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Published by Radar Online MEGA Luke Evans is living all of our best lives. While the vast majority of us are at work or working from home on these dreary December days, the 42-year-old actor is half-naked in sunny Florida, getting friendly with a mystery man. MEGA The shirtless and chiseled celebrity was photographed on Wednesday rocking a tiny black speedo on the warm sands of Miami Beach. It’s evident Luke was working on his tan, as he was seen lying on a beach chair among a small crowd of equally relaxed-looking beachgoers. At one point, an unidentified man wearing a coral T-shirt, black basketball shorts and a black baseball cap swooped in to say hello to the Hobbit star – not with a handshake or even a hug, but with two kisses on each cheek. How very European! But such a greeting makes sense given that Evans was born and raised in Wales. His career has taken him from singing to broadway performing to acting. But these days, you can catch him stocking up on some vitamin D and showing off his anti-dad bod, which he surely worked hard to obtain. MEGA The Welsh star, who is openly gay, confirmed earlier this year that he and his boyfriend, Rafael Olarra, had broken up, following speculation that began in October 2020 that the two had split. Of course, it all started with Luke unfollowing Rafael on Instagram. Since then (and even before, let’s be real) Evans has been focused on perfecting his physique, which may have something to do with the filming of his Apple TV+ action thriller series, Echo 3. Set in South America, Echo 3 follows the story of a young American scientist who goes missing at the Colombia–Venezuela border. Earlier on Wednesday, the actor posted a photo to his Instagram page that appeared to have been taken on set. Sitting on top of a wall and holding a soccer ball in his hands, he quipped, “No one wanted to play with me that day….” Needless to say, his Instagram followers wish they had been given the opportunity. MEGA View the full article

Published by AFP People protest in front of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC for Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist killed by a team of assassins at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul in 2018 Washington (AFP) – The street in front of the embassy of Saudi Arabia will be called “Jamal Khashoggi Way,” after the Washington city council voted to honor the Saudi journalist murdered by government agents. The council voted unanimously on Tuesday to symbolically name the 700-foot (213-meter) stretch of New Hampshire Avenue that runs between the embassy and the Watergate complex for Khashoggi, a dissident journalist working for The Washington Post at the time of his murder in Turkey. “Through his journalism, Jamal Khashoggi was a fierce advocate for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law,” said a council report on the bill. “By designating the street fronting the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia after Jamal Khashoggi, the District is creating a memorial in his honor that cannot be covered up or repressed,” it said. Khashoggi, a vocal critic of the Saudi monarchy, was murdered and dismembered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018 after traveling there from the United States to file paperwork to marry his Turkish fiancee. The killers were a team of men closely connected to the palace of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is accused by Western intelligence of authorizing the murder. The Saudi embassy did not respond to request for comment on the move. The bill from the council is expected to be signed by Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and not meet objection in the US Congress, which reviews all legislation from the US capital city government. In 2018, Washington named a street outside the Russian embassy in honor of prominent Vladimir Putin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was assassinated in Moscow in three years earlier. View the full article

Published by AFP US actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Leighton Criminal Court Building between his mother Janet Smollett (L) and sister Jurnee Smollett (R), after his trial on disorderly conduct charges on December 8, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois Washington (AFP) – A jury in Chicago on Thursday found US actor Jussie Smollett guilty of five felony counts of disorderly conduct for falsely telling police he was the victim of a racist and homophobic hate crime in 2019 — an attack prosecutors said he himself staged. Smollett, who was one of the stars of the popular television drama “Empire” at the time, told police in January 2019 that he was attacked in the middle of the night by two masked men while walking near his Chicago home. But investigators eventually concluded — based on examination of closed circuit television images and the cell phone data of Smollett and his two alleged attackers — that he had orchestrated the whole thing. “The jury in the case of Jussie Smollett have found Mr Smollett guilty of five of six counts of disorderly conduct,” Cook County Circuit Court spokeswoman Mary Wisniewski said in a statement to reporters. The actor faces up to three years in prison, but could instead be sentenced to probation and community service. No sentencing date was set. Smollett’s lawyer Nenye Uche said the actor would appeal the conviction, according to US media. “The verdict is inconsistent,” he said, referring to Smollett’s conviction on five charges and acquittal on a sixth. “We feel 100 percent confident that this case will be won on appeal,” Uche told reporters during a press conference after the verdict. Smollett, who is gay and African-American, maintained his innocence in the face of a damning public account from authorities of their case against him and pleaded not guilty on all counts. Prosecutors accused Smollett of hiring two acquaintances, brothers Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, to stage the attack while invoking Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan, after the actor had received a legitimate piece of hate mail which he felt was not taken seriously by his employers. The case took a strange turn when Cook County prosecutors dropped the initial 16 felony counts against him in March 2019. But he was again indicted in February 2020 by a grand jury in Cook County, which handles crimes in Chicago, on six counts of disorderly conduct related to the alleged false reporting. Smollett — who was dropped from “Empire” after the allegations against him — was acquitted on a sixth count. ‘I was supposed to punch him’ “There was no hoax,” the 39-year-old Smollett insisted during the trial, local media reported. He denied having spoken about a staged attack at any time with his alleged accomplices. Smollett and his lawyer then acted out the fight between the actor and the brothers in front of the court, with Smollett playing the role of the attacker. The Osundairo brothers testified they had been paid to stage the assault. Abimbola Osundairo said Smollett “talked about how the studio was not taking… hate mail seriously.” “Then he proceeded to tell me he wanted me to beat him up,” he said. “I was supposed to punch him but not too hard.” The brothers had flown to Nigeria, where they are from, after the alleged attack. They were arrested upon their return to Chicago in mid-February. The episode initially sparked outrage, with many politicians and celebrities jumping to Smollett’s defense. The case also revived America’s long-simmering debate about how just the country’s criminal justice system really is, whether the rich get off easy — and whether prosecutors should have so much discretion. View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA The prosecutor in Jussie Smollett‘s hoax trial has put his foot in his mouth once again. 76-year-old Dan Webb — who is a white attorney — claimed the actor “monkeyed around” with the noose that was found around his neck during an alleged hate crime in 2019. The former Empire actor is currently on trial after being hit with six felony disorderly conduct charges for allegedly filing a false police report about being a hate crime victim. Chicago police believe he staged the attack in order to gain attention. As of this post, the jury is currently deliberating their verdict, but Webb reportedly used the cringe-worthy terminology during his closing argument on Wednesday. The prosecutor has been trying to paint a picture that Jussie stagged the attack. Webb’s noose reference was an attempt to prove the star tried the rope around his own neck. According to reports, his poorly chosen phrase led to groans of displeasure from the packed courtroom. MEGA Webb’s “moneyed around with noose” reference comes one day after he repeatedly dropped the n-word in court while questioning Jussie on the stand. He used the slurs when reading an Instagram conversation between Jussie and Abimbola Osundario on the night of the January 29, 2019 attack. The actor couldn’t take it anymore and interrupted the lawyer mid-sentence. Jussie asked the attorney not to say the word anymore “out of respect for every African American in the courtroom.” Webb apologized then suggested, “Why don’t you read it?” to Jussie before adding, “I don’t want to mispronounce anything.” Jussie has been accused of paying Abimbola $3,500 to stage a hate crime against him. The star denies the accusation, claiming the money was for training and nutrition advice. Jussie claims he was attacked near his apartment by two masked men wearing MAGA hats. He says they shouted homophobic and racial slurs while beating him up and tying a noose around his neck. While on the stand, he repeatedly denied the attack was a hoax. If found guilty, Jussie’s