National Hockey League and its players’ union agreed to postpone all games until after Christmas following Tuesday’s slate of contests. In New York, Washington and other U.S. cities there were long lines for COVID-19 tests as people clamored to find out if they were infected before celebrating the holidays with family. Facing criticism that testing resources are inadequate, Biden will announce on Tuesday that the federal government will buy 500 million at-home rapid tests and make them available to all Americans beginning in January via a new website. In addition, the plan calls for health insurers provide test kits at no cost to individuals with coverage, also expected to begin in January. The administration will open multiple federal testing centers starting in New York City ahead of Christmas, a senior administration official said. More federal sites will be opened across the country in areas of high need and when requested by local and state officials, the official said. Top White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Tuesday the government also is mulling reducing the recommended 10-day quarantine time for people who get infected, to help asymptomatic people return to work or school. BREAKTHROUGH INFECTIONS RISE Biden will note that the Omicron variant is so contagious that it will infect vaccinated Americans but that they will be far less likely to become seriously ill. These breakthrough infections are rising among the 61% of the country’s fully vaccinated population, including the 30% who have gotten booster shots. Still, Biden will tell Americans that those who are vaccinated and follow guidance around using masks, especially while traveling, should feel comfortable celebrating the holidays as planned. New COVID-19 cases rose 19% in the United States in the past week and are up 72% since the start of December, according to a Reuters tally. Nearly 283,000 new infections were reported on Monday, the most new cases in a single day since Sept. 3, although some states are reporting multiple days of test results. The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has increased 27% this month, with hospitals in some areas already strained by the Delta variant that emerged earlier this year. There have been more than 51 million infections and 810,000 coronavirus-related deaths reported in the United States since the pandemic began, the most of any country. (Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw and Ahmed Aboulenein; Additional reporting by Maria Caspani and Lisa Shumaker; Editing by Peter Cooney and Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jan Wolfe WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Representative Scott Perry, an ally of former President Donald Trump, on Tuesday said he would not provide information requested by a congressional committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Perry, a Republican, said on Twitter that he would not sit for an interview with the panel and would not provide electronic communications it had requested, including messages he exchanged with Trump’s lawyers. “I stand with immense respect for our Constitution, the rule of law, and the Americans I represent who know that this entity is illegitimate, and not duly constituted under the rules of the U.S. House of Representatives,” Perry said. An appeals court ruled earlier this month that the Jan. 6 Select Committee was legitimate and entitled to see White House records Trump has tried to shield from public view. A spokesman for the committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Perry. On Monday the committee publicly released a letter to Perry that asked him to voluntarily cooperate. The committee said it was seeking information about Trump’s attempts to oust Jeffrey Rosen, the acting head of the U.S. Justice Department during the closing weeks of his presidency, and replace him with Jeffrey Clark, an official at the time who tried to help Trump overturn his election defeat. The letter marked a new phase for the committee’s lawmakers, who have so far not publicly demanded information from Republican colleagues who supported Trump’s efforts to retain power after losing the November 2020 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden. Perry and other Republican lawmakers met with Trump ahead of the attack and discussed how they could block the formal certification by Congress on Jan. 6 of Biden’s victory. (Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Scott Malone and Grant McCool) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English George Michael was proud that Princess Diana considered ‘You Have Been Loved’ as one of her favourite songs. Shirlie Kemp has recalled how her late Wham! colleague – who passed away at the age of 53 on Christmas Day in 2016 – was healed by the fact that the princess loved the song, which featured on his 1996 album ‘Older’. Speaking on the BBC Radio 2 documentary ‘George Michael – Older at 25’, Shirlie, 59, recalled: “I do remember George calling me and telling me that Princess Diana called him, and she said it was one of her favourite songs. “And I think in a way that was healing for him as well and gave him that pride that ultimately a songwriter, after pouring your heart out, you want that. You want to know that people appreciate it. You want to know that people understand that.” Ed Sheeran also hailed the ‘Jesus to a Child’ hitmaker as “one of the best songwriters that England has produced” and lamented his passing. The 30-year-old musician said: “In 1996 when ‘Older’ came out, I was five years old. I think George Michael is one of the best songwriters that England has produced and he’s just a fantastic performer, fantastic songwriter. “As a live performer, he was super captivating, I loved watching videos of him throughout his career. He’s incredible.” Ed added: “I think George has influenced pretty much anyone that’s in music really because it’s sort of travelled through the generations, but it’s a great great loss to the music industry.” The documentary ‘George Michael – Older at 25’ will air on BBC Radio 2 from 9-10pm on Saturday 1st January & Sunday 2nd January 2022 and on BBC Sounds for 30 days afterwards. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jeff Mason (Reuters) – Amid a new surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays, President Joe Biden is drawing criticism from health experts, who are calling for more urgency, testing, masking and global vaccine sharing. Biden, a Democrat, took office in January pledging to get the coronavirus under control. He presided over a massive vaccine rollout and passed a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package, a sharp contrast with his predecessor, Republican Donald Trump, who downplayed the pandemic’s severity, dismissed many preventive measures and undermined health experts. Eleven months into Biden’s term, however, the United States has recorded 800,000 COVID-19 deaths, over 300,000 of those on his watch, the highest total and per capita of the Group of Seven (G70 wealthiest nations. As the Omicron variant bears down and people gather for the holiday season, hospitals in some areas are seeing record high numbers of COVID-19 patients. Biden’s vaccination push has led to 65.2 percent of the eligible population being fully vaccinated, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Republican-led opposition means that figure is less than 50% on some states. Less than 30% of the population has an additional booster shot believed necessary protect against Omicron. The administration needs to push mask wearing, increase pressure on companies to bring down the cost of tests, share technology on vaccines globally and secure more funding to fight the pandemic on a broad scale, health experts said. Many said the White House had let such measures slide while focusing on getting people inoculated. “Where’s the leadership that asks for national sacrifice at a time of emergency?” said Gregg Gonsalves, an associate professor of epidemiology at Yale University. Biden should “get on TV tonight and say: ‘I want you to mask up.'” he said. The White House has repeatedly said it has the tools to fight Omicron without shutting schools and businesses, while promising more free tests and widespread booster distribution. Biden will speak on Tuesday about new plans, including driving home his message to unvaccinated Americans to get a shot and for those who are vaccinated to get a booster. Broadway theaters, universities and professional sports leagues are already canceling or postponing events, reflecting the reality of a new COVID-19 wave. UGLY U.S. POLITICS ON COVID Biden’s toughest challenge fighting the pandemic has been political. Despite the abundance of free and safe vaccines, misinformation spread through social media platforms and pushback on health measures, driven largely by Republican politicians and conservative media, have thwarted his efforts to persuade pockets of the U.S. population to get vaccinated. The administration vowed early on to crack down on private companies spreading vaccine-related misinformation, but it persists. “I think they underestimated the fact that the anti-vaccine movement was first and foremost a political movement,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. A leading killer of young and middle-aged adults in the United States is “anti-science aggression from the far right,” he said. The White House has sought to depoliticize the issue, sending health officials onto Fox News, even as the cable channel’s conservative commentators sow doubt about vaccines and masks. Despite their sometimes significant differences, the White House sees Fox News as an important outlet to disseminate public health information, including on Biden’s Omicron strategy, a White House official said. The president has sparred with Republican governors whose policies clash with his. More recently, his rhetoric has been less political, focused directly on urging people to get a shot. On Thursday, he sounded a grim warning, predicting a winter of “severe illness and death” for those who are unvaccinated. TEST, MASK SUPPLIES AN ISSUE Biden said earlier this month the government would require private health insurers to reimburse their 150 million customers for the cost of over-the-counter, at-home COVID-19 tests and make 50 million tests available free through rural clinics and health centers for the uninsured. Critics call that insufficient. “There’s more uninsured Americans than that, and what we were only supposed to take one rapid test ever? These policies are completely inadequate,” said Angela Rasmussen, an American virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. Surging demand for COVID-19 tests from U.S. employers bringing employees back to work exacerbated a nationwide shortage of rapid tests in the fall, driving up costs for state and local testing programs. The recent spike in cases has led to long testing lines across the country and left Americans scrambling to secure at-home tests at pharmacies and online. The White House said there are tens of thousands of free testing sites across the country, the supply of at-home tests has quadrupled, and a dozen new rapid tests have been authorized to come to the market. “We’re working with governors and state and local health officials to add more capacity,” a White House official said. “We’re also working with manufacturers to expand capacity.” Former CDC Director Tom Frieden told Reuters the administration also needs to step up the promotion of mask wearing and that subsidizing the costs of masks or distributing them could help. “Masks … and vaccination are by far the two most important interventions, and it’s still far too hard for someone to find out the quality of a mask they’re buying, to get masks at a reasonable price. It’s still too much of a Wild West out there in terms of the market,” he said. The Omicron variant that is prolonging the global crisis may not be the last, as vast majorities of people in less-developed nations remain unvaccinated, giving the virus room to mutate. Experts said the Biden administration could have done more to get vaccines to the rest of the world, protecting other populations and Americans as well. “There’s been sort of an ongoing battle with the White House to do more,” said Gonsalves, noting the new Omicron variant came from abroad. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Additional reporting by Julie Steenhuysen and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Heather Timmons) View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] Published by BANG Showbiz English Lana Wachowski has launched an impassioned defence of the film industry after the difficulties of the coronavirus pandemic. The 56-year-old filmmaker has helmed the new movie ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ and admits that it has been hard to see many cinemas closed over the past two years due to the pandemic – as she recalled how films helped her come to terms with her trans identity. Lana, who was formerly known as Larry Wachowski, told The Hollywood Reporter at the premiere of the new ‘Matrix’ movie in San Francisco: “I love movie theatres, and I grew up in them. My best childhood memories were when my family took the day off from school, and we all ran to the movies and packed as many movies as we could into a single day. “My whole life, movie theatres have sustained me. When I was in high school and I was struggling with my identity, I would run to the movies for popcorn, sticky floors and a kung fu movie, and everything seemed like it was going to be OK.” The filmmaker continued: “It’s been hard to be without movie theatres and have them cut off from us and have them closed down. It’s been hard because the collective dreaming that happens in these spaces is how we imagine different futures, different lives, different possibilities, different kinds of hope and different kinds of love. “In my own life, I didn’t always believe in this world. I didn’t believe that I could be an out trans woman Hollywood director.” Lana also reflected on how the 1996 movie ‘Bound’, which she directed with her sister Lilly, was a pivotal moment in her life and career. She explained: “That act of imagining a different kind of outcome for that kind of movie allowed me to imagine a different outcome for my life. “I’m hoping that one day we can get back into movies like this, like tonight, and we can sit shoulder to shoulder again, and we can collectively imagine a different future that maybe the one we’re in right now. Maybe that starts tonight.” Lana Wachowski on Her Trans Struggles on Towleroad Meta to ban surveillance firms from Facebook and Instagram More Aaron Sorkin Says It’s ‘Empty Gesture’ to Cast Gay Actors in Gay Roles; Misses That It is Response to Actors — Once Out — Only Cast As Supporting Stereotypes More Trump sues N.Y. Attorney General to block probe of his businesses More France to make it easier for citizens to take mother’s family name More Britney Spears’ Dad Received $40K Loan From Her Embattled Former Business Manager Before Petitioning For Pop Star’s Conservatorship More Chinese tennis star Peng denies she made accusation of sexual assault More Closing arguments in Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex abuse trial to kick off More Schumer says Senate to vote on Biden plan despite Manchin objections More Ricky Gervais defends Golden Globe stints More Saturday Night Live cancels live audience amid COVID fears More In full: Journalist Maria Ressa’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech More Load More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Meta bans surveillance firms from targeting users on Facebook and Instagram. The company behind the social media giants has said seven surveillance companies have been banned from its platforms for targeting around 50,000 users with “malicious activities”. Meta accused the firms of actions like creating fake accounts, befriending targets, and using hacking methods to harvest information. The company has sent warnings about the activities to the 50,000 affected users and revealed some 1,500 pages had been suspended by Meta across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. According to Meta, the surveillance companies targeted people in more than 100 countries on behalf of their clients. The news comes as Facebook is already taking legal action against the owners of Pegasus over the alleged spreading of software via WhatsApp. The US government blacklisted the firm and others last month, accusing them of providing spyware for foreign governments to “maliciously target” individuals. Nathaniel Gleicher, head of security policy for Meta, said at the time: “The surveillance industry is much bigger than just one company, and it’s much bigger than just malware-for-hire.” He also claimed investigators had found targeting that was “indiscriminate” including ordinary members of the public as well as high-profile figures like politicians and human rights advocates. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Aaron Sorkin thinks only casting gay actors as gay characters is an “empty gesture” and a “bad idea”. The 60-year-old filmmaker has slammed criticism of Spanish actor Javier Bardem being cast as Cuban Desi Arnaz in his new movie ‘Being the Ricardos’ and insisted the segregation happening in the industry is “a little chilling” because there are certain elements of a character that are just “not actable”. He said: “It’s heartbreaking, and a little chilling to see members of the artistic community resegregating ourselves. “This should be the last place there are walls. Spanish and Cuban are not actable. “If I was directing you in a scene and said: ‘It’s cold, you can’t feel your face.’ That’s actable. But if I said: ‘Be Cuban.’ That is not actable. “Nouns aren’t actable. Gay and straight aren’t actable. You can act being attracted to someone, but can’t act gay or straight. So this notion that only gay actors should play gay characters? That only a Cuban actor should play Desi? Honestly, I think it’s the mother of all empty gestures and a bad idea.” Aaron admitted he sees similarities between how Lucille Ball – who is played by Nicole Kidman in ‘Being the Ricardos’ – was treated for her views in the 1950s and the modern cancel culture. He told Sunday Times Culture magazine: “In the movie, Lucille checked a box [backing communism] at a time when it wasn’t a big deal. Sixteen years later, the world changed and she’s hung for it. That reminds you of Twitter.” The ‘West Wing’ showrunner admitted he didn’t think Gina Carano should have been fired from the ‘Star Wars’ franchise after expressing doubt about coronavirus and also being accused of being transphobic, but is aware of wider issues that could have contributed to her dismissal. He said: “I could rebut some things she said, but I don’t think she