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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

Published by Reuters By Luc Cohen (Reuters) – Two weeks of emotional, explicit testimony at Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex abuse trial from four women who said the British socialite groomed them as teenagers for deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein could largely undercut the defense’s argument that prosecutors are using Maxwell as a scapegoat, legal experts said. The women – who say they met Maxwell at different times in places as far flung as Florida, New Mexico and London – all portrayed her as central to the sexual encounters they had with Epstein. Maxwell’s attorneys did rattle three of the four accusers during tough cross-examination and scored two favorable rulings from U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan, who said that two of the four women prosecutors called victims were old enough to consent at the time of the alleged encounters. But as the defense prepares to mount its case, persuading jurors that Maxwell was not involved will be difficult, some experts said. “The government has done a good job of keeping the jury focused on Maxwell,” said Sarah Krissoff, a partner at law firm Day Pitney and former federal prosecutor. “The government will argue that the fact that each victim has a different story – and didn’t exaggerate Maxwell’s role in that story – demonstrates the credibility of those accounts.” Prosecutors, who say Maxwell recruited and groomed four teenage girls for Epstein from 1994 to 2004, rested their case on Friday in Manhattan federal court. Maxwell, 59, has pleaded not guilty to eight counts of sex trafficking and other charges. Her attorneys did not reply to a request for comment for this story. Her attorneys have argued that she is a “convenient stand in” for Epstein, who died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex abuse charges. The remarkably similar accounts of the accusers could help undermine that argument, experts said. For example, a woman testifying under the pseudonym Kate said that Maxwell encouraged her to rub Epstein’s feet when Kate was 17 in London in 1994. Weeks later, at Maxwell’s request, Kate said she gave Epstein a full-body massage that escalated into a sexual encounter. Annie Farmer, now 44, said she and Maxwell gave Epstein a foot massage at the financier’s New Mexico ranch in 1996, when Farmer was 16. “I watched what she was doing and she instructed me,” Farmer said. Massages, and Maxwell’s central role in them, came up repeatedly during the women’s testimony. Jane, who said she was 14 in 1994 when Epstein first abused her, testified that Maxwell would sometimes participate when massages later escalated into sexual encounters. Prosecutors said the women’s testimony provided them with details which are crucial to prove charges that Maxwell enticed the girls to travel across state lines and in some cases paid them for sexual activity. Jane said Maxwell assisted her with arrangements when she traveled to Epstein’s home in New York. And Carolyn, a woman who says Epstein abused her starting when she was 14, said she was paid $300 after she massaged Epstein. Once or twice, it was Maxwell who handed her the cash, Carolyn testified. ‘ROOM FULL OF STRANGERS’ Maxwell’s lawyers argued that the women’s memories were corrupted in the decades since the alleged abuse, and that they were motivated by money. Three of the four women frequently became agitated when the defense challenged their credibility by pointing to apparent inconsistencies between their testimonies and prior statements made to law enforcement. Maxwell attorney Laura Menninger grilled Jane about why she initially told the FBI that she did not recall being in a room alone with Epstein and Maxwell or Maxwell ever touching her. Jane called the notes “incorrect,” but on further questioning by prosecutors cried as she explained why she did not share certain details initially. “I was sitting in a room full of strangers and telling them the most shameful, deepest secrets that I’d been carrying around with me my whole life,” Jane said. Later in the trial, Maxwell attorney Jeffrey Pagliuca pressed Carolyn about $3.25 million she received from a compensation fund set up for Epstein victims. “Why is that being mentioned more than once?” said Carolyn, who later sobbed on the stand. Jeffrey Cohen, an associate professor at Boston College Law School and former federal prosecutor, said the defense may argue that the accusers’ reactions under cross-examination could indicate “they are simply out for vengeance and clouded by passion.” But in this case, he said, the jury would likely be “forgiving of the victims’ outrage.” In a victory for the defense, U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan ruled that Kate and Farmer were old enough to consent at the time of their alleged encounters, meaning any physical contact they had with Epstein was not “illegal sexual activity” as prosecutors alleged in their 2021 indictment. But the damage to the prosecution’s case from that decision may be limited, experts said. Neither Kate nor Farmer are the sole alleged victims underlying any of the charges Maxwell faces, meaning that jurors can use Kate and Farmer’s testimony to back up the accounts of the other accusers. Kate and Farmer “described strikingly similar patterns of behavior on Maxwell’s part,” bolstering Jane’s and Carolyn’s testimony, said Deborah Tuerkheimer, a professor at Northwestern University School of Law. “In important ways, the testimony of the women who were over the age of consent during the sexual interactions strongly corroborates the testimony of the two alleged victims,” Tuerkheimer said. (Reporting by Luc Cohen; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Daniel Wallis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Lisa