six felony counts could lead to three years behind bars, but experts think he’ll get off with a fine and community service. The jury’s verdict could come in as early as today. MEGA View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] Published by AFP A manatee is seen here at a zoo in Tampa in January 2021 Miami (AFP) – Florida’s manatees — which are increasingly facing starvation, largely as a result of pollution — are going to be fed directly by wildlife officials, in what they called an “unprecedented” step to prevent further die-off. The pilot program will start with Indian River Lagoon, on the Sunshine State’s east coast southeast of Orlando, federal and state authorities announced Wednesday. Many manatees migrate to this area in winter, to bask in the warm water discharged by a nearby power plant and to graze on seagrass. But over the last decade, heavy runoff from nearby farms and urban areas has caused algae blooms to explode, which increasingly threaten the sea mammals’ main food source. The algae blocks out sunlight, which seagrass needs to grow, while also releasing poisonous toxins. At least 1,017 manatees have died so far in 2021, with the most deadly winter months still to come. “This unprecedented event is worth unprecedented actions,” announced Thomas Eason, the deputy director of Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Under the new program, only a small number of individuals will be authorized to feed the manatees in the Indian River Lagoon, and only if necessary, Eason explained, reiterating that the general public should not do so. In captivity, manatees are fed a diet of salad, cabbage and other vegetables. Also known as sea cows, manatees are large animals of about 10 feet (three meters) in length and weighing between 800 and 1,200 pounds (360-540 kilos). They can eat up to 10 percent of their weight every day, so any decrease in seagrass growth can have dire consequences. Save the Manatee, a local non-governmental organization, praised the new program, with executive director Patrick Rose calling it a “significant move to help prevent another severe loss of manatees due to starvation.” Florida Man Florida Manatees on Towleroad Sarah Jessica Parker reveals challenges reviving Sex and the City role in And Just Like That More US Supreme Court leans toward public funding of religious schools More Jennifer Coolidge Wasn’t One To Emerge From COVID Lockdown With Renewed Zest, In Shape, With New Skills More Number of jailed journalists reached global high in 2021, at least 24 killed for their coverage – CPJ report More Groups push to make California a haven for abortion rights More Keanu Says: Neo Trinity Romance Was Key to Matrix 4; Jonathan Groff Cried Reading Script: ‘Iconic Actors…Iconic Parts …Fighting to Have their Love Again’ : TRAILER More People with health issues or inactivated vaccine should get COVID-19 booster – WHO More Georgia Republicans purge Black Democrats from county election boards More House Jan. 6 panel has ‘no choice’ but contempt charge against former Trump aide Meadows More Don Lemon All Smiles As Calls For Him To Be Fired From CNN Grow Over Jussie Smollett Texts More Drag Pastor Loses Ministry; Has No Regrets For Brief HBO Moments in Thigh High Boots, Pink Wig, Sequins; Was ‘powerful, spiritual’: ‘May Acceptance of LGBTQ… continue’ More Load More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sarah Jessica Parker has insisted it wasn’t “simple” resurrecting ‘Sex and the City’ characters in ‘And Just Like That’. The 56-year-old actress – who reprises her role as Carrie Bradshaw in HBO’s revival of the comedy drama – has opened up on the challenges she and her cast mates Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon faced on set. She told ‘Entertainment Tonight’: “I think, actually, every day figuring out who Carrie is, who is Charlotte, who is Miranda? “Putting that back together is probably not quite as simple as some might think. “You may recall how they sound and walk and talk, but more so who are they now, and what has time given them? How do you reveal that? And what do they dress like, and what matters to them?” Sarah insisted fans of the show will get a feel for the differences in the characters – and their world – as the 10-episode series gets underway. She added: “It will become abundantly clear that, like for many people, time and experiences and cities and environment and circumstances tend to dictate who you are when you walk out the door.” And when it comes to the timing of the revival, the star insisted it wasn’t a case of finding the “right or wrong” moment, but instead it was about an “appropriate” reason to make a new series. She explained: “I don’t know that there is a right or wrong time. I think for us… we felt excited about the kind of stories that we were interested in telling. “We found that home again at HBO, so we were encouraged that this year or next year, it just felt appropriate somehow. “That we had left these women, and we were curious about where they were, and who they were, and what was their life like, and who they were surrounded by. “It gave us a lot of opportunities to make the family larger and start telling new stories.” View the full article

Published by AFP The US Supreme Court seen on December 4, 2021 Washington (AFP) – The US Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared poised to accept that public funds can be used to support families sending their children to religious schools, challenging longstanding principles of separation of church and state. Two evangelical Christian families in the northeastern state of Maine sued to be able to use state-provided education subsidy funds to send their kids to schools with religion as the basis of their teachings. As Maine is sparsely populated, more than half of its school districts have no publicly funded high schools. So families receive subsidies that allow them to send their children to schools of their choice, including privately-run schools. But schools where religious beliefs are at the core of instruction are not covered in the aid program, because, under the regulations for the program — and those similar in other states — the teaching is “sectarian.” One of the families wanted to send their children to a school that was disqualified because, local authorities argued, it “teaches children that the husband is the leader of the household” and encourages kids to recognize “God as Creator of the world.” The school chosen by the second family in the case makes use of the Bible in all academic subjects. And both schools do not accept LGBTQ students or employees. The parents who sued — with the backing of Republican senators, 20-odd conservative-led states and many religious institutions — insist on that the constitution’s First Amendment freedom of religion clause gives them the right to choose a school that reflects their values. If they are denied the subsidies, they argue, they are suffering discrimination because of their religious views. The state of Maine argues that under the constitution government money cannot be used to support religious schools that discriminate, for example, against LGBTQ students. The administration of President Joe Biden, Democratic-run states and teachers and human rights associations have backed Maine in this fight. With six of the court’s nine justices in the conservative camp, several appeared sympathetic to the families’ arguments that the state must include the parents’ preferred religious schools in the funding program. When a government official decides which schools can benefit from subsidies and which cannot, Justice Neil Gorsuch said, “How does that not discriminate against minority religious viewpoints? Or ones that are unorthodox?” The three progressive justices warned that ruling against Maine would spark conflicts. “These schools are overtly discriminatory, they’re proudly discriminatory,” said Elena Kagan. “Other people won’t understand why in the world their taxpayer dollars are going to discriminatory schools.” The case is a part of a much wider and very hot debate in the United States on the role of parents and school choice in education, and how tax funds dedicated to schools are allocated. Issues of Covid-19 policies, acceptance of transgender students, and teaching about African-American history have deepened divides in communities and encouraged some to look to private and religious schools for their children. The Supreme Court is expected to decide the case by June 2022. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jennifer Coolidge thinks the COVID-19 lockdown was “like an acid trip”. The 60-year-old actress found lockdown to be a surreal experience, likening it to taking “some really weird drug”, and Jennifer admitted that she feared for her life amid the pandemic. The Hollywood star told the Los Angeles Times newspaper: “Being locked up during COVID was sort of like an acid trip or something … I felt like I had taken some really weird drug because all of these scenes in my life were being played out. And I wasn’t taking any drugs, I was just eating a lot. “I wasn’t drinking alcohol. I just … I felt like each day was sort of like I was hallucinating because my mother’s death came up [in] all of these things. And I think it was just because, you know, I didn’t really think we were going to survive the COVID thing. “I mean, I really didn’t. I thought it was just a matter of time before it got all of us. And I felt like the moment was just lingering outside.” Jennifer recently confessed that she was “eating [herself] to death” and put on “between 30 to 40 pounds” amid the pandemic. The actress admitted to “excessive” comfort eating during the global health crisis, and revealed she didn’t want to film after over-indulging on Vegan pizzas. Jennifer – who played Jeanine Stifler in the ‘American Pie’ film franchise – said: “I just didn’t want to be on camera that fat because of my excessive eating during COVID. “I thought we were all going to die, I really did, so I was just eating myself to death. Vegan pizzas, sometimes five or six in a day.” Jennifer Coolidge on Towleroad Number of jailed journalists reached global high in 2021, at least 24 killed for their coverage – CPJ report More Groups push to make California a haven for abortion rights More Keanu Says: Neo Trinity Romance Was Key to Matrix 4; Jonathan Groff Cried Reading Script: ‘Iconic Actors…Iconic Parts …Fighting to Have their Love Again’ : TRAILER More People with health issues or inactivated vaccine should get COVID-19 booster – WHO More Georgia Republicans purge Black Democrats from county election boards More House Jan. 6 panel has ‘no choice’ but contempt charge against former Trump aide Meadows More Don Lemon All Smiles As Calls For Him To Be Fired From CNN Grow Over Jussie Smollett Texts More Drag Pastor Loses Ministry; Has No Regrets For Brief HBO Moments in Thigh High Boots, Pink Wig, Sequins; Was ‘powerful, spiritual’: ‘May Acceptance of LGBTQ… continue’ More Jussie Smollett Claims CNN’s Don Lemon Warned Him Cops Didn’t Believe His Story Via Text, Host Accused Of Unethical Behavior Days After Chris Cuomo’s Firing More LGBTQ groups cheer Tokyo’s same-sex partnership move as huge step forward More Is The Prosecution Throwing The Sex Trafficking Trial Of Ghislaine Maxwell? It Has Reason To (Conspiracy Rampant Version) More Load More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Helen Coster (Reuters) – The number of journalists worldwide who are behind bars reached a global high in 2021, according to a new report from the nonprofit Committee to Protect Journalists, which says that 293 reporters were imprisoned as of Dec. 1 this year. At least 24 journalists were killed because of their coverage, and 18 others died in circumstances that make it too difficult to determine whether they were targeted because of their work, the CPJ said on Thursday in its annual survey on press freedom and attacks on the media. (GRAPHIC: Journalists killed in 2021 -https://graphics.reuters.com/RIGHTS-JOURNALISTS/dwpkrzkryvm/cpj-2021_killed-2021.jpg) While the reasons for jailing reporters varies between countries, the record number reflects political upheaval around the world and a growing intolerance of independent reporting, according to the U.S.-based nonprofit. “This is the sixth year in a row that CPJ has documented record numbers of journalists imprisoned around the world,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon in a statement. “The number reflects two inextricable challenges – governments are determined to control and manage information, and they are increasingly brazen in their efforts to do so.” (GRAPHIC: Journalists imprisoned since 1992 – https://graphics.reuters.com/RIGHTS-JOURNALISTS/jnpweajeypw/cpj-2021_imprisoned-total.jpg) The journalists who were killed in 2021 include Danish Siddiqui, a Reuters photographer who died in a Taliban attack in Afghanistan in July, and Gustavo Sanchez Cabrera, who was shot and killed in Mexico in June. China imprisoned 50 journalists, the most of any country, followed by Myanmar (26), which arrested reporters as part of a crackdown after its Feb. 1 military coup, then Egypt (25), Vietnam (23) and Belarus (19), the CPJ said. (GRAPHIC: Journalists imprisoned in 2021 – https://graphics.reuters.com/RIGHTS-JOURNALISTS/zdpxoxqylvx/cpj-2021_imprisoned-2021.jpg) For the first time, the CPJ’s list includes journalists incarcerated in Hong Kong – a byproduct of the 2020 national security law, which makes anything Beijing regards as subversion, secession, terrorism or colluding with foreign forces punishable by up to life in prison. Mexico, where journalists are often targeted when their work upsets criminal gangs or corrupt officials, remains the Western hemisphere’s deadliest country for reporters, according to the CPJ. (GRAPHIC: Journalists killed around the world – https://graphics.reuters.com/RIGHTS-JOURNALISTS/xmvjonbowpr/cpj-2021_killed-total.jpg) (Reporting by Helen Coster in New York, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Sharon Bernstein SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) – California must prepare for an influx of women seeking abortions in the liberal state if the U.S. Supreme Court ends the constitutional right to the procedure, dozens of women’s health and rights groups said in a report released on Wednesday. The report by the Future of Abortion Council is aimed at positioning California as place where women from conservative states can get abortions. It comes as the Supreme Court considers overturning or weakening its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized the procedure nationwide. Last week, the conservative-dominated court signaled a willingness to dramatically curtail abortion rights in America and possibly overturn Roe during oral arguments for a Mississippi case. “It is imperative that California take the lead, live up to its proclamation as a ‘Reproductive Freedom State,’ and be ready to serve anyone who seeks abortion services,” Democrat Toni Atkins, president pro tem of the state Senate, wrote in a letter introducing the report. The council made more than 40 recommendations, including a call for the state to fund programs to train additional abortion providers and legal protections for women from states where abortion becomes illegal. Twenty-six states are certain or likely to ban abortions if the court limits or overturns Roe, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which studies abortion rights. More than 40 health care providers, women’s rights groups and Democratic politicians formed the council in September after the Supreme Court refused to block a Texas law that effectively bans abortion at about six weeks and allows people to sue doctors or others who have helped a woman end a pregnancy after fetal cardiac activity can be detected. The Guttmacher Institute predicted in September that as many as 1.4 million women may drive in to California for abortion services if neighboring states outlaw or severely limit access to the procedure. That estimate doesn’t include women who might fly to the West Coast for abortions. When the new Texas law took effect in September, Planned Parenthood clinics in California began treating two to three Texans per day, said Brandon Richards, a spokesperson for the clinics. “We started to see an immediate impact on our health centers in California,” Richards said. (Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and David Gregorio) View the full article

Matrix Resurrections Trailer. [This post contains video, click to play] Published by BANG Showbiz English Keanu Reeves has revealed that the romance between Neo and Trinity was a key reason behind his return in ‘The Matrix Resurrections’. The 57-year-old actor and Carrie-Anne Moss are both returning as the main characters in the latest instalment of the sci-fi action series and Keanu was gripped by the prospect of reviving the story between the pair in the first ‘Matrix’ movie for 18 years. Keanu told Entertainment Weekly: “When (director Lana Wachowski) approached me, she spoke about having a story to tell which centred around Neo and Trinity, and that sounded really exciting to me. “Neo’s getting a second chance at his life, and he’s getting a second chance with the person that he says is ‘the only person I ever loved.'” The ‘John Wick’ star previously said that the new project is a “love story” between Neo and Trinity. He explained: “The depth of why this film got made is the sense of it being a love story between Trinity and Neo.” Jonathan Groff – who will star in the new movie as Matt Hinges – admitted that the scenes between Keanu and Carrie-Anne in the blockbuster reduced him to tears. The 36-year-old star said: “When I read the script for this movie I cried, because the idea of watching these two iconic actors in these two iconic parts coming back and fighting to have their love again just wrecked me.” Fellow cast member Priyanka Chopra Jonas revealed that she and the other actors on the project were left in awe by the chemistry between the two lead stars. She said: “They both are like well-oiled machinery. Their characters, the way they speak, the way they know each other even as people – it’s just so wonderful to see their camaraderie.” Keanu Neo Trinity Romance Matrix 4 on Towleroad People with health issues or inactivated vaccine should get COVID-19 booster – WHO More Georgia Republicans purge Black Democrats from county election boards More House Jan. 6 panel has ‘no choice’ but contempt charge against former Trump aide Meadows More Don Lemon All Smiles As Calls For Him To Be Fired From CNN Grow Over Jussie Smollett Texts More Drag Pastor Loses Ministry; Has No Regrets For Brief HBO Moments in Thigh High Boots, Pink Wig, Sequins; Was ‘powerful, spiritual’: ‘May Acceptance of LGBTQ… continue’ More Jussie Smollett Claims CNN’s Don Lemon Warned Him Cops Didn’t Believe His Story Via Text, Host Accused Of Unethical Behavior Days After Chris Cuomo’s Firing More LGBTQ groups cheer Tokyo’s same-sex partnership move as huge step forward More Is The Prosecution Throwing The Sex Trafficking Trial Of Ghislaine Maxwell? It Has Reason To (Conspiracy Rampant Version) More And Just Like That… won’t ignore Kim Cattrall’s absence More ‘The Facts Of Life’ Cast Has Good Vibes For ‘Marijuana Bust’ Episode, Now; Helen Hunt Joined And Topic Was Tough, New Doc More ‘Love is love:’ Chile legalizes same-sex marriage in historic vote More Load More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Stephanie Nebehay and Josephine Mason GENEVA (Reuters) -The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended on Thursday that