should lose her job because of it. “On the other hand, if they’re losing advertisers because she’s on the show, that’s different. That’s life in a democracy. Also, it’s different if you spread misinformation about vaccines, for instance. Or incite violence. But we’re going to have to start to be OK with having our feelings hurt once in a while.” AAron Sorkin Gay Actors on Towleroad Trump sues N.Y. Attorney General to block probe of his businesses More France to make it easier for citizens to take mother’s family name More Britney Spears’ Dad Received $40K Loan From Her Embattled Former Business Manager Before Petitioning For Pop Star’s Conservatorship More Chinese tennis star Peng denies she made accusation of sexual assault More Closing arguments in Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex abuse trial to kick off More Schumer says Senate to vote on Biden plan despite Manchin objections More Ricky Gervais defends Golden Globe stints More Saturday Night Live cancels live audience amid COVID fears More In full: Journalist Maria Ressa’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech More Dr. Oz’s Private Speech Leaked! Ex-TV Doctor Says He Told Oprah To ‘Stay Out’ Of His Political Campaign, Praises ‘Brave’ J.K. Rowling For Stance On Trans Rights More Jeffrey Wright Joins ‘Rustin’ Cast Led by Colman Domingo as Bayard Rustin. George C. Wolfe Directs First Obama/Netflix Project More Load More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Brendan Pierson NEW YORK (Reuters) – Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday sued New York Attorney General Letitia James, seeking to stop her civil fraud investigation into his company. He filed the lawsuit in federal court in Syracuse, New York, after it was reported that James’ office would seek to question Trump as it probes whether his company, the Trump Organization, manipulated the valuations of its real estate properties. Trump and the company, which is also a plaintiff in the case, claim that James has violated their rights under the U.S. Constitution by pursuing a politically motivated investigation. “By filing this lawsuit, we intend to not only hold her accountable for her blatant constitutional violations, but to stop her bitter crusade to punish her political opponent in its tracks,” Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, said in an emailed statement. A spokesperson for James’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The civil probe is related to, but separate from, a more-than-three-year-old criminal probe by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance of the Trump Organization’s business practices, which James joined in May. It includes a focus on whether the Trump Organization overstated the value of some real estate assets to obtain loans and tax benefits. In July, the company and longtime Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in what a prosecutor in Vance’s office called a “sweeping and audacious” 15-year tax fraud. In Monday’s lawsuit, Trump and the company claim that James, a Democrat, is motivated by partisan bias against Trump, a Republican, pointing to public statements she made against the former president before she was elected to her position. They are seeking a court order barring the investigation from going forward. (Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Howard Goller) View the full article

Published by Reuters PARIS (Reuters) – France will make it easier for citizens to take their mother’s name once they are adults, Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said on Sunday. He said the government would support a bill proposed by ruling LREM party lawmaker Patrick Vignal to allow children, when they turn 18, to easily change their family name through a simple procedure at the local town hall. French citizens will be free to keep their father’s family name, take their mother’s family name or take both in whichever order they wish. It is already possible for French citizens to change their family name, but it is a long and difficult procedure that requires them to prove to the justice ministry a legitimate reason for doing so. “Nobody should have to reveal their intimate reasons for changing their name to the state,” Dupond-Moretti said on his Twitter account. The law will be voted on in coming weeks. In an interview with Elle magazine, Dupond-Moretti said the new legislation will make it easier to change the family name of citizens raised by single mothers or by two fathers or two mothers. “It will be a law that will favour equality between parents and freedom for all French people,” Dupond-Moretti told Elle. The legislation would also be a solution for people wishing to change their family name after traumatic situations such as incest, or violence by a father against the mother of his children, he said. (Reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Susan Fenton) View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Britney Spears‘ dad Jamie Spears has been exposed! It’s been reported he took out a $40,000 loan prior to requesting to put his daughter under conservatorship in 2008. According to the New York Times, he allegedly secured the borrowed funds from Britney’s former manager Lou Taylor‘s firm, Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group. MEGA Reports indicated Jamie took out the loans while the pop star was hospitalized on an involuntary psychiatric hold. Upon receiving the money from the management company, he filed a petition on a California court to take control over the singer’s estate and personal affairs. A judge approved his request for the conservatorship immediately after he convinced the court that his daughter was incapable of looking after herself due to her struggle with mental health issues. The following year, Jamie hired Tri-Star — the company that loaned him the money — to manage Britney’s estate. MEGA Although it is unclear how the loan money was used, Jamie’s actions raised some concerns on the motive behind the conservatorship. National Guardianship Association president Anthony Palmieri brought up a point while speaking to the Times. “It makes me wonder where the allegiance lies,” Anthony said. “Is the conservator making decisions in the best interest of the conservatee or the business manager who they