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Published by BANG Showbiz English Kylie Minogue has urged fans to “exfoliate” as she reveals her key beauty tips. The 53-year-old singer has given some beauty and grooming advice, and even offered some words of wisdom when it comes to taking off false eyelashes. Asking for her tips as she spoke to Olly Alexander before their ‘Secret Socials with Hilton’ show, she said: “Exfoliate! “Take your makeup off. No not pull those false eyelashes off – slowly, surely!” The ‘I Should Be So Lucky’ hitmaker also reflected on moving to London when she was 21, and the impact it had on her style. The Australian star added: “That is when I got into club culture, and meeting designers – I’d be up and down Kings Road, because you didn’t have stylists, you went and did everything yourself!” Olly – who was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire – recalled his own experiences moving down to London from Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. He explained: “I moved when I was 18, from my mum’s in the Forest of Dean. “I started going out in my early 20s in East London to all the gay clubs that are now closed, but that was my real coming of age.” Earlier this year, Kylie urged people to “follow their path” as she won the Gamechanging Icon Award at GLAMOUR’s Women of the Year Awards. Speaking via a video message, she said: “I think the constant I’ve always had and that I’ve always fought for is to not be boxed in, and to be able to really shapeshift and morph and grow and develop, and for that reason to be part of your Gamechangers Awards is very much meaningful to me. “If that can be encouraging to anyone to follow their path and to enjoy that voyage of self-discovery, that’s just amazing.” To help reconnect with the people and places we love, Kylie Minogue and Olly Alexander surprised 50 lucky fans at a secret Hilton concert in London. Hilton is hosting a series of exclusive events across several of its iconic properties as part of ‘Secret Socials with Hilton’, throughout 2022 and beyond. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Michael Erman NEW YORK (Reuters) – All three U.S.-authorized COVID-19 vaccines appear to be significantly less protective against the newly-detected Omicron variant of the coronavirus in laboratory testing, but a booster dose likely restores most of the protection, according to a study released on Tuesday. The study from researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard and MIT that has not yet been peer reviewed tested blood from people who received the Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines against a pseudovirus engineered to resemble the Omicron variant. The researchers found “low to absent” antibody neutralization of the variant from the regular regimens of all three vaccines – two shots of the Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines or one of J&J’s single-dose vaccine. But the blood from recent recipients of an additional booster dose exhibited potent neutralization of the variant, the study found. The scientists also suggested that Omicron is more infectious than previous variants of concern, including about twice as transmissible as the currently dominant Delta variant, which may soon be overtaken by Omicron. The results are in line with other studies recently published. Researchers at the University of Oxford said on Monday that they found the two-dose Pfizer and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine regimens do not induce enough neutralizing antibodies against the new variant. BioNTech and Pfizer said last week that a three-shot course of their COVID-19 vaccine was able to neutralize the new Omicron variant in a laboratory test, but two doses resulted in significantly lower neutralizing antibodies. Moderna and J&J have yet to release any of their own data about how the vaccines perform against the new variant. J&J declined to comment on the new study and Moderna did not respond to request for comment. (Reporting by Michael Erman, additional reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by Caroline Humer and Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by AFP Zebras in a Kuwait City zoo enclosure on May 7, 2021 Washington (AFP) – Two zebras that had been on the run for months in the countryside outside Washington, DC, have finally been caught, an official said Tuesday. The pair had escaped from an exotic animal farm in Maryland at the end of August and eluded numerous attempts to capture them, their escapade enthralling local residents and media. But after repeatedly thwarting the authorities, the quadrupeds have been snagged, said Richard Bell of the US Department of Agriculture, without providing any further details. Prince George’s County, where the pair had been running free, announced several weeks ago that it planned to use “food and other zebras” to try to lure the striped fugitives back to the exotic animal farm. The affair had been documented on social media by bemused residents, but the saga took a sad turn when a third zebra that had escaped with the others died after being caught in an illegal snare. Their owner, Jerry Holly, owns a large farm with a herd of around 30 zebras. He is facing charges of cruelty to animals after yet another zebra was found dead on his property in October, local media said. The possession of exotic animals, a phenomenon highlighted in the hit Netflix series “Tiger King,” is allowed in some US states. View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives approved a resolution on Tuesday holding Mark Meadows, who served as White House chief of staff for former President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress and recommended he face federal charges. The vote was 222 to 208, with just two Republicans joining Democrats in backing the measure. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Shri Navaratnam) View the full article

Published by AFP New York's mayor-elect Eric Adams, pictured here on October 22, will appoint Keechant Sewell as the city's first-ever woman police chief New York (AFP) – New York will appoint Keechant Sewell as its first-ever woman police chief to head the largest force in the country, mayor-elect Eric Adams said Tuesday, at a time when the city’s trust in law enforcement has been shattered. Sewell will also be only the third Black person in the post, and will have to restore faith in a police department that has faced accusations of harboring violent, racist and corrupt officers in its ranks. Adams, a Democrat and former police officer, will become New York’s second Black mayor when he takes office on January 1. With Sewell’s appointment, he fills a key post two weeks before his formal start, with security having been one of the main issues during his campaign. “Keechant Sewell is a proven crime fighter with the experience and emotional intelligence to deliver both the safety New Yorkers need and the justice they deserve,” Adams told The New York Post. “Chief Sewell will wake up every day laser-focused on keeping New Yorkers safe and improving our city, and I am thrilled to have her at the helm of the NYPD.” “Violent crime is the number one priority,” Sewell told the Post. “I want to actually take a look at what’s working in the city and what’s not working,” she added. Commanding approximately 36,000 police officers in the largest city in the United States, 49-year-old Sewell will shoulder the tough task of maintaining security in New York at a time when a surge in crime has accompanied the coronavirus pandemic. “We welcome Chief Sewell to the second-toughest policing job in America. The toughest, of course, is being an NYPD cop on the street,” said Patrick Lynch, head of the main police union in the city, the Police Benevolent Association. Sewell is currently chief investigator in Nassau County, east of New York City. The New York Times reported that she has served in the department for 23 years, working in the narcotics and major cases unit, and as a hostage negotiator. View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – White former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is expected to plead guilty on Wednesday in a federal court in Minnesota to charges that he violated George Floyd’s civil rights during the Black man’s murder, reversing his not-guilty plea in September. The U.S. District Court in Saint Paul announced the change-of-plea hearing on Monday, an indication Chauvin, 45, would change his plea to guilty. Chauvin’s lawyer Eric Nelson did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment or death, depending on the circumstances of the crime and the resulting injury. Prosecutors have not indicated any intent to seek the death penalty. Chauvin has already been sentenced to 22-1/2 years in prison in state court for the 2020 murder of Floyd, on whose neck the then-policeman knelt for nearly nine minutes while a bystander captured it on her cellphone. His April conviction in state court, on charges of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter, was seen by many as a landmark rebuke of the disproportionate use of police force against Black Americans. The video showed Chauvin kneeling on the neck of the handcuffed Floyd for more than nine minutes during the arrest caused global outrage — and triggered one of the biggest protest movements in the United States in decades. Chauvin and three other officers — Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao — were arresting Floyd on suspicion of using a fake $20 bill. Lane, Kueng, and Thao face charges in a state trial due to begin in March that they aided and abetted the killing of Floyd. In addition to the state charges, all four officers were federally indicted in May on charges of depriving Floyd of his civil rights by failing to provide him with medical attention. Chauvin also was federally charged with violating Floyd’s right to be free from unreasonable seizure and unreasonable force by a police officer. Thao and Kueng were federally charged with violating Floyd’s right to be free from unreasonable seizure by not intervening to stop Chauvin from kneeling on Floyd’s neck. Chauvin has also pleaded not guilty to federal charges of violating the civil rights of a 14-year-old boy he arrested in 2017. (Reporting by Julia Harte; editing by Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Carl Nassib’s LGBTQ CleatsRainbow Cleats For a Rainbow Clause Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib, the first out gay active player in NFL history, hasn’t been shy about his identity since coming out prior to the 2021 NFL season. He aided fundraising efforts for The Trevor Project after giving $100,000 to the organization when he came out. Nassib and boyfriend Erik Gudzinas have been a hit on Instagram, with the two showing their love publicly. Nassib’s advocacy streak continued recently when the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign rolled around this season. The program gives NFL players the ability to design custom cleats supporting a charitable cause or organization of their choosing. The cleats were worn during week 13 of the NFL season earlier this month and are currently being auctioned off for charity. According to Outsports, Stanton chose Athlete Ally out of a desire to help LGBTQ people feel more welcomed to participate in sports. “The fact that some people don’t feel comfortable enough in their own identity to participate in sports breaks my heart,” Stanton said. “No one should feel unwelcome on the field or court. If just one person being an ally can help them feel more comfortable, then I’m happy to be that person.” Stanton’s uncle, Patrick Stanton, was an Olympic-level swimmer who remained in the closet during his athletic career. “He never felt comfortable enough to come out while he was swimming,” Stanton told Outsports. “I don’t want the athletes coming out today to feel like they can’t be themselves.” Visible messages like those of Nassib and Stanton represent the changes in how LGBTQ communities interact with major male sports leagues, and specifically the NFL, in recent years. And the rest of the NFL is listening. The Washington Football Team became the first NFL team to host a Pride Night in September and the San Francisco 49ers became the first team to establish an official LGBTQ fan group in 2019. Carl Nassib: Previously on Towleroad Carl Nassib Designs Custom LGBTQ Cleats For NFL Charity Program; First Time Multiple Players Honor LGBTQ Orgs Brian Bell December 14, 2021 Read More Chicago Blackhawks Covered Up Player’s Report of Sexual Assault By Former Coach in 2010; NHL Fines $2 Million, Execs And Coach Resign Brian Bell October 29, 2021 Read More Texas House Votes to Ban Transgender Girls From Sports. No Sign of An Issue. Just More Red Meat For the Gaslit Base Towleroad October 15, 2021 Read More Biopic on Fallon Fox, trans MMA trailblazer, in development Brian Bell April 23, 2021 Read More Updated: North Dakota Governor vetoes anti-trans sports bill, veto sustained Brian Bell April 22, 2021 Read More Out gay pro wrestler Anthony Bowens: ‘Thank You, [All Elite Wrestling], for letting me be me’ Brian Bell April 21, 2021 Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The city of Washington, D.C., sued right-wing groups the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers on Tuesday, seeking to collect on the financial costs of the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and its aftermath. The suit aims to hold accountable the groups that helped to organize a rally by thousands of supporters of then-President Donald Trump that evolved into an assault on Congress aiming to stop it from certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory. District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine told reporters the defendants had caused physical and financial harm to Washington and its residents, adding that the city will seek “severe” financial penalties against the defendants. “Our intent … is to hold these violent mobsters and these violent hate groups accountable and to get every penny of damage we can,” he said at a news conference. The lawsuit seeks to recover the costs of deploying hundreds of city police officers to defend the Capitol against the attack, as well as medical and paid-leave costs incurred afterward. It also brings civil assault and battery charges against the two organizations, along with 30 named and 50 unnamed people it alleges were involved in the assault. The lawsuit opens up another legal front against alleged participants in the Jan. 6 attack. Four people died and hundreds were injured during the multi-hour onslaught, and one police officer died the next day of injuries sustained while defending Congress. Four officers who were at the Capitol that day have since taken their own lives. Nearly 700 people face criminal charges stemming from the event. Several alleged leaders of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers have pleaded guilty. The lawsuit invokes the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, which allows people to sue for civil rights violations. It does not name Trump or former members of his administration as defendants. It is not clear whether the two groups are in a position to defend themselves, or whether the lawsuit will yield any financial penalties. Racine and other District officials said they hoped it would also serve as a warning to deter similar behavior by other extremist groups. “If we don’t get a penny in restitution, this lawsuit’s deterrent effect will say, ‘Be prepared to spend money, because we are coming after you,'” said Eleanor Holmes Norton, who represents the District in the House of Representatives. (Reporting by Andy Sullivan, additional reporting by Chris Gallagher; Editing by Scott Malone, Mark Porter and Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by AFP Rev. Patrick Mahoney (C), director of the Christian Defense Coalition, leads a group in prayer as he holds a Good Friday service ahead of the Easter holiday outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, April 10, 2020 New York (AFP) – The number of Americans who identify as non-religious is soaring in the profoundly Christian United States, according to a Pew Research Center study published Tuesday. Some 29 percent of American adults are now religiously unaffiliated — up from 16 percent 14 years ago — the survey found. America is home to a powerful, socially conservative Christian right-wing political faction and Christianity remains the overwhelmingly dominant religion in the country. But the religion is declining markedly, the Pew results showed. Seventy-eight percent of US adults identified as Christian in 2007. Now, some 63 percent do, according to the research. In 2007, Pew began tracking religious “nones” — people who describe themselves as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.” Then, Christians outnumbered nones by almost five-to-one. Today it is closer to two-to-one, the researchers said. Pew’s researchers did not give reasons for the trend, but it is in line with the wider decline in Christianity across the West. In 2019, the center said the growth of religious nones in America was particularly evident among younger people. Pew’s latest survey found that the secular shift was concentrated amongst Protestant communities, with the Catholic share of the population holding relatively steady in recent years. Some 60 percent of Protestants described themselves as born-again or evangelical Christian, Pew said. White evangelical Christians are among former president Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters, with 84 percent of the group voting for him in last year’s election, Pew said previously. Researchers quizzed almost 4,000 respondents between May and August this year for the survey released Tuesday. View the full article