Shumaker and Andrea Januta (Reuters) – Extreme weather events in 2021 shattered records around the globe. Hundreds died in storms and heatwaves. Farmers struggled with drought, and in some cases with locust plagues. Wildfires set new records for carbon emissions, while swallowing forests, towns and homes. Many of these events were exacerbated by climate change. Scientists say there are more to come – and worse – as the Earth’s atmosphere continues to warm through the next decade and beyond. Here are some of the events Reuters witnessed over the past year: February — A blistering cold spell hit normally warm Texas, killing 125 people in the state and leaving millions without power in freezing temperatures. Scientists have not reached a conclusion on whether climate change caused the extreme weather, but the warming of the Arctic is causing more unpredictable weather around the globe. February — Kenya and other parts of East Africa battled some of the worst locust plagues in decades, with the insects destroying crops and grazing grounds. Scientists say that unusual weather patterns exacerbated by climate change created ideal conditions for insects to thrive. March — Beijing’s sky turned orange and flights were grounded during the Chinese capital’s worst sandstorm in a decade. Busloads of volunteers arrive in the desert each year to plant trees, which can stabilize the soil and serve as a wind buffer. Scientists predict climate change will worsen desertification, as hotter summers and drier winters reduce moisture levels. June — Nearly all of the western United States was gripped by a drought that emerged in early 2020. Farmers abandoned crops, officials announced emergency measures, and the Hoover Dam reservoir hit an all-time low. By September, the U.S. government confirmed that over the prior 20 months, the Southwest experienced the lowest precipitation in over a century, and it linked the drought to climate change. June — Hundreds died during a record-smashing heatwave in the U.S. and Canadian Pacific Northwest, which scientists concluded would have been “virtually impossible” without climate change. Over several days, power lines melted and roads buckled. Cities, struggling to cope with the heat, opened cooling centers to protect their residents. During the heatwave, Portland, Oregon, hit an all-time record high of 116 Fahrenheit (46.7 Celsius). July — Catastrophic flooding killed more than 300 people in central China’s Henan province when a year’s worth of rain fell in just three days. Meanwhile in Europe, nearly 200 people died as torrential rains soaked Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Scientists concluded that climate change had made the floods 20% more likely to occur. July — A record heatwave and drought in the U.S. West gave rise to two massive wildfires that tore through California and Oregon and were among the largest in the history of both states. Scientists say both the growing frequency and the intensity of wildfires are largely attributable to prolonged drought and increasing bouts of excessive heat from climate change. July — Large parts of South America are suffering from a prolonged drought. While Chile is enduring a decade-long megadrought linked to global warming, this year Brazil saw one of its driest years in a century. In Argentina, the Parana, South America’s second-longest river, fell to its lowest level since 1944. Around the globe, heatwaves are becoming both more frequent and more severe. August — In the Mediterranean, a hot and dry summer fanned intense blazes that forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes in Algeria, Greece and Turkey. The fires, which killed two people in Greece and at least 65 in Algeria, struck amid an intense heatwave, with some places in Greece recording temperatures of over 46 Celsius (115 Fahrenheit). Late August — Nearly all the world’s mountain glaciers are retreating due to global warming. In the Alps, Swiss resort employees laid protective blankets over one of Mount Titlis’s glaciers during the summer months to preserve what ice is left. Switzerland already has lost 500 of its glaciers, and could lose 90% of the 1,500 that remain by the end of the century if global emissions continue to rise, the government said. August/September — Hurricane Ida, which hit Louisiana as a Category 4 storm, killed nearly 100 people in the United States and caused an estimated $64 billion in damage, according to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. As the remnants of Ida moved inland, the heavy rains created flash flooding across the densely populated Northeast, vastly increasing the storm’s death toll. Climate change is strengthening hurricanes, while also causing them to linger longer over land – dumping more rain on an area before moving on. Studies also suggest these storms are becoming more frequent in the North Atlantic. September — Infrastructure and homes in Russia are increasingly in peril as underground permafrost melts and deforms the land underneath them. Permafrost was once a stable construction base, in some regions staying frozen as far back as the last Ice Age. But rising global temperatures threaten the layer of ice, soil, rocks, sand and organic matter. November — The worst floods in 60 years in South Sudan have affected about 780,000 people, or one in every 14 residents, according to the U.N. refugee agency. Every year the county goes through a rainy season, but flooding has set records for three years in a row. The destruction will likely increase as temperatures rise, scientists say. November — A massive storm dumped a month’s worth of rain over two days in the Canadian province of British Columbia, unleashing floods and mudslides that destroyed roads, railroads and bridges. It is likely the most expensive natural disaster in Canada’s history, although officials are still assessing the damage. Meteorologists said the rain had come from an atmospheric river, or a stream of water vapor stretching hundreds of miles long from the tropics. Atmospheric rivers are expected to become larger — and possibly more destructive — with climate change, scientists say. (Reporting by Andrea Januta in New York and Lisa Shumaker in Chicago; Editing by Katy Daigle and Rosalba O’Brien) View the full article