owe a debt to?” before noting the move “reeks of conflict of interest.” Lou’s lawyer,Charles Harder, responded to the news in a statement claiming Jamie eventually “repaid” the “small loan” before addressing the transaction “had no affect on Tri Star’s work for the estate in later years.” The outlet reported Jamie earned an estimated $6 million from the 13-year guardianship while the management company received 5 percent of Britney’s “adjusted gross entertainment revenue.” Jamie and Lou have also been called into question by Britney’s lawyer,Mathew Rosengart, regarding the singer’s current net worth, which is only $60 million despite receiving large payments for her music, concerts, and TV appearances. Mathew claimed Jamie “did not appear” for two schedule depositions but added, “It should not be necessary, but if he continues to evade his deposition, we will file a motion to compel.” MEGA Earlier this month, Jamie filed a formal complaint with the Los Angeles Superior Court, accusing his daughter of trying to destroy his reputation following his termination from her conservatorship. He claimed Britney and her crew released “statements with no other purpose than to attack” him and attempted to paint him as a “disgraced, suspended conservator.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Tony Munroe and Yew Lun Tian BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai said on Sunday that she had never accused anyone of sexually assaulting her, and that a social media post she had made early last month had been misunderstood. Peng’s well-being became a matter of concern among the global tennis community and rights groups when she appeared to allege that a former Chinese vice premier, Zhang Gaoli, had sexually assaulted her in the past. After that post, she was absent from public view for nearly three weeks. “First, I need to stress one point that is extremely important, I have never said or written that anyone has sexually assaulted me, I have to clearly stress this point,” Peng said in the video posted by Lianhe Zaobao, a Singapore media outlet. Peng’s remarks on Sunday marked the first time she had addressed the matter on camera in public. She spoke on the sidelines of a cross-country skiing event in Shanghai. She said that her post on Weibo, a Twitter-like social media site, which had been quickly removed, was a “private matter”. Peng, 35, said in the video that “people have many misunderstandings” about her Weibo post. She did not elaborate. She also said she had been living at home in Beijing without supervision. In the video, she was not asked about Zhang and did not mention him. Reuters has been unable to reach Peng since her Weibo post. The Women’s Tennis Association, which early this month said it would suspend tournaments in China immediately due to concerns over the treatment of Peng and the safety of other players, continued to call for an investigation. “It was again good to see Peng Shuai in a public setting and we certainly hope she is doing well,” the Florida-based WTA said in a statement. “As we have consistently stated, these appearances do not alleviate or address the WTA’s significant concerns about her well-being and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion,” the WTA said. “We remain steadfast in our call for a full, fair and transparent investigation, without censorship, into her allegation of sexual assault, which is the issue that gave rise to our initial concern.” China has not directly commented on Peng’s initial post, but said after the WTA’s move to suspend tournaments in China that it “opposes the politicization of sports”. Zhang has not commented on the matter. PATRIOTIC ATTIRE Discussion of the scandal, which emerged as Beijing prepares to stage the Winter Olympics in February, has been tightly censored in China. On Sunday, Peng appeared on a fifth-floor viewing balcony with athletes in various sports, including former NBA basketball star Yao Ming, and watched for about 20 minutes, the Singapore paper said. The three-time Olympian wore a black jacket with a China flag and a red T-shirt bearing the characters for China. Previously, Peng had been seen in photos appearing at a tennis tournament in Beijing, and in a video having dinner at a restaurant that was posted on Twitter by a state media editor. On Twitter, a China researcher at Human Rights Watch, Yaqiu Wang, commented sarcastically on the interview, “Wow, so natural, very real, everyone now believes it. Congratulations, the CCP!” The reference was to China’s ruling Communist Party. Peng said in the video posted on Sunday that she had personally written a letter last month to WTA head Steve Simon, in which she denied the allegation of assault, and that an English translation of it by Chinese state media was accurate. Simon had said at the time that he “had a hard time believing” that Peng had actually written the email or believed what had been attributed to her. (Reporting by Tony Munroe and Yew Lun Tian in Beijing, Brenda Goh in Shanghai, and Chen Lin in Singapore; Editing by Stephen Coates and Clarence Fernandez) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) – Closing arguments in Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial are set to kick off on Monday, before the jury begins to weigh whether the British socialite set up teenage girls for the late financier Jeffrey Epstein to abuse. Maxwell, 59, is charged with eight counts of sex trafficking and other crimes. Prosecutors say she recruited and groomed four teenage girls to give erotic massages to Epstein between 1994 and 2004. She has pleaded not guilty, and said on Friday that she would not testify because prosecutors did not prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. During two weeks of testimony from prosecution witnesses, jurors heard from four women who portrayed Maxwell as central to arranging sexual relationships the women said they had with Epstein as teenagers. Two of the women, known as Jane and Carolyn, said they were 14 when Epstein began abusing them. Prosecutor Alison Moe is expected to refer back to their emotional and often explicit testimonies in her closing argument. Moe will likely reference Carolyn’s testimony about how Maxwell sometimes paid her to give Epstein erotic massages, which could be crucial for the prosecution’s