Miss Trans Global 2021 Sruthy SitharaFirst Indian Miss Trans Global Crowned Artist and model Sruthy Sithara made history recently, becoming the first out trans individual from India to win the Miss Trans Global pageant. According to Indian Express, Sithara entered the competition believing winning the crown would “help me in leading and inspiring life with self-esteem, pride and dignity, not just for me, but for a crowd of people who hide their faces under the shades of the rainbow.” The pageant says it exists to raise awareness for trans, gender non-conforming and other LGBTQ communities across the globe. Sithara, who also works in the Social Justice Department of the Kerala state government, celebrated her win in a series of Instagram posts, saying her win was for the “transglobal community” and “all those who are oppressed and marginalized.” She dedicated her crown to her mother, who passed away in 2015, and historic trans Indian government official and close friend Anannyah Kumari Alex, who took her own life earlier this year. Fire investigators are still searching for the cause of the blaze, but multiple organizations and businesses have reached out with aid for the single LGBTQ bastion within the Delaware city. LGBTQ organizations from Philadelphia and the surrounding region have reached out to Bischoff, including offering to host drag events benefitting the club. Bischoff also received offers from local Wilmington straight bars to open their spaces to him if he would like to move his planned holiday drag events to their locations as the damage continues to be assessed. “It’s great to have the support of the straight community also,” Bischoff said. A GoFundMe fundraiser has already garnered more than $5,000 in donations for the Crimson Moon Tavern. “It’s a staple, a very big staple in the community because there’s nowhere else to go,” said Bischoff. “It is a home. It’s more than a community, more like a family than a community.” Out links… InstaHunk Round-Up: Sexy Santa Chris Salvatore & Moreby Randy SlovacekChecking in on some of my favorite InstaHunks this week starting out with Chris Salvatore who has his […]Watch Ellen DeGeneres give a moving acceptance speech as she accepts her 25th People’s Choice Awardby Greg HernandezEllen DeGeneres recently won big at the 2021 People’s Choice Awards receiving her final daytime talk show award […]Lil Nas X Enjoys a Night Out with Friends in Harlem!by Just JaredLil Nas X is partying the night out away! The 22-year-old “That’s What I Want” rapper had a […]Gus Kenworthy trying to stay positive after concussion and breakthrough case of Covid-19by Greg HernandezView this post on Instagram A post shared by gus kenworthy (@guskenworthy)There’s ample evidence & a paper trail in Prince Charles’s cash-for-honours scandalby KaiserLadies and gentlemen, they finally got Prince Charles. For months, the mainstream, non-tabloid British papers have been covering […]Prince Andrew has not revealed his defense strategy to the Queen, who is payingby KaiserPrince Andrew has a big hearing today in New York. He won’t actually appear in New York, but […]A History Of Gay Rap + Golden Globe Noms Are Here (And Snub Rita Moreno) + Gay Dad Threesome + Colton Haynes Launches Memoir + MORE! — 12-PACKby Matthew Rettenmundhttps://www.instagram.com/p/CXXMi9DoS3r ABOVE: Hot-piece living-room set. BELOW: Keep reading for homo hip-hop history, COVID's grim toll on seniors, Colton […]Ryan Gosling Wears a Prison Jumpsuit While Filming for 'The Gray Man' in L.A.by Just JaredRyan Gosling sports a blue prison jumpsuit on set for his new Netflix movie The Gray Man in […]The 10 Best Unconventional Christmas Movies To Stream This Holiday Seasonby Just JaredThe holiday season is officially here and there are a ton of Christmas and holiday themed movies on […]OMG, this runny nose shower gel dispenser is a product for the agesby IgorSanitizer is a part of our daily life now – so why not have some fun with it […]Miss Trans Global: Previously on Towelroad Indian Artist/Model Takes Miss Trans Global Pageant; Delaware LGBTQ Bar Fire Relief; Palm Springs Gets First Trans Mayor State: GOOD VIBES Brian Bell December 14, 2021 Read More Top Catholic Who Led Church Response to Underage Sex Scandal Resigns On News He Was Tracked At Gay Bars Using Grindr Data Brian Bell July 21, 2021 Read More Chasten, Emhoff Take DC. Second Gent Pushes Vaccine on Pride Lap of Gay Bars. Chasten Owns RNC Chair, Leaves Her Own Platform as Receipt. Brian Bell June 4, 2021 Read More Alaska Gay Bar, Jewish Museum Defaced with Swastika Stickers; Rabbi says ‘We are not the people that fear’ Brian Bell May 28, 2021 Read More NSYNC’s Lance Bass Opening Big Gay Club; Ariana Grande joins The Voice; Drew Launching Mag; Gordon Liddy Dead: HOT LINKS Michael Goff March 31, 2021 Read More Gay Oklahoma City Nightclub Vandalized with Blueberries: WATCH Andy Towle January 4, 2021 Read More Image courtesy of Miss Trans Global/YouTube View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Throughout the sex trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, jurors have been shown a myriad of evidence that prosecutors believe proves she recruited and groomed Jeffrey Epstein‘s victims and actively participated in his crimes from 1994 to 2004. Among the scores of photographs produced by the prosecution are never-before-seen images of the various estates the late accused pedophile shared with his alleged madame, who has also been referred to during her high-profile criminal trial as his “partner in crime” and “lady of the house.” The eerie pictures – which were seized during federal raids of Epstein’s homes – offer a glimpse into where he and Maxwell allegedly committed a plethora of sexual abuse against young women, many of whom were underage. Mega The New York Post obtained numerous snapshots of inside and outsideLittle St. James and Great St. James in the United States Virgin Islands, Epstein’s Florida mansion in Palm Beach, his New York townhouse in Manhattan, and his New Mexico Ranch near Santa Fe. Little St. James & Great St. James In U.S. Virgin Islands Epstein purchased the 70-acre Little St. James in 1998 for $7.95 million. In 2016, he bought the larger Great St. James for $17.5 million. The islands, which are located in the Caribbean, are estimated to be worth a combined $240 million today. The compound is commonly referred to as “Pedophile Island,” and the only way to access it is by boat or plane. The convicted sex offender is said to have flown his victims there via his private jet, where he and his colleagues would then allegedly sexually abuse them. Accusers have described trying to escape the island via its surrounding shark-infested waters. Many nearly drowned. Epstein’s island home included a villa with a library, a Japanese bathhouse, a movie theater, a private desalination system, a helipad, a dock, a solar clock, and about 70 staff. Mega Florida Mansion In Palm Beach Developer Todd Michael Glaser bought Epstein’s Florida mansion in Palm Beach in March for $18.5 million. It was demolished the following month. Commonly referred to as the “House of Horrors,” accusers say Epstein would often sexually abuse them by the estate’s large outdoor pool. It was in the master bedroom of this house that Epstein’s former housekeeper testified that he found a large dildo. Built in 1953, the estate spanned over 14,200 square feet and was made up of six bedrooms, a staff house, and a pool house. It contained a creepy office and an area that adjoined the master bedroom with the bathroom. The bathtub featured a bizarre statue of what appeared to be an erect cat standing on a ledge. It was also in this house that investigators found a photo of Epstein and Maxwell kissing. New York Townhouse In Manhattan Epstein’s New York townhouse in Manhattan is where the accused pedophile would keep nude photos of young and underage girls, lots of taxidermied animals (including a tiger and poodle), and a bizarre painting of former President Bill Clinton wearing a dress and heels. It was sold for a little under $50 million in March. The initials JE, which were once engraved into the granite entrance area, have since been removed. The 28,000 square-foot neoclassical home contained a formal study and lounge, large terrace, parlor, and massage room. Prosecutors say Epstein and Maxwell used massages as a ruse to lure in girls for them to sexually abuse. Previously owned by Victoria’s Secret mogul Les Wexner, the townhouse was built in 1930 for an heir to the Macy’s department store fortune. Epstein purchased it in 1998 for $20 million. Mega New Mexico Ranch Near Santa Fe Epstein’s New Mexico ranch, situated south of Santa Fe, has been on the market for the past six months without any offers. Photos reveal that a young Virginia Giuffre Roberts visited the estate, which was named Zorro Ranch. She has accused Epstein and Prince Andrew of sexual abuse. The 7,500-acre property is completely isolated and not easily accessible. The Post also notes that all the curtains and blinds in the main house have been drawn shut. The home contains an expansive study and library with built-in bookshelves, a sitting room, a tennis court, horse stables, a farmhouse, a giant well, and an airstrip. Epstein reportedly had plans to turn the compound into a baby-making factory where he would inseminate his victims. View the full article

Published by Reuters By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said Monday that security personnel had confiscated more than 5,700 firearms at airport security checkpoints in 2021, the highest ever in a single year. TSA Administrator David Pekoske told reporters at a briefing the prior yearly record was about 4,400 in 2019 and the current rate of gun detections in carry-on luggage at checkpoints per million passengers is twice the prior high. He said he thinks the increase reflects an increase in firearms being carried by Americans. Airline passengers can transport an unloaded firearm on an airplane but only in checked baggage. “It’s a pretty costly mistake to make,” Pekoske said, saying TSA will “always proceed with a civil penalty action that will cost thousands of dollars after we complete an investigation.” TSA also refers the issue to law enforcement if it is a violation of local or state laws. In November, an accidental shooting at a security checkpoint at Atlanta International Airport prompted chaos. A TSA officer saw a gun during screening and the passenger lunged into the bag and grabbed it, at which point it discharged, the agency said. The incident briefly prompted a halt to air traffic while Atlanta Police investigated. Separately, TSA said it is not clear when a federal mandate requiring masks in transit may end. Earlier this month, TSA extended the federal mask mandate on airplanes, trains, airports and other transit modes through March 18. Pekoske said the agency relies on what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends on the mask mandate, saying it’s “very, very hard to predict when the mask mandate will end.” The mask mandate has been in place since February. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Mark Porter and Aurora Ellis) View the full article