Published by DPA Opel’s new hydrogen van can be fully refuelled in just three minutes, which gives the model a clear advantage over the all-electric version which needs almost five hours. Opel/dpa Opel has delivered its first hydrogen-powered van to a customer in Germany, saying the Vivaro model will pave the way for a whole family of new zero-emission light commercial vehicles that refuel far faster than their electric counterparts can recharge. The Vivaro-e Hydrogen was delivered to domestic appliance manufacturer Miele in the central Rhine-Main region. It promises a range of 400 kilometres compared to 329 km for the pure electric version. The hydrogen tanks of the Vivaro e-hydrogen can be refuelled in just 3 minutes, which gives the model a clear advantage over the all-electric Vivaro which needs to sip electrons for four hours and 45 minutes once the batteries are depleted. The hydrogen van is aimed at business customers initially and will be sold alongside the existing battery-electric and combustion-engined versions. A Vauxhall variant will debut later in some markets. “With the new Opel Vivaro-e Hydrogen we are opening the next chapter in our sustainable mobility offensive,” said Opel CEO Uwe Hochgeschurtz. He said the van was ideal for transporting loads without losing time while charging the batteries. The Vivaro hydrogen-driven van is the forerunner of a joint version for all the companies within the Stellantis concern which groups Fiat, Chrysler and PSA with Opel. Hydrogen versions of the Citroen e-Jumpy and Peugeot e-Expert vans are said to be in the pipeline. The hydrogen load-hauler is based on the battery electric Opel Vivaro-e but driven by a 45kW fuel cell which uses a chemical reaction to produce electricity. A 10.5kWh lithium-ion battery provides dynamic peak power when required, for example, when the van starts up and under acceleration. Opel said the battery also enables regenerative braking, while the plug-in capability offers the opportunity to recharge the battery externally if necessary. Opel’s new hydrogen van can be fully refuelled in just three minutes, which gives the model a clear advantage over the all-electric version which needs almost five hours. Opel/dpa View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk was named Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” for 2021, a year that saw his electric car company become the most valuable carmaker in the world and his rocket company soar to the edge of space with an all-civilian crew. Musk is also the founder and CEO of SpaceX, and leads brain-chip startup Neuralink and infrastructure firm The Boring Company. Tesla’s market value soared to more than $1 trillion this year, making it more valuable than Ford Motor and General Motors combined. Tesla produces hundreds of thousand of cars every year and has managed to avert supply chain issues better than many of its rivals, while pushing many young consumers to switch to electric cars and legacy automakers to shift focus to EV vehicles. “For creating solutions to an existential crisis, for embodying the possibilities and the perils of the age of tech titans, for driving society’s most daring and disruptive transformations, Elon Musk is TIME’s 2021 Person of the Year,” the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Edward Felsenthal, said. “Even Elon Musk’s spacefaring adventures are a direct line from the very first Person of the Year, Charles Lindbergh, whom the editors selected in 1927 to commemorate his historic first solo transatlantic airplane flight over the Atlantic.” From hosting Saturday Night Live to dropping tweets on cryptocurrencies and meme stocks that have triggered massive movements in their value, Musk has dominated the headlines and amassed over 66 million followers on Twitter. Some of his tweets have also attracted regulatory scrutiny in the past. According to the magazine, “The Person of the Year” signifies somebody “who affected the news or our lives the most, for better, or worse.” Time magazine named the teenage pop singer Olivia Rodrigo as its “Entertainer of the Year”, American gymnast Simone Biles “Athlete of the Year” and vaccine scientists were named “Heroes of the Year”. Last year, U.S. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris were jointly given the “Person of the Year” title. Time began this tradition in 1927. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos have also received the title in the past. (Reporting by Nivedita Balu and Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Brooke Shields thought George Michael was “extremely respectful” of her virginity. The 56-year-old actress dated the late ‘Careless Whisper’ singer in the years before he came out as gay and before she learned about his sexuality, she thought the fact things developed so slowly between them was because he had so much love and respect for her. She said: “I thought it must be love… I just thought he was being extraordinarily respectful of my virginity.” The ‘A Castle for Christmas’ actress – who has daughters Rowan, 18, and Grier, 15, with husband Chris Henchy – also dated the likes of Liam Neeson and John Travolta but didn’t lose her virginity until she was 22 and dating Dean Cain while studying at Princeton. However, Brooke didn’t “celebrate” her relationship with the ‘ Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman’ actor enough at the time. She reflected to The Times magazine: “I wish I had celebrated us more, but I was just so laden with fear and guilt that I didn’t have a wild time. “I want my girls to explore and experience and not feel guilt and not feel shame. My daughter talks to me about everything and I’m kind of like, ‘I didn’t bargain for this much information, but I’m going to listen.’ I look at her as an 18 year old and just think, ‘Wow, she is so much more in her body and she owns her sexuality.’ ” Before meeting Chris when she was 25, Brooke was wed to tennis star Andre Agassi for two years but she insisted she didn’t enjoy much of a sexual awakening with him. She said: “That was not a part of my first marriage.” However, everything changed when she met Chris. She said: “I would always walk backwards out of rooms and he’s like, ‘No, I want to grab onto you.’ I’d always felt like I could arm-wrestle every guy I’d ever dated – and win – but then this big hunky guy was like, ‘Come here, woman,’ and it felt really good. It’s not like, oh, I needed a man. But in a way, I did need a man. I needed a man to celebrate me, so that I could see that I was a woman.” But the ‘Pretty Baby’ actress predicted their marriage would only last two years. She laughed: “I was like, ‘Don’t count your chickens.’ I would always want a foot out of the door.” Things weren’t plain sailing for the couple as Brooke struggled to get pregnant. She recalled: “It was two years and seven rounds of IVF just to get Rowan. She was from the first batch. She was frozen for two years. I was like, ‘You’re stubborn.’ But it feels like the biggest failure. Women are getting pregnant all around you and you want this and it’s all you’ve wanted in your life. And then you think, ‘I don’t deserve it. I’ve had too much in my life.’ “Thank God I had a great doctor. And that she spoke to me in a way that took away the guilt. And the perseverance. She was not going not to get me pregnant.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Manas Mishra (Reuters) – More than half a billion people globally were pushed into extreme poverty last year as they paid for health costs out of their own pockets during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization and the World Bank said on Sunday. The pandemic disrupted health services globally and triggered the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, making it even more difficult for people to pay for healthcare, according to a joint statement from both the organizations. “All governments must immediately resume and accelerate efforts to ensure every one of their citizens can access health services without fear of the financial consequences,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. Tedros urged governments to increase their focus on health care systems and stay on course towards universal health coverage, which the WHO defines as everyone getting access to health services they need without financial hardship. Healthcare is a major political issue in the United States, one of the few industrialised countries that does not have universal cover for its citizens. Globally, the pandemic made things worse and immunisation coverage dropped for the first time in ten years, with deaths from tuberculosis and malaria increasing. “Within a constrained fiscal space, governments will have to make tough choices to protect and increase health budgets,” Juan Pablo Uribe, global director for health, nutrition and population at World Bank, said. (Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta) View the full article

Anne Rice fans mourn LGBTQ ally in human, undead worlds. Published by AFP Anne Rice sold more than 150 million books worldwide Washington (AFP) – Anne Rice, the gothic novelist best known for writing “Interview with the Vampire,” died Saturday aged 80, her family said. “In her final hours, I sat beside her hospital bed in awe of her accomplishments and her courage,” her son Christopher Rice said in a post on her Facebook page. He said she died of complications from a stroke. “Interview with the Vampire,” published in 1976, was made into a movie starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in 1994. She wrote dozens of books, many of them in the “Vampire” series, selling more than 150 million worldwide. Another of her works, “The Queen of the Damned,” was adapted into a film in 2002. “The immensity of our family’s grief cannot be overstated. As my mother, her support for me was unconditional — she taught me to embrace my dreams, reject conformity and challenge the dark voices of fear and self-doubt,” her son wrote. “As a writer, she taught me to defy genre boundaries and surrender to my obsessive passions.” She will be interred at a private ceremony in New Orleans, the statement said. A public celebration will be held next year in the city, with “friends, readers and fans” invited, her son added. Gay Anne Rice Fans – LGBTQ Ally on Towleroad Billie Eilish was told to avoid acting by her mother More Chris Wallace leaving Fox News for CNN+ streaming service More Explainer-Why tornadoes are so difficult to predict More Out Lesbian CEO/Editor Wins Peace Prize –First Philippine Nobel — with Russian Editor Who Exposed Chechnya’s Anti-Gay Crackdown; More Gay Rom Com, The Matrix |And Cackles with Clarkson | Miley and Pete Talk About New Years Eve | Coldplay with BTS, My Favorites Sing. (Julie Andrews Version) More U.S. House Capitol Jan. 6 probe subpoenas more Trump aides More ‘It’s going to be so hard to beat It’s A Sin: Olly Alexander keen to do more acting More Carrie Anne-Moss glad Trinity wasn’t ‘overly sexualised’ in The Matrix More Kanye West publicist pressed Georgia election worker to confess to bogus fraud charges More Tibetan students lock themselves to Olympic rings to protest Beijing games More California man charged in Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot flees to Belarus More Load More View the full article