argument that Maxwell committed sex trafficking. Maxwell attorney Laura Menninger is expected to respond by questioning the accusers’ credibility. The defense has repeatedly argued that the women’s memories have become corrupted in the decades since the alleged abuse, and that they are motivated by money to implicate Maxwell. Maxwell’s lawyers argue she is being treated as a stand-in for Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial on sex abuse charges. In a Saturday hearing, Maxwell attorney Jeffrey Pagliuca said the defense would argue that Jane was older than she said she was at the time of the alleged sexual encounters with Epstein, and that Maxwell “never had anything to do with Carolyn.” (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Matthew Lewis) View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate will move ahead with a vote on President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan early next year despite opposition from a key Democratic senator, and will also take up voting rights legislation, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday. “The Senate will, in fact, consider the Build Back Better Act, very early in the new year so that every Member of this body has the opportunity to make their position known on the Senate floor, not just on television,” he wrote in a letter to colleagues. “We are going to vote on a revised version of the House-passed Build Back Better Act – and we will keep voting on it until we get something done.” On Sunday, moderate Democrat Senator Joe Manchin dealt a potentially fatal blow to Biden’s $1.75 trillion domestic investment bill, telling Fox News in an interview that he would not vote for the measure.. Schumer also said Congress’ upper chamber would move to consider voting rights legislation soon after returning from its holiday recess in January and would look at changing procedural rules if Republicans “continue to abuse the filibuster” to block the bill. “If the right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, then how can we in good conscience allow for a situation in which the Republican Party can debate and pass voter suppression laws at the state level with only a simple majority vote, but not allow the United States Senate to do the same?” he wrote. (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Toby Chopra and Pravin Char) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Ricky Gervais has insisted he could have said far more “terrible things” to Hollywood stars when hosting the Golden Globe Awards. The 60-year-old comic has famously caused a stir on every one of his five stints fronting the ceremony by mocking the star-studded guests – including memorably accusing them of enabling disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein by “acting like they don’t see a thing” at the 2020 ceremony – but he can’t understand why he gets criticism for giving the celebrities a tough time. He said: “Do I pander to the 200 billionaires in the room or the 200 million people at home sitting in their pants drinking beer who aren’t winning awards, who aren’t billionaires? It’s a no-brainer for a comedian. I’m a jester. I play to the other peasants in the mud. I “I wasn’t going in terrible. Think of the things I could have said. “Think of the f****** terrible things I could have joked about. It’s off the charts – It’s. Off. The. Charts – the terrible things I could say.” But despite upsetting some of the famous faces, the ‘After Life’ star insisted some of the crowd were amused. He added to the Guardian’s Saturday magazine: “Robert De Niro was just crying with laughter when I made a joke about Hugh Hefner and his young bride. He called me after a week and said, ‘I wanna say you did a great job.’ ‘Oh man,’ I said, ‘I annoyed some people.’ He said, ‘F*** ’em, they were jokes.’” And Ricky thinks some of his gags have been unfairly criticised because people confuse the target with the subject. He said: “I said [in 2011] the Golden Globe for special effects goes to the people who airbrushed the ‘Sex and the City’ poster. And I go, ‘Girls, we know how old you are, one of you was in an episode of ‘Bonanza’!’ “Kim Cattrall said it was ageist. I said: ‘No it’s the opposite. I’m saying, what’s wrong with being 50?’ I hate that about Hollywood, where f****** George Clooney has to have a f****** 22-year-old girlfriend. Aaagh!” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English ‘Saturday Night Live’ will be filmed without a studio audience amid a spike in coronavirus cases. The latest episode of the long-running comedy show – which is being hosted by Paul Rudd – will be filmed without a live studio audience, and the production team has also decided to limit the number of cast and crew on the set. A show representative said: “Due to the recent spike in the Omicron variant and out of an abundance of caution, there will be no live audience for tonight’s taping of ‘Saturday Night Live’ and the show will have limited cast and crew. The show continues to follow all government safety guidelines in addition to a rigorous testing protocol.” An insider told the New York Post newspaper that “four actors” have tested positive for the virus, and members of the crew are said to be fearful about attending the NBC Studios in New York City. Paul, 52, is due to host the show, while Charlie XCX will be the musical guest on Saturday (18.12.21). And the people behind the scenes are desperate to “hold on” and film the episode, despite the COVID situation. A statement on the ‘Saturday Night Live’ Twitter account read: “The show continues to follow all government safety guidelines in addition to a rigorous testing protocol. “If you have won tickets to this show, you will be receiving more information soon. Thank you for your patience and understanding.” Paul – who was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive earlier this year – is set to host the comedy show for the fifth time. And the Hollywood star recently filmed a promo for the show alongside Charli, 29, and ‘Saturday Night Live’ castmember Ego Nwodim. The ‘Boom Clap’ hitmaker previously appeared on the show in 2014, and has posted a throwback snap of herself on social media. She wrote on Twitter: “2014 baby me on snl vs 2021 grown me. tune in tonight (sic)” View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] In full: Journalist Maria Ressa’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech 4 Published by Hong Kong Free Press Rappler CEO Maria Ressa was awarded with the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize last Friday in Oslo, Norway. Below, HKFP shares the full text of her acceptance speech. Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Distinguished Members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen. I stand before you, a representative of every journalist around the world who is forced to sacrifice so much to hold the line, to stay true to our values and mission: to bring you the truth and hold power to account. I remember the brutal dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi, the assassina… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online Dr. Mehmet Oz offered up hot take after take during a recent speech about his political campaign — including that he told Oprah Winfrey to “stay out” of his race – and Radar has obtained the exclusive audio. The 61-year-old celebrity physician – who began his career as a cardiothoracic surgeon – is running for Senate in Pennsylvania as a Republican. It was during a private lunch held in New York City on Thursday that an attendee asked Oz about his position on transgender rights, citing the recent controversy surrounding competitive swimmer Lia Thomas, a senior at the University of Pennsylvania who set three school and two national records at a meet earlier this month. She came out as trans in 2019. “The transgender issue is kind of diluted a little bit,” Oz replied. “The suicide rate amongst transgender adults has grown [inaudible]. This is critical to understand. We have to have compassion on this problem. It is a devastating one. And transgender folks who are adults, when they are processing this, have to figure out if they wanna keep living the lie – they don’t think they’re who they are – or be who they truly are and are [inaudible] because of it. So that’s like the baseline.” MEGA Pivoting from his point of compassion, Oz said he feels it’s not right to offer protection to one group of people if it means jeopardizing another. “But then you layer on top of that changes to our society that hurt other people in an effort to protect one group of people, and that’s not fair. That’s not fair,” he said, circling back to the topic of trans athletes. “Feminists have very eloquently fought for the ability to have women’s sports be on equal [inaudible] as men’s sports, and this takes away that ability,” he said, adding, “I would argue that what I just said can’t be said – I definitely couldn’t have said it on [The Dr. Oz Show] – and you need to be able to say those things.” As we reported, The Dr. Oz Show is coming to an end in January after 13 seasons on the air, despite having previously been renewed until mid-2023. The fate of the program reportedly became uncertain after its titular host announced his Senate run; however, his series had not been doing well in the viewership department since before that. At Thursday’s luncheon, Oz insisted his position with regard to trans athletes was “not about being hateful or harmful. I’m not trying to make anyone’s life miserable. I’m respectful of how difficult it is. But we have to be able to say these things in America.” “There might be some cases where it doesn’t matter,” he said. “If you’re a bodybuilder or weightlifter, it matters.” MEGA Oz went on to praise J.K. Rowling, whose controversial remarks about the trans community have been widely condemned as transphobic. “J.K. Rowling, who’s not some icon of the conservative party, said something that I think was very brave,” said Oz. “She was a lifelong feminist, and then she’s canceled. And I’ve talked to people who are canceling her, who would’ve been making a lot of money off her, and they can’t defend what they’re doing, or they don’t wanna be in trouble.” “And as a brave American,” he added, “you have to be willing to get into trouble. That’s what makes us different.” He used that point to make a rather unexpected comment about his relationship with Oprah. Oz became a household name after appearing as a health expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show for five seasons. Then in 2009, the media mogul helped the TV doctor launch his own series, which went on to win nine Daytime Emmy Awards. He said he recently spoke to his longtime “friend” and asked her to stay out of his political endeavors. “I talked to Oprah, she’s a friend. And we have friends with different perspectives. And we should! You don’t wanna just be in a bubble with people who think exactly like you. That’s pretty boring,” said Oz. “I asked her to stay out. ‘Don’t support me because, if you get involved in any way, you’ll get hurt. And I don’t want my friends hurt,'” he recalled telling her. He said he instructed his wife and children to do the same. “I told my kids, ‘Stay out of it. If you see things you know are false, don’t go for the bait. Stay out of it.’ Even my wife’s family, who are very active politically, I said, ‘Just don’t get in the way because, if you get on your knee, they’ll pull you down. They can’t say anything more negative than they already are saying now.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jeffrey Wright has joined the cast of ‘Rustin’. The 56-year-old actor has been added to the cast of the Netflix project and will feature with Grantham Coleman, Lilli Kay and Jordan-Amanda Hill. They join previously announced Colman Domingo – who will play civil rights leader Bayard Rustin – who overcame an onslaught of obstacles to alter the course of American history by organising the 1963 March on Washington. The movie is being directed by George C. Wolfe and will also feature Chris Rock, Glynn Turman Audra McDonald, Aml Ameen, Gus Halper, Johnny Ramey, CCH Pounder, Michael Potts, Carra Petterson, Adrienne Warren, Bill Irwin and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. ‘Rustin’ is the first film production from Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground production company, which has their deal at Netflix. The producers are Oscar-winner Bruce Cohen and Higher Ground’s Tonia Davis while Mark R. Wright and Alex G. Scott. Jeffery has been cast in the superhero blockbuster ‘The