Published by Reuters (This Dec. 10 story corrects to read “Thomas” in paragraph 17 instead of “Sanders”) By Andrew Hay, Shannon Stapleton and Peter Szekely TAOS, N.M. (Reuters) – (This December 10 story corrects to read “Thomas” in paragraph 17 instead of “Sanders”) Nearly a year after COVID-19 vaccines were first administered in the United States, the country is returning to many of the hallmarks that defined earlier pandemic life: mask mandates, mass vaccination sites, crowded hospitals and a rising death toll. Amid hope that humanity would soon get the upper hand on the coronavirus, New York City intensive care unit (ICU) nurse Sandra Lindsay received a dose of Pfizer’s just-approved vaccine last Dec. 14, becoming the first inoculated U.S. resident. Since then, more than 200 million others – more than 60% of the U.S. population – have gotten at least two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or one Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot inoculation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite that triumph of modern science, the country’s death toll continues to mount. Since the first dose was administered, nearly 500,000 more people have died of COVID-19, with the country expected to cross the 800,000 mark next week, according to a Reuters tally. Both infections – approaching 50 million since the start of the pandemic – and deaths have been rising in recent weeks, especially as colder weather in northern states pushes activities indoors, allowing for easier virus transmission. Resurging infections on Friday prompted New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, to temporarily reimpose a requirement for face coverings inside businesses and venues that do not require proof of vaccination. “We shouldn’t have reached the point where we are confronted with a winter surge, especially with the vaccine at our disposal, and I share many New Yorkers’ frustration that we are not past this pandemic yet,” Hochul said in a statement. Mask mandates, which Republican governors mostly eschewed as government overreach, were a common infection-prevention tool for many Democratic governors during the pandemic’s worst surge, which began during the year-end holiday season of 2020. Combating the virus has been complicated by its more aggressive mutations, including the currently dominant Delta variant and fast-spreading Omicron, which was first identified last month and has already been detected in nearly half of the 50 states. The politicization of vaccines and hesitancy of many Americans to get the shots has also helped keep the pandemic going, usually with more deadly results, experts said. In New Mexico, hospitals are reaching record capacity levels as unvaccinated patients fill ICUs. In one of the Southwestern state’s hardest-hit hospitals in San Juan County, critical care beds filled up as fast as patients were discharged or died. Dr. Erin Philpott said eight of her patients had died in the last week, most of them unvaccinated. “It’s sometimes hard to even feel because it’s so much and it’s constant,” Philpott said. “You can see the rooms fill up right after, and you don’t have a second to pause and just process all this loss.” Philpott added that many of those dying from COVID-19 at San Juan Regional Medical Center were in their 30s and 40s. Around 94% of COVID-19 deaths at the hospital are among the unvaccinated. “It feels like it’s impossible to keep seeing this and dealing with it,” said Philpott. “I think that’s why half the staff have gone.” Nurse Patricia Thomas stood by a dead patient she had treated, a white sheet over his body, a picture of his family at his feet. His relatives made the decision to take him off life support. He was vaccinated. He had five children and 12 grandchildren. Choking back tears, Thomas said: “We took the tubes out and let them hold his hand while he passed comfortably. Today was pretty hard because it’s my third one this week.” ‘FUEL FOR THIS FIRE’ As with other states with early high vaccination rates like Vermont, Rhode Island and New Hampshire, immunity has waned in New Mexico, pushing these states toward the top of rankings for new cases. The state’s Democratic governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, pushed vaccinations early in 2021 to try to limit hospitalizations. “The fuel for this fire, our case counts, is unvaccinated individuals,” New Mexico Acting Health Secretary David Scrase told reporters. “Our hospitals are in a really grave situation.” Three out of four COVID patients in the state are unvaccinated, officials said. The same was true for Michigan, dealing with one of the nation’s worst outbreaks. In Connecticut, health officials this week said unvaccinated people are five times more likely to get infected with COVID-19, 12 times more likely to be hospitalized and 16 times more likely to die. Shortly after the Omicron variant was detected in New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy this week reopened one of the state’s previously shuttered mass vaccination sites in an effort to encourage residents to get booster shots. Most of the large vaccination sites that states opened early this year to speed inoculations have closed. The CDC estimates that about one-fourth of Americans have gotten additional booster shots so far. They have now been authorized for everyone age 16 and up. Another symbol of the early pandemic, the contaminated cruise ship, also re-emerged this week. On Monday, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings said a South African crew member suspected of having the Omicron variant was among 17 cases of the virus detected on a ship that disembarked in New Orleans over the weekend. In March 2020 when relatively few cases had been reported in the United States, the cruise ship Grand Princess was held at sea for days before being allowed dock in Oakland, California. Its 2,400 passengers were sent into quarantine at military bases after tests revealed 21 positive cases of the coronavirus. (Reporting by Peter Szekely in New York and Andrew Hay in Taos, New Mexico; Additional reporting by Shannon Stapleton, Caroline Humer and Roshan Abraham; Editing by Donna Bryson, Bill Berkrot and Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Elon Musk wants to bring animals and humans to Mars “like a futuristic Noah’s ark”. The 50-year-old billionaire entrepreneur’s dream is to reach the Red Planet via spacecraft and ultimately create an intergalactic “self-sustaining city”. In order to fulfil his vision, Musk believes he needs to bring animals into outer space and breed them on Mars, with his idea inspired by the Biblical story of Noah who is saved along with his family and Earth’s creatures from a massive flood by God. In an interview with TIME magazine, he said: “The goal overall has been to make life multi-planetary and enable humanity to become a spacefaring civilization. “And the next really big thing is to build a self-sustaining city on Mars and bring the animals and creatures of Earth there. Sort of like a futuristic Noah’s ark. We’ll bring more than two, though – it’s a little weird if there’s only two.” Musk’s idea to bring animals as well as people to Mars is scientifically correct as humans need to exist as part of a biosphere with other living organisms but the planet’s CO2 atmosphere is a major problem for colonisation plans, as Earth’s animals and humans need to breathe oxygen to survive. Musk’s plan for his SpaceX project is to land rockets on Mars within the next five years. On December 9, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted SpaceX a license to conduct an experimental orbital demonstration and recovery test of its Starship rocket in the first quarter of 2022 which means the orbital launch could take place anytime between December 20, 2021 and March 1, 2022, from SpaceX’s testing facility in Boca Chica, Texas. Musk is still awaiting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to complete its environmental assessment he can launch Starship. The Tesla CEO has stated that Starship’s first flight into orbit would come in the first three months of 2022, potentially January. Speaking during an online meeting held by the US government’s National Academies, he said: “We’re close to our initial orbital launch. “The first orbital flight we’re hoping to do in January.