people who are immunocompromised or received an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine should receive a booster dose to protect against waning immunity. Many countries have been rolling out booster shots, targeting the elderly and people with underlying health issues, but worries about the new, more transmissible Omicron variant have prompted some to expand their use to larger portions of their populations. With vaccination rates worryingly low in much of the developing world, the WHO has said in recent months that administering primary doses – rather than boosters – should be a priority. The recommendation comes after the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on immunisation held a meeting on Tuesday to evaluate the need for COVID-19 boosters and was largely in line with guidance given in October https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/who-advises-additional-covid-shot-immunocompromised-people-2021-10-11. Speaking in a briefing, SAGE chair Alejandro Cravioto said vaccines provide a robust level of protection against severe disease for at least six months, although data shows immunity wanes against severe disease in older adults and those with underlying health conditions. “For the time being we continue to support the need for equity in distribution (of vaccines) and the use of a third dose only in those” with health problems or people who have received an inactivated vaccine, he said. COVID-19 vaccines protect “very well” through six months after the last dose with some “minor, modest reduction” in protection, Kate O’Brien, director of the WHO’s immunisation department, said. Inactivated vaccines which take the SARS-CoV-2 virus and inactivate or kill it using chemicals, heat or radiation, are made by Chinese manufacturers Sinovac Biotech, state-owned Sinopharm and India’s Bharat Biotech. They have been granted emergency use approval by the WHO. The WHO executives did not name the vaccines in Thursday’s briefing. In October, the United Nations agency recommended that people over 60 who received the Sinopharm and Sinovac shots should get an extra dose. A single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is still effective, but data from the company’s clinical trials using two doses clearly show the benefit of having further vaccination, Cravioto said on Thursday. Some countries including Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Thailand have been giving a booster shot to those inoculated with Chinese vaccines amid concerns that they may not be as effective against more transmissible coronavirus variants. (Reporting by Stephanie NebehayWriting by Josephine MasonEditing by Alison Williams, Mark Potter and Angus MacSwan) View the full article

Published by Reuters By James Oliphant and Nathan Layne GRIFFIN, Georgia (Reuters) – Protesters filled the meeting room of the Spalding County Board of Elections in October, upset that the board had disallowed early voting on Sundays for the Nov. 2 municipal election. A year ago, Sunday voting had been instrumental in boosting turnout of Black voters. But this was an entirely different five-member board than had overseen the last election. The Democratic majority of three Black women was gone. So was the Black elections supervisor. Now a faction of three white Republicans controlled the board – thanks to a bill passed by the Republican-led Georgia legislature earlier this year. The Spalding board’s new chairman has endorsed former president Donald Trump’s false stolen-election claims on social media. The panel in Spalding, a rural patch south of Atlanta, is one of six county boards that Republicans have quietly reorganized in recent months through similar county-specific state legislation. The changes expanded the party’s power over choosing members of local election boards ahead of the crucial midterm Congressional elections in November 2022. The unusual rash of restructurings follows the state’s passage of Senate Bill 202, which restricted ballot access statewide and allowed the Republican-controlled State Election Board to assume control of county boards it deems underperforming. The board immediately launched a performance review of the Democratic-leaning Fulton County board, which oversees part of Atlanta. The Georgia restructurings are part of a national Republican effort to expand control over election administration in the wake of Trump’s false voter-fraud claims. Republican-led states such as Florida, Texas and Arizona have enacted new curbs on voter access this year. Backers of Trump’s false stolen-election claims are running campaigns for secretary of state – the top election official – in battleground states. And some Republicans in Wisconsin are seeking to eliminate the state’s bipartisan election commission and threatening its members with prosecution. The stakes are high in Georgia, which last year backed a Democrat for president for the first time since 1992. Its first-term Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock will be up for reelection in 2022, a contest that could prove pivotal to which party controls Congress. The governor’s race next year pits incumbent Republican Brian Kemp against Trump-endorsed candidate David Perdue in a primary. The winner will likely face Democrat Stacey Abrams, a voting rights advocate. Both Warnock and Abrams are Black. The county board restructurings and statewide voting restrictions, Democrats and voting-rights groups say, represent the most sweeping changes in decades to Georgia’s electoral system. Until 2013, Georgia elections operated under federal oversight to ensure fair participation for Black voters in this once-segregated Southern state. Democrats say Republicans are trying to expand their control over election administration functions that should be nonpartisan. That could result in suppression of votes, they said, and could give Republicans control over certification of results, along with recounts and audits of contested elections. “We are talking about a normalization of Republican takeovers of local functions,” says Saira Draper, director of voter protection for the Georgia Democratic Party. Republicans say the changes aim to restore public trust in elections after many problems during the 2020 elections. “What we want to make sure is that we have election integrity,” said Butch Miller, the No. 2 Republican in the Georgia Senate, a leading advocate for Senate Bill 202 and a sponsor of the bill to reconstitute the Lincoln County election board. In five of the Georgia counties that restructured election boards – Troup, Morgan, Pickens, Stephens and Lincoln – the legislature shifted the power to appoint some or all election board members to local county commissions, all of which are currently controlled by Republicans. Previously, the appointments had been split evenly between the local Democratic and Republican parties, sometimes with other local entities controlling some appointments. The intent of the old system: To ensure a politically balanced or nonpartisan board. In the sixth county, Spalding, the parties still choose two members each, but the fifth member is now chosen by local judges. (It used to be decided by a coin flip.) Those judges tend to be politically conservative; they appointed a white Republican to replace a Black Democrat on the election board, giving Republicans a 3-2 majority. In Morgan County, the majority-Republican county commission reconstituted its election board, ousting two outspoken Black Democrats. In Troup County, a Black Democratic member claims the board shake-up was aimed at ousting her after she fought to increase voting access. Reuters could not determine the exact split of Democrats and Republicans in the five counties that handed control to county commissions before and after their restructurings. That’s because board members’ party affiliation is not public information in Georgia, and board representatives declined to identify their allegiances. RESTRICTING ACCESS The county election boards have broad authority over voter access, such as polling locations and early-voting procedures. They also have considerable sway over post-election provisional-ballot tallies, audits and recounts. Reconstituted boards in two of the six counties have already moved to restrict voting access. In addition to Spalding’s termination of Sunday voting, Lincoln County has proposed consolidating its seven precincts into one voting center, which critics say would discourage voting by people traveling from remote areas. Proponents say it would make voting more efficient and secure. The proposal is set for a vote on Thursday. In Lincoln County, the new law removes appointments by political parties and gives the Republican-led county commission discretion to appoint the board’s three-member majority. County Republicans say the changes are meant to comply with a 2018 state Supreme Court ruling, which dictated that private entities cannot appoint members to government bodies. That decision, however, involved boards of ethics, not elections, and many other Georgia counties continue to allow political-party appointments to election boards. The changes come in the wake of Trump’s false claims of election fraud. Trump won Spalding County with 60% of the 2020 vote. But his margin of victory declined by 4 percentage points from 2016 as turnout among Black voters jumped 20% in a county where the population is 35% black. Trump supporters rifled through the dumpsters behind Spalding’s election office, looking for tossed ballots. None were found. Others demanded to watch the vote-counting. Sheriff’s deputies had to escort election workers to their cars. In Georgia and nationwide, some Trump supporters have threatened election officials with violence. With conservative judges now choosing the county election board’s fifth member, the