Batman’ as Gotham City Police Commissioner James Gordon and believes that audiences will love the ‘Twilight’ actor’s take on the Caped Crusader. The ‘Westworld’ star said: “Robert is gonna do his thing, and we were working within a Matt Reeves vision, so you know, Robert is doing what Robert does and it’s gonna be pretty badass I think.” Jeffrey revealed that he and Robert forged a bond on set to represent the relationship between Batman and his ally in the police force. He said: “I loved working with him, I love his take and his energy and the way that he kind of brought different levels to different parts of the story. And we work off of one another. “I just tried to give him Gordon things, and he did his Batman thing.” Jeffrey Wright Joins Rustin Cast on Towleroad Lady Gaga joined by psychiatric nurse while filming House of Gucci More Dolly Parton World Records Make For A Guinness Hat Trick, And She’s As Gracious As You’d Expect More Ghislaine Maxwell’s defense rests its case in sex abuse trial More Robert Kennedy Jr, Famous Anti-Vaxxer, Blames Wife Cheryl Hines When Pressed On Holiday Party Vaccine Requirement More Camillagate! Prince Charles’ Taped Sex Talk With Lover Spelled End Of Marriage To Diana More U.S. judge tosses $4.5 billion deal shielding Sacklers from opioid lawsuits More U.S. relaxes restriction on abortion pill, allows women to obtain by mail More Omicron rewrites the COVID plan for 2022 More Anderson Cooper Says He Feels ‘Terrible’ For Chris Cuomo But Maintains That ‘Journalists Have Strict Ethics’ More Peloton Pulls New Ad Featuring Chris Noth After Sexual Assault Allegations Surface Against The ‘Sex And The City’ Actor More Special Report-Amazon partnered with China propaganda arm to win Beijing’s favor, document shows More Load More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lady Gaga had a psychiatric nurse with her on the set of ‘House of Gucci’. The 35-year-old singer-and-actress completely immersed herself in her portrayal of Patrizia Reggiani and she took measures to protect her mental health against the “dark” role. She explained to Variety: “I brought the darkness with me home because her life was dark. “I had a psychiatric nurse with me towards the end of filming. I sort of felt like I had to. I felt that it was safer for me.” Gaga insisted actors don’t need to “push themselves” to the limit in the way that she does and acknowledged she sometimes “goes too far” in her commitment to her work. She added: ““I don’t think that any actor should push themselves to that limit. “And I ask myself all the time why I do that. I’ve done some pretty extreme art pieces throughout my career — the things I’ve put my body through, my mind. It’s like a walnut of sadness in my stomach as I say this to you. “I don’t know why I’m like that. I think that the best answer I could give you is I have a sort of romantic relationship with suffering for your art that I developed as a young girl, and it just sometimes goes too far. And when it does go too far, it can be hard to reel it in on your own. The ‘Edge of Glory’ hitmaker has sought advice from other actors in how to moderate her behaviour. She said: “It’s OK to ask for help. If you’re feeling like that, ask for help. No matter what.” And Gaga hopes to “completely change” her process if she has children in the future because she thinks her approach is “problematic” for family life. She said: “It’s not a secret that I’ll do anything for art. I probably will completely change this when I have a child, but I don’t have a child yet. I want to be available and present for my children in a way that I think when you are acting in that way, it could be problematic for a child to be around.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Dolly Parton is “flattered and honoured” after breaking three Guinness World Records. The 75-year-old singer has broken her own record for most hits on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart by a female artist with 109 hits and also set new records for the female with the most decades on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart with seven, and the record for most most number one hits on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart by a female artist with 25 of her songs hitting the top spot. Dolly said of her achievement: “This is the kind of stuff that really makes you very humble and very grateful for everything that’s happened. I had no idea that I would be in Guinness World Records this many times! I am flattered and honoured. “I’ve had a lot of people help me get here. Thanks to all of you and all of them for helping me have all of this. “I’ve loved being able to make a living in the business that I love so much. I’ve been so fortunate to see my dreams come true, and I just hope to continue for as long as I can. You’re going to have to knock me down to stop me!” Guinness World Records bosses praised the ‘9 to 5’ hitmaker – who set the overall record for most decades with a Top 20 hit on the US Hot Country Songs chart in 2018 – for her “amazing accomplishment. Adjudicator Sarah Casson said: “Dolly Parton is one of very few musical artists in history with this degree of staying power. Writing and recording music that makes the charts across seven decades is truly an amazing accomplishment.” Dolly Parton World Records on Towleroad Lady Gaga joined by psychiatric nurse while filming House of Gucci More Ghislaine Maxwell’s defense rests its case in sex abuse trial More Robert Kennedy Jr, Famous Anti-Vaxxer, Blames Wife Cheryl Hines When Pressed On Holiday Party Vaccine Requirement More Camillagate! Prince Charles’ Taped Sex Talk With Lover Spelled End Of Marriage To Diana More U.S. judge tosses $4.5 billion deal shielding Sacklers from opioid lawsuits More U.S. relaxes restriction on abortion pill, allows women to obtain by mail More Omicron rewrites the COVID plan for 2022 More Anderson Cooper Says He Feels ‘Terrible’ For Chris Cuomo But Maintains That ‘Journalists Have Strict Ethics’ More Peloton Pulls New Ad Featuring Chris Noth After Sexual Assault Allegations Surface Against The ‘Sex And The City’ Actor More Special Report-Amazon partnered with China propaganda arm to win Beijing’s favor, document shows More Dionne Warwick felt Twitter ‘needed a grown-up’ More Load More View the full article