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Michael Erman and Deena Beasley NEW YORK (Reuters) -Pfizer Inc on Tuesday said final analysis of its antiviral COVID-19 pill still showed near 90% efficacy in preventing hospitalizations and deaths in high-risk patients, and recent lab data suggests the drug retains its effectiveness against the fast spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus. The U.S. drugmaker last month said the oral medicine was around 89% effective in preventing hospitalizations or deaths when compared to placebo, based on interim results in around 1,200 people. The data disclosed on Tuesday includes an additional 1,000 people. Nobody in the trial who received the Pfizer treatment died, compared with 12 deaths among placebo recipients. The Pfizer pills are taken with the older antiviral ritonavir every 12 hours for five days beginning shortly after onset of symptoms. If authorized, the treatment will be sold as Paxlovid. “It’s a stunning outcome,” Pfizer Chief Scientific Officer Mikael Dolsten said in an interview. “We’re talking about a staggering number of lives saved and hospitalizations prevented. And of course, if you deploy this quickly after infection, we are likely to reduce transmission dramatically,” Dolsten said. Pfizer also released early data from a second clinical trial suggesting that the treatment reduced hospitalizations by around 70% in a smaller trial of standard-risk adults, including some higher-risk vaccinated people. The results were not statistically significant, but Pfizer said they showed a “positive data trend for reduction in risk.”The trial did not show that the drug alleviated symptoms of COVID-19 in the same population. The results in standard-risk individuals are from interim analyses at 60% and 80% of enrollment of the now fully-enrolled trial of over 1,100 people. Pfizer will continue the trial and release more data when its done. Dolsten said he expects authorization for use in high-risk individuals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies soon. He does not believe an FDA advisory panel meeting will be needed. “We’re in very advanced regulatory dialogues with both Europe and the UK, and we have dialogues with most of the major regulatory agencies globally,” Dolsten said. Pfizer submitted data to the U.S. FDA last month, asking for emergency use authorization of the drug. The FDA’s decision could come within a matter of weeks, if not days, said Zarina Saidova, an analyst at Moscow-based Finam Holdings, as the new data confirms what the company previously disclosed and submitted to the regulator. Saidova expects Paxlovid to generate $15 billion to $20 billion in revenue next year, a significant boost for the company in the face of a potential decline in vaccine sales. There are currently no oral antiviral treatments for COVID-9 authorized in the United States. Rival Merck & Co has asked for emergency use authorization of its antiviral pill molnupiravir. But that drug only reduced hospitalizations and deaths in its clinical trial of high-risk patients by around 30%. Some scientists have also raised safety concerns about the potential for birth defects from the Merck drug, as well as worries that it could cause the virus to mutate. Pfizer’s drug works differently. It is part of a class of drugs called protease inhibitors currently used to treat HIV, hepatitis C and other viruses. Pfizer shares fell 0.8% to $54.75 in trading before the bell, while Merck shares were flat at $72.69. Dolsten said recent laboratory testing showed that activity against the protease of the Omicron variant is as “good as basically any SARS-COV-2 variant of concern.” The company has said it can have 180,000 treatment courses ready to ship this year and plans to produce at least 80 million more in 2022. Dolsten said Pfizer is looking to expand that output further as new variants, like the newly-discovered Omicron, could push the need for antivirals substantially higher. Current vaccines appear to be less effective at preventing infection with Omicron. Pfizer, which makes one of the leading COVID-19 vaccines with German partner BioNTech, has agreed to allow generic manufacturers to supply versions of the drug to 95 low- and middle-income countries through a licensing agreement with international public health group Medicines Patent Pool (MPP). However, Dolsten said that for next year he expects the drug will be mainly produced by Pfizer. The U.S. government has already secured 10 million courses of the Pfizer drug for $5.29 billion. (Reporting by Michael Erman in New Jersey and Deena Beasley in Los Angeles, Additional reporting by Mrinalika Roy; Editing by Bill Berkrot, Anil D’Silva and Nick Zieminski) View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA J.K. Rowling is being accused of having an “unhealthy fixation” on the transgender community after she slammed the Scotland police force for labeling rapists as “women,” even if they identify that way. The 56-year-old Harry Potter author has been criticized for her LGBTQ+ rants before, but that didn’t stop her from retweeting an article from The Times of London titled, “‘Absurdity’ of police logging rapists as women.” J.K. Rowling MIA From HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ 20-Year Reunion Special After Daniel Radcliffe Slammed Author’s Transphobic Remarks Referencing George Orwell’s 1984, Rowling wrote, “War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. The Penised Individual Who Raped You Is a Woman.” She went on to link The Times of London article which states, “Police Scotland said that they would log rapes as being carried out by a woman if the accused person insists, even if they have not legally changed gender.” MEGA Her words did not go unnoticed. Several followers slammed the author, claiming she has an obsession with the transgender community. “What a weird hill to die on Rowling,” political writer Brett Erlich wrote. “You literally have a castle and you spend your time doing this,” someone else commented. JK Rowling Calls Police After Being Doxxed, Trans-Activists Showed Up Outside Scotland Home Another pointed out that “the vast majority of sexual assaults are committed by men who don’t identify as anything other than men,” before suggesting Rowling “might consider using your public profile to combat this instead?” Rowling has been considered anti-trans for several comments she’s made in regards to the community over the years. In 2020, Rowling stood up for a tax specialist who got fired over posting transphobic tweets. After catching backlash, she shared a blog post where she doubled down on her stance. Claiming she was getting threats and being cyberbullied, Rowling said she had “five reasons for being worried about the new trans activism, and deciding I need to speak up.” “So I want trans women to be safe. At the same time, I do not want to make natal girls and women less safe. When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he’s a woman – and, as I’ve said, gender confirmation certificates may now be granted without any need for surgery or hormones – then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside. That is the simple truth,” she wrote in a blog post. Following Rowling’s outburst, several Harry Potter stars like Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grin, all spoke out in opposition. MEGA View the full article

Published by AFP White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows failed twice to appear for a deposition Washington (AFP) – Lawmakers investigating the assault on the US Capitol prepared Monday to vote on recommending criminal contempt charges against Donald Trump’s former chief of staff for refusing to testify. Mark Meadows has made clear he has no intention of complying with a subpoena to appear before the cross-party January 6 congressional select committee and missed a scheduled deposition for the second time last week. Members are investigating Trump’s efforts to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election through a campaign that led to the deadly Capitol riot — and the help he got from Meadows. Trump’s fourth and final White House chief told the panel he would withhold testimony until courts resolve his former boss’s claim of “executive privilege,” which allows presidents to keep certain conversations private. Investigators maintain Meadows has undermined any right to refuse testimony, as the ultra-conservative former congressman is promoting a new memoir that includes detailed accounts of January 6 and his conversations with Trump. Many of the questions they want to ask him concern 6,600 pages of records taken from personal email accounts and about 2,000 text messages that he turned over before he stopped cooperating. ‘Uniquely situated’ “There’s no way to sustain the argument that ‘I can’t come in and testify because that would be privileged but here are all these documents on this very subject, which I admit are not privileged. I can’t come in and testify before Congress, but I can write about it in my book,'” panel member Adam Schiff told MSNBC. “You can’t have it both ways. And so we will proceed and, I believe, hold him in criminal contempt.” An appeals court last week rejected Trump’s effort to stop the committee accessing documents and testimony from former White House aides, agreeing with a lower court that the defeated ex-president had provided no reason for secrecy. He was given two weeks to appeal. Meadows was Trump’s most senior aide at the time of the riot and was reportedly with the then-president in the White House as the rioters breached the Capitol. The committee says he is “uniquely situated to provide key information, having straddled an official role in the White House and unofficial role related to Mr. Trump’s re-election campaign.” The probe released a 51-page document Sunday describing some of