previous fifth member, Vera McIntosh, a Black Democrat, has been ousted. She was replaced by James Newland, who is also vice-chair of the county Republican Party. In September, he voted to end Sunday voting. The board’s new chair is Ben Johnson, a former official of the county Republican party. Johnson declined to comment on his social media posts endorsing Trump’s false voter-fraud claims. He would not answer questions about whether he acknowledged that Biden won the 2020 election fairly. McIntosh, the ousted Democrat, called the changes a “power grab” by local Republicans who wanted to “go back and prove the ‘Big Lie’ was real,” referring to Trump’s election-fraud claims. “They wanted control,” she said. “They got control.” The law restructuring Spalding’s board also required the elections supervisor to live in the county, a change that forced out the incumbent supervisor, Marcia Ridley. Two other Black Democrats on the board quit: Margaret Bentley and Glenda Henley, who cited objections to the law and harassment from Trump supporters. Henley said the board’s meetings were increasingly attended by Trump supporters crying fraud. She called the tensions “exhausting” and said: “I have never been afraid in this town, but I am now.” The restructured board still includes two Democrats, one of whom is Black. Republican state representative David Knight from Spalding, who co-sponsored a bill to reconstitute the board, said the changes had nothing to do with race or partisanship. They aimed, he said, “to restore the integrity of our election board and voter confidence.” On Election Day in 2020, voting machines malfunctioned in all 18 precincts, resulting in long waits. Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger called for Ridley’s resignation, and the Republican-controlled State Election Board referred her handling of the problems to the state attorney general, who has to date not taken any action. Ridley denies any mismanagement, saying her staff “worked hard to ensure that no voter got disenfranchised and all were able to vote.” FREE AND FAIR? In western Georgia’s Troup County, the Republican-controlled county commission now appoints all election board members, a power previously shared by three cities and the two political parties. Lonnie Hollis, one of two Black female members, will leave the board at year-end. Hollis, who has served since 2013, said the restructuring was aimed at unseating her because she fought to increase voter access. Her efforts included advocating for the first voting location in a predominantly Black church in the county, which she said has multiple precincts in predominantly white churches. Patrick Crews, the Republican chairman of Troup County commissioners, denied Hollis was targeted for removal. “Our goal is to be inclusive and appoint members who are concerned about having fair and honest elections,” Crews said. In Morgan County, two Black Democrats on the board, Helen Butler and Avery Jackson, were removed after the new law eliminated political-party appointments and handed appointment power to the Republican-dominated commission. Butler and Jackson sought reappointments but were denied. The commission chair, Philipp von Hanstein, did not respond to a comment request. Butler has long advocated for voting rights and social justice. Testifying before a special U.S. Senate subcommittee in July, she said she was ousted for fighting the closure of polling locations and advocating for ballot drop boxes. Butler warned that the restructurings could “enable members of the majority party to overturn election results they do not like.” (Reporting by James Oliphant and Nathan Layne; editing by Soyoung Kim and Brian Thevenot) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Donald Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows could become the third person to face a criminal contempt https://www.reuters.com/world/us/whats-stake-trump-allies-facing-contempt-congress-2021-10-14 charge for refusing to cooperate with the U.S. House of Representatives panel probing the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, the committee said on Wednesday. Representative Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Select Committee, said in a letter to Meadows’ attorney, George Terwilliger, that Meadows – a former House member – had failed to cooperate https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-ex-chief-staff-meadows-no-longer-cooperating-with-capitol-riot-panel-2021-12-07 with the panel. “The Select Committee is left with no choice but to advance contempt proceedings and recommend that the body in which Mr. Meadows once served refer him for criminal prosecution,” Thompson wrote in the letter, which was released by the committee. Thompson later told reporters he expected the committee to meet next week on whether to cite Meadows for contempt. “We have every intention to move forward with a contempt citation on Meadows and we’ll go from there,” he said. Terwilliger did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Meadows refused to appear for a deposition scheduled on Wednesday, instead filing a lawsuit against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the nine members of the Select Committee. The suit alleges that subpoenas sent to Meadows violate legal protections for senior advisers to a president, and charge the committee with using excessively broad subpoenas to obtain Meadows’ mobile telephone data. “Mr. Meadows’s flawed lawsuit won’t succeed at slowing down the Select Committee’s investigation or stopping us from getting the information we’re seeking,” Thompson and Committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney, a Republican, said in a statement. The Justice Department, at the House’s request, has already brought similar charges https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-justice-department-indicts-bannon-not-complying-with-jan-6-subpoena-2021-11-12 against Trump’s former chief strategist, Steve Bannon. The House is also considering similar action against former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark. Longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone told the committee that he would not testify, citing his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, his lawyer said. ‘I LOVE IT’ Meadows told the committee last week that he would hand over some documents and appear for a deposition. He changed his mind by https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-ex-chief-staff-meadows-no-longer-cooperating-with-capitol-riot-panel-2021-12-07 Tuesday. Thompson said documents were handed over but that Terwilliger also argued that hundreds of emails and text messages are subject to privilege. On Jan. 6, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in a bid to prevent formal congressional certification of the then-president’s 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Before the riot, Trump, speaking at a rally, repeated his false claims that the election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud. Thompson said documents the committee has received from Meadows’ attorney include communications with organizers of that rally and with a member of Congress, who was not identified, about the possibility of replacing some state electors with handpicked candidates to keep Trump in power. In response, Meadows apparently said: “I love it,” according to Thompson’s letter. While more than 250 witnesses have testified to the committee, Trump has urged associates not to cooperate, calling the Democratic-led investigation politically motivated and arguing that his communications are protected by executive privilege. Many legal experts have said, however, that legal principle does not apply to former presidents. Thompson has noted that even as the committee and Trump’s attorneys battle in court over executive privilege issues, Meadows disclosed details about circumstances surrounding the Jan. 6 attack, including conversations with Trump, in a new book Meadows is currently promoting. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle in Washington; Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball in Washington; Editing by Scott Malone, Sonya Hepinstall and Peter Cooney) View the full article

Published by Radar Online Don Lemonposted a picture of himself seemingly unbothered by the allegations lodged against him that could potentially cost him his job at CNN. The journalist is accused of tipping off Jussie Smollet prior to the actor’s arrest for allegedly faking a hate crime. Don told provided the Empire actor with inside information that the police on the case did not believe his story. MEGA In his latest Instagram post, Don was seen with a big grin on his face while posing in front of a Van Gogh Exhibit in Manhattan, New York. Lemon wrote in the caption, “Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit in #Manhattan. Amazing! Have you been?” The CNN host has been under fire since the news broke of his involvement in helping Jussie behind the scenes. He was also criticized after failing to mention his involvement while covering his friend’s trial. Despite posting an image of himself looking all smiles at the art show, some followers were not ready to let go of their opinions on his latest scandal. One Instagram user asked, “Have you been feeding info to Jussie Smollet to influence his trial @donlemoncnn?” Another commented, “All smiles right now, until you end up like Chris Cuomo.” A third user even called for the news anchor to be terminated from the network, “@donlemoncnn I HOPE U GET FIRED AND LOSE YOUR PENSION NEXT,” followed by several exclamation marks. MEGA Speaking of firing, this revelation also comes after his former co-worker Chris Cuomowas axed from CNN. Chris was accused of helping his brotherAndrew Cuomo cover up his sexual harassment allegations. He was also hit with sexual harassment allegations by a former co-worker. Radar previously reported that Chris and Don are currently not on speaking terms following the firing. An insider revealed Don was left with no choice other than to take his boss CNN President Jeff Zucker‘s side. “Don is clearly Team Jeff all the way,” the source claimed. “Jeff has changed Don’s life. Not only making him into a star but also making him very rich. Don has ambitions of having his own talk-show on CNN and isn’t about to burn that dream because of Chris Cuomo.” The new information regarding Lemon’s role in Smollet’s case had sparked comparisons between Lemon and Chris’ situation. On Saturday, Dec. 4, CNN announced their decision to fire Chris. “Chris Cuomo was suspended earlier this week pending further evaluation of new information that came to light about his involvement with his brother’s defense,” the network released a statement. “We retained a respected law firm to conduct the review, and have terminated him, effective immediately. MEGA View the full article