Meadows’ communications, including a January 5 email in which he told an unidentified person the National Guard was on standby to “protect pro-Trump people.” ‘Unwise, unjust and unfair’ The committee will green-light the contempt citation Monday evening and the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is expected to vote Tuesday to refer Meadows to the Justice Department. A timetable for a charging decision has yet to be revealed. If convicted, Meadows could face a six-month prison term for each contempt charge, but more likely would be fined. Accusing the select committee of abusing its powers, Meadows sued its nine members and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week, asking a federal court to block enforcement of the subpoenas issued to him and to Verizon for his phone records. His lawyer George Terwilliger wrote to the panel on Monday to denounce the proposed prosecution as “manifestly unwise, unjust and unfair.” Thousands of Trump supporters, many associated with ultra-nationalist and white supremacist groups, stormed the Capitol 11 months ago in an effort to overturn President Joe Biden’s election victory. In a fiery speech earlier that day, Trump repeated false claims of election fraud that he had been making for months and called on supporters to march on the Capitol and “fight like hell.” The House voted to recommend charges against ex-White House strategist Steve Bannon in October. He faces trial in July on two counts of contempt. View the full article

Cancun Shooting: Active Shooters in the HotelTowleroad Exclusive: Brian Bell in an emotional conversation with Mike Sington who was sending out the only news for for the hours 700 LGBTQ Travelers hid from 15 gunmen who landed by sea at the host hotel.Editor’s Note: Mike Sington, a former TV executive has played journalist on his last two Cancun vacations. Last year he tweeted from the eye of a hurricane. This year 15 men with guns showed up. (Where we going next year?). He makes some sense of it in his first interview when he got home a few weeks ago. It is even more relevant with holidays approaching and a similar beach landing of gunmen went down two days ago, this time on jet-skis, again cartel related. Sington’s tweets and video were the only source of news for hours that day and he quickly went viral as he pieced it all together. We watched, relieved to learn they were not only safe, but the LGBTQ group was not targeted, according to police reports. Still, none on that trip went home untouched though only a few were physically injured. Mike’s account and perspective are compelling, for LGBTQ travelers as well as anyone frustrated with gun violence here that we can’t seem to figure out. So thankful to Mike and Brian too for their honesty and vulnerability in this interview. It’s so much more than you’d get elsewhere and it’s why we do this. Thank you both. I’m proud of what we ended up with editing this unique interview. Mikes take on the different way LGBTQ folks travel has similar resonance. You’re going to love following Mike on Twitter at @mikesington. If you really can’t watch all, then come back or at least watch the 3rd one, “The Day After…”. — Editor Inside Mike Sington’s Room Cancun Shooting 15 Gunmen Land On Beach At Cancun Resort Hosting 700 Gay Tourists Over Halloween1/8 Cancun Shooting: 15 Gunmen Land at Mexico Beach Resort Host to 700 Gay Tourists The Nov. 4 Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun shooting in Puerto Morelos, Mexico caught hundreds of LGBTQ tourists by surprise, leaving two alleged Mexican drug dealers dead, one tourist wounded and an entire resort’s worth of people shaken. As vacationers and resort workers alike sought refuge from the suspected warring drug dealers, former NBCUniversal executive Mike Sington provided a real-time window into the events through his Twitter account. [This post contains video, click to play] His videos, images and updates kept the world abreast of the tense situation as details emerged from the retreat organized by LGBTQ travel group Vacaya and many of the 700-plus in hiding tried to make sense of what was going on mere feet from them. Sington was two buildings away from the beach where a group of armed men landed on the beach and exchanged gunfire, but soon discovered just what was unfolding. 2/8 Mike Sington Gets Details Of Beach Landing, Active Shooters. Note: Violent Clip Included Briefly. [This post contains video, click to play] “I thought I would just go downstairs to the lobby and get a bite to eat,” Sington told Towleroad. When he found the lobby “completely deserted,” Sington knew something was amiss. “I saw two staff members hiding behind concrete columns on the far side of the lobby motioning me to get down … I crawled across the open lobby. which is open to the pools and the ocean.” Sington was whisked away by resort staff to one of a collection of hidden rooms in the hotel where a collection of his fellow vacationers were stowed away. “I could glimpse inside and I saw my fellow travelers, most of them in wet swimsuits and beach towels, hiding,” he recalled. Sington remained in one of those dark rooms for roughly an hour without any knowledge of what exactly was happening. He heard accounts from other tourists who were present when everything sparked. 3/8 It Gets Emotional. Cancun LGBTQ Tourist Group Processes, Bonds in Aftermath [This post contains video, click to play] Sington began documenting the experience, sharing accounts of tourists fleeing the beach and pool area as gunfire rang out, while worrying if the LGBTQ tourists were being targeted specifically. “It was brewing with all of us,” Sington said. “That’s one of the first top-of-mind thoughts that we all had. It turned out it wasn’t, thank goodness, but it was a feeling of fear in the rooms.” Though the Puerto Morelos shooting didn’t specifically target LGBTQ people, the increased threat of violence against LGBTQ individuals empowered by cultural attacks and legal erosion of civil rights speak to why Sington and others quickly centered their identities as a potential motivation. The Human Rights Campaign recently confirmed 2021 as the deadliest year for trans and gender-diverse people since it began keeping records in 2015. 4/8 What Were The Visitors Thinking In Hiding, Waiting For Hours After The Cancun Shooting [This post contains video, click to play] 75% of trans and gender-diverse murders in 2020 came via firearms and, though concrete data on anti-LGBTQ gun violence is limited, a Fenway Health study found that anti-LGBT hate crimes were “more likely” to involve the use of a gun or other deadly weapon than any other underrepresented class. Couple that with the threat of gun violence from Mexican drug cartels facing both Mexican citizens and foreign tourists alike, and the climate of apprehension, doubt and fear Sington expressed can be easily enhanced for LGBTQ people. Foreign tourists getting caught in the crossfire of warring criminal organizations on the Yucatan Penisula was in the news as recently as last month when an two tourists were killed by crossfire in Tulum, roughly 90 miles south of Puerto Morelos. Sington hadn’t been aware of the deaths in Tulum prior to traveling to Cancun for the Vacaya Halloween/Dia de los Muertos getaway. 5/8 15 Active Shooters on Hotel Beach? What’s going on in Mexico? [This post contains video, click to play] Sington and others were eventually led back into the lobby and given the all-clear from Vacaya representatives that the gunmen had been apprehended, leading to some breaking into tears and hugging one another. Resort guests were then told to barricade in their rooms. Despite being told at 7pm that things had calmed, Sington remained barricaded in his room until the next day. Planned events resumed, though they were more low key than originally planned, but Sington tearfully identified the most heartwarming memory of the day after as when the injured tourist returned from the hospital. “The one gentleman in the group that got shot was returning from the hospital and everybody got together in the lobby and cheered as he came back.” 6/8 Aways The Lobby. Singtons Images Become Iconic Representation Of The Magnitude And Fear [This post contains video, click to play] The guests left Puerto Morelos on Nov. 6, but, as Sington put it, the experience returned home with them. For Sington, living through the shooting gave him a new understanding of the trauma experienced by so many people involved in mass shootings, including the 49 people who lost their lives and countless others who survived the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016. “I just got home a couple of nights ago and when I opened my front door I broke out crying because it was just so upsetting,” Sington expressed. “It’s heartbreaking, the shootings that happen here, and they happen so frequently. I thought about the kids and adults at the Pulse nightclub and what they went through, not to mention all the many school kids in those shootings.” 7/8 What Perspective Did You Bring Back? [This post contains video, click to play] “But the thought also went through my mind that it can happen anywhere. It’s not just this country. It’s not just Mexico. You could be on vacation, you could be going to work, and an active shooter could show up,” he continued. “It’s just so sad and pathetic and something’s got to be done about it. We’re all so tired of ‘thoughts and prayers.’ We need action … It’s so frustrating. I mean, if the gun battle between the cartels had spilled up ten feet into the pool area from the beach, there could have been dozens or hundreds of travelers in our group killed easily.” Sington still hasn’t been able to bring himself to look at the images he tweeted from the event – the same ones that informed so many of what was happening – because they bring him to tears. He still worries about those that he bonded with during the experience and hopes they’re coping and finding healthy ways to work through their trauma. But he also found solace in watching the LGBTQ community come together to help and support one another through it all. 8/8 What About the Authorities? Cancun Shooting Killed No Tourists, Police Assure Community [This post contains video, click to play] “There are 700 stories. I think a lot of people went through more terror than I did,” Sington said. “You know how the LGBT community is – they bond anyway. Before the shooting, there was a lot of bonding going on, and then we bonded even more having all survived the shooting. So, I think about all those people now who are in different parts of the country … I hope they’re coping.” Vacaya celebrated the strength of those that endured the event, saying “We love you to the moon and back” in a statement via Facebook. “Thank you to the staff at the HYATT Ziva Riviera Cancun! Together we are strong and resilient,” the statement continued. The company announced plans to return to Mexico next year for its Halloween/Dia de los Muertos getaway package ten days after the shooting, but it will be housed at the Hilton Vallarta Riviera resort in Pacific coast city Puerto Vallarta. [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Cancun Shooting: Previously on Towleroad Chris Noth makes Peloton commercial Read More New York remembers an African-American village erased to make a park Read More Hong Kong activists get up to 14 months in prison for banned Tiananmen vigil Read More Megan Thee Stallion dedicates Humanitarian Award to her grandmother Read More James Bond could be non-binary Read More California governor pushes for gun laws modeled on Texas abortion ban Read More Photo courtesy of Mike Sington View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Chris Noth has filmed a commercial for Peloton. The 67-year-old actor’s most favour alter ego, Mr. Big, passed away in the opening episode of ‘Sex and the City’ spin-off ‘And Just Like That…’ after suffering a heart attack following his 1,000th session on one of the company’s exercise bikes, and he’s poked fun at his shock exit in a festive advert for the interactive fitness provider. In the commercial – which is narrated by Ryan Reynolds – Chris sat in front of a Christmas tree and festive-themed fireplace, behind a pair of Peloton bikes as he celebrated “new beginnings” with real-life Peloton instructor Jess King, who was also Big’s coach on ‘And Just Like That…’. She told him: “You look great.” He then replied: “Oh, I feel great. Shall we take another ride? Life’s too short not to.” The company shared the ad on Instagram along with the caption: “And just like that…he’s alive.” On the new show, it was explained Big – whose lifeless body was found by his wife Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) – had heart issues but his cardiologist had approved for him to work out on his Peloton bike, something which the company claimed afterwards had “maybe even helped delay” his untimely death. Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a preventative cardiologist who sits on Peloton’s health and wellness advisory council said: “I’m sure ‘SATC’ fans, like me, are saddened by the news that Mr. Big dies of a heart attack. Mr. Big lived what many would call an extravagant lifestyle — including cocktails, cigars, and big steaks — and was at serious risk as he had a previous cardiac event in Season 6. “These lifestyle choices and perhaps even his family history, which often is a significant factor, were the likely cause of his death. Riding his Peloton Bike may have even helped delay his cardiac event…It’s always important to talk to your doctor, get tested, and have a healthy prevention strategy. The good news is Peloton helps you track heart rate while you ride, so you can do it safely.” View the full article

Published by DPA A sign points to the former Seneca Village in Central Park, the first New York settlement of liberated African-Americans. Christina Horsten/dpa Children are playing football on a lawn, people are out walking, holding their faces up to the sun, dogs are sniffing trees, and a musician plays guitar on a bench. In the (often) harmonious everyday life of New York’s Central Park, a few brown signs on the mid-west side of the grounds rarely stand out. “Discover Seneca Village” is written on them in white letters. Central Park, which has served as a setting for countless Hollywood film scenes, is one of the most popular attractions in this city visited by more than 40 million people a year. Largely shaped by the landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1876, the 3.5-square-kilometre park is an integral part of the cityscape today. But Seneca Village, the first settlement of freed African-Americans in New York, had to make way for its creation. Displaced and then forgotten In 1825, owners John and Elizabeth Whitehead had divided their land – located roughly between 82nd and 89th Streets on the west side of what is now the park – into 200 lots and sold them. Andrew Williams, a 25-year-old African-American shoeshiner, bought the first three lots for 125 dollars. Saleswoman Epiphany Davis later bought 12 plots for 578 dollars. Over the years, a small settlement developed – consisting mainly of African-Americans who were freeborn or freed from slavery, as well as some Irish and German immigrants. By 1850, the settlement already consisted of about 50 houses, three churches, graveyards and a school. Seneca Village was one of the few African-American settlements at the time and allowed residents to live away from the heavily developed parts of southern Manhattan and away from the unhealthy conditions and racism that confronted them there, according to Central Park operators. In 1857, however, the New York City Council decided to demolish Seneca Village and have Central Park built. After that, the settlement was forgotten for a long time. A few years ago, the park administration began to draw attention to the village’s former existence with signs – and now Seneca Village’s history is being revisited, directly opposite its former location, on the other side of Central Park in the renowned Metropolitan Museum. “What might have been, had Seneca Village been allowed to thrive into the present and beyond?” ask curators at the Met with their exhibition “Before Yesterday We Could Fly.” A one-room show in the Met The show consists of only one room, but it is permanent – and plays with an established exhibition concept of the Metropolitan Museum, the so-called Period Rooms. These are special rooms in the permanent exhibitions that are supposed to show visitors life in different times and places like 18th century France and ancient Rome with furniture, wallpaper and art. These rooms have a “special magic,” as Vogue recently wrote – but until now they have dealt almost exclusively with the lives and works of white historical figures. Now, for the first time, the Met has an “Afrofuturistic Period Room”, designed by production designer Hannah Beachler, who was involved in Beyonce’s music film project “Lemonade” and won an Oscar for her work on the film “Black Panther.” “This project is important to me because it is a necessary conversation with time, loss, community and hope,” Beachler says. The room offers an “important opportunity to start new dialogues and illuminate stories that are yet to be told within our walls,” Austrian museum director Max Hollein also said. In this colourfully wallpapered space, a small house is suggested, filled with artworks and objects such as bowls and combs – inspired by objects from the real Seneca Village found in 2011 during excavations at Columbia University. A video installation runs alongside. New York Times critic Salamishah Tillet lauded the Metropolitan Museum exhibition as “one of its most thoughtful reparations projects yet” – high praise for a museum often criticised for having a largely white, male perspective on the history of art. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jessie Pang and Edmond Ng HONG KONG (Reuters) – Eight Hong Kong pro-democracy activists were sentenced to up to 14 months in prison on Monday for organising, taking part in and inciting participation in a banned vigil last year for victims of China’s 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. The former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the promise of wide-ranging freedoms, traditionally holds the largest June 4 vigil in the world, but police have rejected applications for the last two vigils, citing coronavirus restrictions. Critics said authorities used the pandemic restrictions as an excuse to block the commemoration. The city government rejected that. The sentencing is the latest blow to the city’s democracy movement, which has seen dozens of activists arrested, jailed or flee the Chinese-ruled territory since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law last year. Judge Amanda Woodcock said the defendants “ignored and belittled a genuine public health crisis” and “wrongly and arrogantly believed” in commemorating June 4 rather than protecting the health of the community. Media tycoon Jimmy Lai, 74, who is already in jail, barrister Chow Hang Tung, 36, and activist Gwyneth Ho, 31, received sentences of 13, 12 and 6 months, respectively. They were found guilty by the court last Thursday. The three, the highest profile of the eight, had pleaded not guilty to all charges. “If commemorate (sic) those who died because of injustice is a crime, then inflict on me that crime and let me suffer the punishment of this crime, so I may share the burden and glory of those young men and women who shed their blood on June 4th to proclaim truth, justice and goodness,” Lai said in a mitigation letter, handwritten in prison, ahead of sentencing. Chow, in her mitigation said: “If those in power had wished to kill the movement with prosecution and imprisonment, they shall be sorely disappointed. Indeed what they have done is breathe new life into the movement, rallying a new generation to this long struggle for truth, justice and democracy.” Five others who had pleaded guilty, including Lee Cheuk-yan, leader of the now-disbanded vigil organiser Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, were sentenced to between just over 4 months and 14 months. “If there was a provocateur, it is the regime that fired at its own people,” an emotional Lee, who received the highest sentence of 14 months, told the court on Nov. 17. “If I must go to jail to affirm my will, then so be it.” All sentences will be served concurrently with any the defendants are already facing in other cases. Sixteen other activists are already serving sentences of 4-10 months related to the 2020 vigil. Two democracy campaigners facing similar charges over the vigil, Nathan Law and Sunny Cheung, have fled Hong Kong. After mass pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2019, the global financial hub has taken a swift authoritarian turn with Beijing’s imposition of a sweeping national security law last year impacting many aspects of life in the city. China has never provided a full account of the 1989 crackdown on protest there that centred on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. The death toll given by officials days later was about 300, most of them soldiers, but rights groups and witnesses say thousands of protesters may have been killed. (Reporting by Jessie Pang and Edmond Ng; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree and Robert Birsel) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Megan Thee Stallion dedicated her 18th Congressional District Humanitarian Award to her late grandmother. The ‘WAP’ hitmaker was “honoured” to receieve the prize in her hometown of Houston – where she was raised after being born in San Antonio – on Sunday (12.12.21) in recognition of her local philanthropic efforts. The 26-year-old hip-hop artist said: “I’m so honoured. It’s my responsibility to take care of the city that took care of me. My grandma always taught me to be kind and giving. I learned that from her.” The ‘Body’ rapper – whose real name is Megan Pete – also acknowledged how her mother and grandmother – who both passed away in 2019 – had inspired her to complete her health administration degree after she recently graduated from Texas Southern University. She said: “I was raised by very giving women so I want to dedicate this award to my grandma because she taught me to be the woman I am today.” Megan later admitted to being grateful for the “recognition” but that she was “just happy” to help out the city that raised her. She wrote on Instagram:”Today I was given thee 18th Congressional District of Texas Hero Award by congresswoman @sheilajacksonlee In my hometown HOUSTON TX [three rock on emojis] although I appreciate the recognition I’m just happy that I am able to give back to and put smiles on the faces of the people in my city [strong arm emoji] (sic)” According to Congresswoman Sheila Lee – who handed out the accolade to the ‘Hot Girl’ rapper – the prestigious award is “not given out often” and has a “special promise and special history”. The Democratic lawmaker said: “This award has not been given out often, or to many. When this award is given, it has that special promise and special history.” In November 2020, the five-time Grammy Award winner shared about how “hard” going to college – especially juggling a thriving career and during the COVID-19 pandemic – had been. She said: “School is so hard and online classes are really hard too, but I was already doing online classes before quarantine started. I I had to because I couldn’t go on campus anymore. I mean, my focus was definitely better because I didn’t have a lot of distractions.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English A future James Bond could be non-binary. Daniel Craig has stepped away from portraying the suave spy and although producer Barbara Broccoli dismissed suggestions a future version of the character would be played by a woman, she admitted it is possible the role could go to someone who doesn’t identify with either gender and uses neutral They/Them pronouns. Appearing on the ‘Girls On Film’ podcast, host Anna Smith asked if Barbara thought 007 would always be male and she replied: “I do, because I don’t think that we should be making films where women are playing men. “I think we should be making more films about women. I think Bond will be a man.” But when Anna suggested “Non-binary, perhaps, maybe one day?”, she replied: “Who knows? I mean, I think it’s open. We just have to find the right actor.” And the producer confirmed the next Bond may not necessarily be white. She said: “We want the actor to be British… and British, as we know, can be many things.” Henry Cavill recently put himself forward as a potential Bond. Asked about the prospect of playing Bond, Henry – who is best known for playing Superman – shared: “Look … I hate it when people start a sentence with, ‘Look …’ – it sounds like they’re lying about something. I think it would be very exciting to have a conversation with the producers. … In an ideal world, I’d never have to turn anything down. “Nothing is off the table. It’s an honour to even be part of that conversation.” And Henry Golding previously revealed that he was “honoured” to be linked with the iconic part and claimed that it was the right time for a non-white Bond. He said: “It does seem to be a question that always comes up. It was definitely from ‘Crazy Rich,’ maybe [the scene with] the white suit coming out the park. “I’m Asian and everybody’s fighting for a diverse Bond – sorry, white guys. “Isn’t it great that we’re having that conversation? Isn’t it great that people are like, ‘Ok, now it’s time, why the hell can’t we have a black Bond, an Asian Bond, a mixed-race Bond, a non-distinct Bond?’ “I don’t know … It’s an honour to even be in the conversation. It’s one of the greatest film roles ever, you’d be stupid to be like, ‘I don’t want to do that s***.’ F*** no, it would be the wildest ride.” Other names in the frame have included Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, Rege-Jean Page, and Paul Mescal. View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – California Governor Gavin Newsom said he plans to use a controversial U.S. Supreme Court ruling on strict abortion curbs in Texas to design a law that would allow private citizens to sue some gun manufacturers, distributors and sellers. The Supreme Court on Friday left in effect the Texas law that enables private citizens to sue anyone who performs or assists a woman in getting an abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy. The Texas law was designed by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature to avoid normal means of legal challenge, because rather than making state officials responsible for enforcement, it instead gave private individuals anywhere the right to sue doctors who provide abortion services in Texas and anyone else who “aids or abets” the process. While allowing the Texas law to remain in effect, the court ruled legal challenges may proceed against the measure, which critics say amounts to vigilante justice. Newsom, a Democrat, said on Saturday his team will work with state Attorney General Rob Bonta and the legislature to draft a proposal in line with the Texas law that would let citizens sue manufacturers, sellers or distributors of assault weapons or ghost gun kits for at least $10,000 per violation. “I am outraged by yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing Texas’s ban on most abortion services to remain in place,” Newsom said in a statement https://bit.ly/31U6PN6. “If states can now shield their laws from review by the federal courts that compare assault weapons to Swiss Army knives, then California will use that authority to protect people’s lives, where Texas used it to put women in harm’s way.” Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in a dissent to Friday’s decision, blasted the court’s majority for failing to “put an end to this madness” and warned that other states could try to copy the Texas enforcement mechanism. President Joe Biden said he was “very concerned” by the decision to leave in place the abortion ban but said it was “encouraging” that the court allowed part of the abortion providers’ lawsuit to continue. (Reporting by Ann Maria Shibu in Bengaluru; Editing by William Mallard) View the full article