Published by AFP Craig Duke, 62, made a big splash on the HBO show 'We're Here' Washington (AFP) – A US pastor who made a brief television appearance in drag, wearing a huge pink wig and sequined leotard, has been removed from his ministry, a local church official in Indiana said Wednesday. Wearing high-heeled thigh boots, lipstick and purple eyeshadow and with a crucifix around his neck, Craig Duke, 62, made a big splash on the HBO show “We’re Here,” at least among his horrified parishioners. The Methodist reverend described the appearance as “an incredibly wonderful, refreshing, deepening, powerful spiritual experience,” in an interview with the Religion News Service. But he quickly found himself in hot water with his flock. Having received “numerous calls and emails that are highly critical of Craig’s actions,” Mitch Gieselman, the district superintendent of the church in Evansville, Indiana, said he had decided to relieve Duke of pastoral duties and “significantly reduced” his salary. But Gieselman said he had not been fired nor had he resigned. “He has not been found to have committed any chargeable offense or other violation of the United Methodist Book of Discipline,” Gieselman said in a letter to parishioners. Contacted by AFP on Wednesday, Gieselman declined to make any further comments. The pastor’s fate caused a surge of emotion, sparking an online fundraiser that raised nearly $60,000 in donations on Wednesday. “May the bridge of understanding and acceptance of the LGBTQ community continue to expand across our community and beyond as God’s love shines through,” the pastor and his partner Linda said in a statement. He did not regret his moment in the spotlight. “I was surrounded and immersed in a culture that I’ve never been immersed in, and one of the things in ministry, if you want to involve people different than yourself in your ministry, you have to go to where people different than you are,” he said. View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Don Lemonhas found himself at the center of a scandal after Jussie Smolletttold the jury that the CNN host tipped him off that cops didn’t believe his story via text message in 2019. Jussie revealed the news on the stand during his hoax trial on Monday. The former Empire actor claimed Lemon had been told by a law enforcement source that Chicago Police Detectives were doubtful about Jussie’s attack on the night of January 29, 2019. Lemon allegedly sent the text before Jussie was arrested on February 21. Jake Tapper Poised To Replace Axed Chris Cuomo In Primetime At Troubled CNN Lemon asked reporter Omar Jiminez to recap Jussie’s trial during his show segment on Monday, but neither newsmen mentioned the host being brought up during questioning. If what Jussie said about the text is true, it would be a huge conflict of interest for the CNN host and the network. MEGA CNN fired popular primetime host Chris Cuomo after discovering he helped cover up his brother Andrew Cuomo‘s sexual harassment scandal. The 51-year-old journalist was canned over the weekend and just days after being “indefinitely suspended.” ‘Embarrassed’ Chris Cuomo Breaks Silence Hours After Being Indefinitely Suspended From CNN Due To Helping Cover Up Andrew Cuomo’s Sexual Harassment Last week, New York Attorney General Letitia James‘ office released a number of text messages that reportedly showed Chris helping Andrew strategize his response to the sexual harassment claims earlier this year. He was also accused of using his contacts and position at the network to burry the scandal. Days after losing his job, a former ABC colleague came forward and accused Chris of sexual misconduct. He’s allegedly gearing up to sue CNN over his $6 million-per-year contract if the network doesn’t pay up. Radar broke the story — after Chris was suspended from CNN, Lemon was “inconsolable.” In the light of Jussie’s claims, his reaction may have been concern for himself and not so much his friend. MEGA View the full article

Published by Reuters By Elaine Lies TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese LGBTQ rights activists on Wednesday hailed Tokyo’s move to introduce a same-sex partnership system as a huge step in their fight for equality in the only G7 country that does not fully recognise same-sex marriage. Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike on Tuesday said the Japanese capital will draw up a framework allowing the partnerships early next year with an eye on making them legal in the fiscal year beginning April 2022. The extension of the system to Tokyo could potentially end up benefitting over 50% of the country’s population. Under the system, same-sex partners can register their relationship and gain some of the privileges enjoyed by married couples, such as being allowed to rent places to live together and gain hospital visitation rights. Though it falls short of a legal marriage, Tokyo’s move to adopt the partnership system is seen as an important step towards legalising same-sex unions in a nation where the Constitution still defines marriage as based on “the mutual consent of both sexes.” “This is amazing news,” said Masa Yanagisawa, head of Prime Services Japan at Goldman Sachs and a board member of activist group “Marriage for All Japan”. “Some conservatives have voiced concerns that even though these partnerships are just symbolic pieces of paper, they could undermine Japanese traditions or the traditional Japanese family system. Hopefully this will be a chance to prove otherwise.” Tokyo’s Shibuya ward in 2015 was the first place in Japan to introduce the partnership system. The system already covers 41% of Japan’s population and the extension to Tokyo means over half of the nation could potentially benefit, according to campaign group Nishiiro Diversity. Activists have long lobbied for the whole capital city to adopt the system, and stepped up such efforts ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, delayed by the coronavirus pandemic until this summer. “There may have been some restraint towards the national government and the fact that a lot of ruling party lawmakers are reluctant about this,” said Takeharu Kato, a lawyer in charge of a landmark court case in March that said barring same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. While Tokyo as a whole did not adopt the partnership system before the Games, the Olympics, with its focus on diversity, helped sway public opinion, Kato and others said. A recent poll of Tokyo residents conducted by the metropolitan government found 70% of respondents were in favour of same-sex partnerships. “I’m sure the Olympics had an impact since Tokyo has been thinking of what kind of legacy they should leave,” said LGBTQ rights activist Gon Matsunaka. Another incentive has been Tokyo’s interest in branding itself a major international centre and attracting foreign companies, many of which have greater emphasis on LGBTQ rights. As part of Governor Koike’s preparation for her announcement, she spoke with foreign business leaders, who said Tokyo was behind on that front, said Goldman’s Yanagisawa. “From my perspective as a Goldman Sachs employee, we want to attract international talent but Japan is always at a disadvantage,” he added. “We offer our own employee benefits on top of the national provisions to try to equalise the system but there’s a limitation to what is possible, and obviously not every company can do this.” The next goal is making marriage possible, though this probably requires more local areas to adopt same-sex partnership regulations, creating enough pressure that the national government can no longer ignore it. “Of course I’m happy,” said Kato. “But this is just one waypoint on a long road. We need to use it to push towards actual marriage.” (Additional reporting by Rikako Maruyama; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa) View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Many people will shrug their shoulders and denounce this commentary as conspiratorial. But the fact is, after six days of testimony in the much-anticipated trial of Ghislaine Maxwell in a New York courtroom, the very valid question ought to be asked: Is the prosecution tanking the sex trafficking trial against the Parisian-born daughter of ex-British media tycoon Robert Maxwell? The Southern District of New York is considered one of the toughest units of the Department of Justice. Known for being highly independent and nonpartisan, it has earned itself the moniker the “Sovereign District of New York.” Its resources and accompanying FBI field office have given the SDNY a reputation for being exceptionally aggressive in its pursuit of criminals. Why then was a larger and more substantial case against Maxwell — racketeering — overlooked in pursuit of a six-count federal indictment, which relates to accusations that she facilitated the sexual exploitation of girls for her longtime lover, the disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. mega The six counts center on the accounts of four accusers. The charges against Maxwell include: One count of enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, in which Ms. Maxwell is accused of coercing one girl — identified as Minor Victim 1 in charging documents — to travel from Florida to New York, between 1994 and 1997, to engage in sex acts with Mr. Epstein. One count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in illegal sex acts, which accuses Ms. Maxwell of bringing the same girl from Florida to New York on numerous occasions. One count of sex trafficking of a minor, which charges that between 2001 and 2004, Ms. Maxwell recruited, enticed, and transported another girl — identified in the charges as Minor Victim 4 — to engage in at least one commercial sex act with Mr. Epstein. And three counts of conspiracy, which are related to the other counts. The conspiracy counts in the indictment are more expansive, involving all four accusers and homes in the United States and in London. These charges involve accusations that Ms. Maxwell worked with Mr. Epstein to secure underage girls for sex acts, for example, by encouraging one to give Mr. Epstein massages in London between 1994 and 1995. If convicted, 59-year-old Maxwell will never see daylight again: Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors carries a maximum 40-year sentence; the other charges have maximum penalties of five or 10 years. It’s long been established that Maxwell and Epstein were not only partners—but also partners in crime. It is why, as part of Epstein’s 2008 conviction in Florida state court of procuring a child for prostitution and of soliciting a prostitute, Epstein sought out and received immunity for Maxwell and others from prosecution as it pertained to that case. (Epstein had been charged with recruiting dozens of girls, some as young as 13, for massages and sex at his mansion in Palm Beach, Florida. Under a plea deal reached in 2007 with then-U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta, Epstein was given immunity from federal prosecution and pleaded guilty to the lesser state charges.) Department Of Justice So, it’s not unreasonable to question why the prosecutors have yet to link a trove of evidence to its real purpose – kompromat — seized in a raid on Epstein’s Upper East Side mansions which the FBI and SDNY gloated about in 2019. The government introduced as evidence yesterday. It yielded “an extraordinary volume of photographs of nude and partially-nude young women or girls,” they said, according to court filings at the time, which the SDNY introduced as a request to the court to hold the billionaire without bail until trial. (On August 10, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein died in jail. The verdict: suicide. The timing: convenient, to say the least.) It said Epstein, a registered sex offender had “hundreds—and perhaps thousands—of sexually suggestive photographs of fully—or partially-nude—females.” Some of them appeared to be underage girls. Some were in a locked safe that contained CDs labeled “Misc nudes 1,” and “Girl pics nude,” or even individual names, prosecutors said. They also found a massage table with sex toys. What’s more, Epstein (and by virtue of the sex ring he ran, included others) had an “apparent previous willingness to obstruct a federal investigation, harass or tamper with witnesses, and hire private investigators that “forc[ed] off the road” the father of an individual relevant in the investigation.” The wide consensus and evidence suggest that while Epstein and Maxwell were flying around the world on his private jet and hosting lavish parties inside Epstein’s palatial homes in New York, Paris, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Palm Beach, Florida, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, the pair was also was secretly masterminding an international child sex ring—one that may have involved the richest and most influential men in the world. This, according to the FBI, was a “criminal enterprise.” mega (When Dr. Kathleen Hawk Sawyer, the head of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2019, when she was probed about Epstein’s Aug. 10 suicide by hanging at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, she said: “If the FBI is involved, then they are looking at criminal enterprise, yes.” So whatever happened to pursuing justice against that criminal enterprise? What lies at the very heart of what’s left of this horrible case is how those involved were allowed to make it happen in the first instance—and that raises some critical questions. Will we proceed with Maxwell’s trial without asking the reason behind why she allegedly procured these young women? The answer is yes. Why? Because the fallout of exposing the “criminal enterprise” be considered too dangerous to the United States’ legislative, executive, intelligence, and judicial branches. With the evidence of the criminal enterprise in mind, compare Epstein and Maxwell to the case of musician R. Kelly. mega The multiplatinum R&B artist was found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking for a scheme that, while equally as monstrous, did not involve nearly as many victims. He was convicted of one count of racketeering based on sexual exploitation of children, kidnapping, forced labor, and eight violations of the Mann Act, a sex-trafficking statute. In that case, prosecutors said Kelly and his “inner circle” worked for more than two decades, in multiple states, to promote the singer’s brand, to recruit girls and young women for sexual exploitation, and to produce pornography. Indeed, just two weeks ago, a top associate, Michael Williams, was sentenced to eight years in prison after intimidating an accuser in Kelly’s trial. In June 2020, he drove 200 miles to where one of Kelly’s accusers, known pseudonymously as “Jane,” was living, and set a car leased by Jane’s father on fire. If R. Kelly was found to have run a criminal enterprise and suffered the full wrath of the law, Maxwell and what is left of the Epstein and Maxwell’s “criminal enterprise” should face the same fate. mega Since Epstein’s suicide, Maxwell has been the sole custodian of the “empire of dirt” that they built up over more than three decades working as an intelligence source for Israel, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and other countries. They used their power to exploit the vulnerable and underaged, all the while hiding in plain sight within the innermost circles of the establishment. That, there, is the answer to the aforementioned question of why she allegedly procured these young women for Epstein. mega They used their access to trap the rich and famous and traded in the dirt they had on them to the world’s most secretive intelligence agencies. It explains how he and Maxwell amassed their respective fortunes when neither had legitimate jobs. The current prosecution of Maxwell is little more than a convenient legal circus, bending to the whim of public outrage. The truth is that top levels of government and law enforcement knew what was going on. Those same people are supposed to protect the 36 young and innocent women who the FBI has identified as victims of Epstein. mega These are the questions the SDNY needs to be asking: Who knew about Epstein and Maxwell’s criminal enterprise? When did they first learn about it? How did they come to know about it? Why did they do nothing to stop it over the course of more than three decades? The answers will be found in a complicated web of power and corruption — and those behind it are hoping the current trial of Maxwell will deflect attention from. It is the trial equivalent to an over-staged prosecutorial performance, one that, somehow, inexplicably, leaves Maxwell on a razor edge of guilt or innocence, due to nothing more than the limited scope of the charges she faces. Epstein and Maxwell were one of most disturbing criminal networks in American history. That, it seems, will never be prosecuted. In the meantime, be prepared for the jury foreperson to mutter the words “not guilty” at the end of what is expected to be six-week trial. Maxwell’s team don’t need to prove a thing; all they need do is show doubt. mega It is the prosecution who bears the burden of proving that the defendant is guilty beyond all reasonable doubt. Maxwell’s conviction – or acquittal – largely relies upon the testimony of her alleged victims, all of whom will be called upon to relive memories dating back decades. The defense has to date shown that the accusers’ memories are to an extent unreliable. To prevail, all they need do is simply befuddle the jury about their testimony to demonstrate that Maxwell might not — or could not — have done what is alleged against her … and any weakness presented thus far have been torn apart. What’s more, with Maxwell herself expected to take the stand, she too is likely to take a turn in attacking the credibility of her accusers. As nauseating as that sounds, it’s her only card to play if she is to walk free again. Even more nauseating, the chances of that being a winning hand remains a distinct possibility. mega View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Kim Cattrall’s absence will be addressed on ‘And Just Like That…’. The 65-year-old actress has chosen not to reprise the role of Samantha Jones for the ‘Sex and the City’ revival series, and Kristin Davis – Kim’s former co-star – has revealed that her absence won’t be ignored on the show. Asked about Kim’s decision to opt-out of the new series, Kristin told the ‘Today’ show: “We love Samantha. Samantha is never not going to be a part in some way, right?” Kristin didn’t reveal how Kim’s absence would be explained. However, she confirmed that it wouldn’t be overlooked during the series. She said: “There is respect for Samantha, there is … it’s part of the story.” The actress also insisted that in spite of Kim’s absence, she and her castmates still respect the contribution she made to the success of ‘Sex and the City’. She said: “We would never disrespect Samantha.” Last month, Kristin admitted to being frustrated by the criticism of ‘And Just Like That…’. The actress has reprised the role of Charlotte Goldenblatt for the ‘Sex and the City’ revival series, but Kristen suggested that the show has been treated differently to movie remakes. She explained: “People are like, ‘Why should they come back?’ and it really bugs me. Are women’s lives not interesting now? Nobody ever asks, ‘Why would you do this violent remake over and over again?’” Kristin – who stars in the new series alongside Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon – believes there’s a “reluctance” to see how female characters can develop over time. The actress – who also starred in the ‘Sex and the City’ films – reflected: “For me that is so indicative of our reluctance to sit and watch women’s lives develop over time.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online REELZ The Facts of Life – the hit television show that became a staple of NBC’s lineup in the 1980s – was a female-centric spinoff of another popular sitcom, Diff’rent Strokes. It ran for nine seasons and became a cultural touchstone for many reasons. And Radar‘s exclusive sneak peek of REELZ upcoming documentary, The Facts of Life: Behind Closed Doors, touches upon one of those reasons. Jerry Mayer, a writer for the series, penned an episode about weed. It was unprecedented. “One of the early shows that I wrote was about girls trying marijuana,” he recalls. It was a moment that stood out to the cast, too. “I remember the dope episode,” adds Julie Anne Haddock Becker, who played Cindy. “I believe it was Sue Ann who got busted with pot,” she adds with a laugh. But no one remembers the episode quite like Sue Ann, who was played by Julie Piekarski Probst. REELZ “They chose my character, Sue Ann, and when we kinda do the first day cold reading of it, I kinda was like, ‘Ok, now wait a minute, so this is me. Though it’s my character, what is that gonna mean for me?'” she recalls having thought. It was after a conversation with the late Charlotte Rae, who played maternal figure Edna Garrett, that Piekarski Probst says she felt comfortable taking on what had felt like a daunting task. “Charlotte actually and I had a conversation about it,” explains Piekarski Probst. “She said think about it this way – it is sometimes those more innocent people that you don’t expect because of peer pressure, they actually do succumb to it and end up doing it. So when she explained that to me and I really sat and thought with it, I thought, ‘This is important to do it.'” The episode featured a guest star who ended up securing her own place in the must-see NBC TV lineup: four-time Emmy Award winning Mad About You star Helen Hunt. Eve Brandstein, the casting directorwho placed Hunt in The Facts of Life, describes Helen as “very talented” and remembers her being in a “very unique group of actresses I could rotate in and out of roles.” “Helen was one of those,” says Brandstein with pride. “She was one of my top choices.” Hunt’s character was part of a modern-day “cool-girl” clique called The Group, which peer pressured Sue Ann to get high. “I like gagged and coughed, and then __Lisa [Whelchel__, who played Blair Warner] started laughing at it,” recalls Piekarski Probst. And with that episode, the first season of the groundbreaking series wrapped. REELZ The Facts of Life: Behind Closed Doors premieres Wednesday, December 8 at 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT on REELZ. Watch REELZ on DIRECTV 238, Dish Network 299, Verizon FiOS 692, AT&T U-verse 1799 and in HD on cable systems and streaming services nationwide. Find REELZ on your local cable or satellite provider at reelz.com/get-reelz/. Facts of Life Marijuana Bust on Towleroad ‘Love is love:’ Chile legalizes same-sex marriage in historic vote More Jonathan Van Ness says nothing will be off-limits in his memoir More Omicron Result Of COVID HIV Connect, Mutated in Immune-Suppressed Untreated Person With HIV; ‘Most Plausible Origin Story’; ‘Pretty Good Bet’; Top Scientists Agree. Get Tested, Treated. More Melania Trump Implicated In White House Cover-Up Scandal More Nick Cannon’s Budgie On His Daytime Talk Show Flies Viral Amid Speculation He’s Being Considered For Wendy Williams’ Replacement Despite His Abysmal Ratings More Kyle Rittenhouse Trashes LeBron James After NBA Star Mocked Him Crying On Stand More Jussie Smollett Says ‘Empire’ Creator Lee Daniels’ Fat Shaming Lead Him To Hire Osundairos Brothers In Attempt To Lose Weight More U.S. judge sets July 18 date for ex-Trump adviser Bannon to face contempt charges More Drake withdraws his Grammy nominations More US Justice Dept sues Texas over ‘discriminatory’ electoral maps More Millionaire Nuns On The Run, Lesbian Trysts & The Wrath Of A Disgraced Bishop More Load More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Fabian Cambero SANTIAGO (Reuters) -Chile’s Congress passed a law to legalize same-sex marriage on Tuesday, in a milestone for the conservative South American nation after a decade-long legal battle and with the country delicately poised ahead of a crossroads election this month. “Today is a historic day, our country has approved same-sex marriage, one more step forward in terms of justice, in terms of equality, recognizing that love is love,” Minister of Social Development Karla Rubilar said after the vote. Chile’s Senate and lower house of parliament both voted heavily in favor of the bill on Tuesday, which had previously been partially approved in November before the Senate sent it back to a committee to clarify ambiguities. Current President Sebastian Pinera, who will leave office in March, has backed the bill and is expected to sign it into law. The vote culminates a process that began in 2017, when the first bill was introduced, backed by then-President Michelle Bachelet. Chile is now poised to join over 20 countries globally with legal same-sex marriage, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica and Uruguay in Latin America. “It is hard to believe that today we are taking this step,” said Rolando Jimenez from LGBT rights group Movilh, one of the major backers of the bill and which helped spearhead Chile’s push to legalize same sex marriage for more than a decade. Chile will elect a new president on Dec. 19, choosing between progressive Gabriel Boric and social conservative Jose Antonio Kast, a practicing Catholic. The two offer wildly different visions for the country’s future. While Kast disagrees with same-sex marriage, he had said he would have signed the bill into law anyway had it been passed by Congress during a potential presidency of his. Chile has long had a conservative reputation even compared with its deeply Catholic Latin American peers. Still, a strong majority of Chileans now support same-sex marriage and Chileans have shown signs of moving left on social and cultural issues in recent years. Civil unions have been permitted in Chile since 2015, which affords same-sex partners many but not all the benefits of married couples, like the right to adoption. The law, which will come into effect 90 days after it is published in the Official Gazette, was cheered by rights groups and couples, opening the door for both parents in a same sex couple to receive full legal recognition. “This is cause for all Chilean society to celebrate,” said Isabel Amor, executive director of equality group Iguales. “Not only will people who have a same-sex relationship be able to marry, but hundreds of children and adolescents will get recognition for their two mothers or two fathers.” (Reporting by Fabian CamberoEditing by Mark Heinrich and Alistair Bell) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jonathan Van Ness insists nothing is off limit in his new memoir. The 34-year-old TV star is set to release ‘Love That Story: Observations from a Gorgeously Queer Life’ in April, and Jonathan has promised his fans that the memoir will be brutally honest. The hairdresser – who is best known for his appearances on ‘Queer Eye’ – said: “There are so many dimensions to all of our humanity that I’ve observed through my life that I explore in this book, and I invite everyone to come along for the ride. “From my experiences as a hairdresser-turned-entertainer to the HIV social safety net, imposter syndrome, and dealing with TERFs, there’s nothing off-limits.” Jonathan relishes the opportunity to share “what [he’s] learned” with his fans. He told People: “Throughout my career, I’ve gotten to interview experts across so many fields from science, politics, academic scholars, some of the most successful people in the world, to working with incredible people both in front of and behind the camera. “So all of that coupled with my relentless curiosity to understand the world around me turned me into a writer. I love sharing what I’ve learned in this medium and feel so honoured and excited to be able to share what I’m learning along the way.” Jonathan has also pledged to tackle a range of sensitive issues head-on. He said: “When you’ve stared down addiction, abuse, and trauma, you get bored with small talk. Give me authenticity. “I want to keep learning, keep writing, and keep sharing with you as we do a whirlwind tour of topics that invite us to examine assumptions, expand horizons and learn more about what makes us all so messy and gorgeous.” View the full article