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Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday that the Pentagon will not fund National Guard troops who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The Pentagon made the vaccine mandatory for all service members in August and the vast majority of active-duty troops have received at least one dose. Austin’s move, which was laid out in a memo seen by Reuters, comes a day after he rejected a request by the Oklahoma governor to exempt National Guard troops from a military wide vaccine mandate. The deadline for National Guard troops varies by the different services they are in. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Mark Porter) View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega The new Sex and the City trailer is finally here! In a sneak peak of the latest installment of the franchise — that is set to drop on HBO Max on December 9 — focuses on our favorite New York City girls Carrie Bradshaw, Charlotte York-Goldenblatt and Miranda Hobbs 11 years after we last saw them in Sex and the City 2. The preview depicts the three women navigating life in their 50’s, seemingly still married to their husbands and taking on new ventures. mega OK! RECREATES OUR FAVORITE OUTFITS FROM THE FILMING OF ‘AND JUST LIKE THAT…’ AT NORDSTROM’S ANNIVERSARY SALE — GET THE LOOK “I remember when you kept your sweaters in the stove,” Big tells his wife as scenes flash of him kissing Carrie and even riding a Peloton. hbomax/youtube We also see Carrie take to the mic as she takes a stab at podcasting along with new cast member Sara Ramírez. AfterRamírez, who’s character is a podcaster named Che Diaz, asks Carrie if she has ever masturbated in a public place, the writer jokingly replies “Not since Barney’s closed.” Except for Kim Cattrall who played Samantha Jones — the entire original cast including Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth, Mario Cantone, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler and Willie Garson (who filmed before his tragic passing in September) is back for the revival. hbomax/youtube SARAH JESSICA PARKER OPENS UP ABOUT ‘MISOGYNIST CHATTER’ SURROUNDING ‘SATC’ REVIVAL ‘AND JUST LIKE THAT…’ According to Variety, the series is slated to have 10 episodes hit the streaming platform over the span of the next two months. Two will drop on December 9, and then one will drop each week until February 3. As OK! previously reported, although the beloved character of Samantha won’t be making any appearances on this season of the series, she will reportedly still be involved in the storyline. hbomax/youtube According to the Daily Mail, the script will include the breakup and fallout of former besties Carrie and Samantha after she moves to London. “Carrie is the one who has the tough time without Samantha and by the end of And Just Like That.. you’ll see Carrie extend the olive branch and try and rekindle the friendship.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Jussie Smollett allegedly did a run-through with his attackers the day before the ‘hate crime’ took place. The 39-year-old actor – who is on trial for allegedly orchestrating a racist and homophobic ambush against himself that he reported to the Chicago Police Department almost three years ago – was allegedly seen on video practicing the assault with brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, who he knew from the television drama series, Empire. During opening arguments on Monday, special prosecutor Dan Webb told the court that the actor was upset that a threatening letter he had received at his place of work was not taken more seriously, so he hired the Osundairos to attack him. Webb teased that there was a video of the alleged rehearsal, which he said would show jurors a play-by-play of the “dry run.” On Tuesday, prosecutors played surveillance footage painstakingly gathered by the CPD that showed the Osundairo brothers walking around the streets of Chicago near Smollett in the predawn hours of January 29, 2019, when the attack occurred. According to Fox News, they explained how detectives reviewed and pieced together a series of surveillance, security and doorbell camera footage to track the brothers’ whereabouts and movements that night, which ultimately helped them identify the men as the perpetrators. The Osundairo brothers have already told investigators that Smollett wrote them a check for $3,500 to carry out the alleged plan and gave them $100 in cash to get the supplies they needed to complete the purported task. mega Meanwhile, defense attorney Nenye Uche‘s argument is that theOsundairo brothers ambushed Smollett because they did not like him. Uche said the check the actor wrote the men was for fitness training so that he could prepare for an upcoming music video. According to both Uche and his client, there was apparently a third attacker involved in the incident. Despite the fact that there is currently little-to-no evidence to support the existence and participation of a third assailant, Uche seems confident that it will help prove Smollet’s innocence. In fact, he noted during opening arguments that there is not even a “shred” of physical evidence to prove that the actor faked the attack. mega View the full article

Published by Reuters By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A new fault line opened between Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, as lawmakers squabbled publicly over accusations of religious bigotry and racism among party conservatives. In a fight that could further complicate Republican efforts to forge unity ahead of next year’s elections, firebrand congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene on Twitter branded Representative Nancy Mace as “trash” for criticizing Republican Lauren Boebert for remarks about a Democrat that have been decried as Islamaphobic. “@NancyMace is the trash in the GOP Conference. Never attacked by Democrats or RINO’s (same thing) because she is not conservative, she’s pro-abort. Mace you can back up off of @laurenboebert or just go hang with your real gal pals, the Jihad Squad. Your out of your league,” Greene wrote in a tweet early on Tuesday. RINO, the acronym for “Republican In Name Only,” is an epithet often used to criticize party members not seen as adequately conservative. Greene was attacking Mace over a recent CNN interview in which her fellow congresswoman likened Boebert’s remarks about Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar to other “racist tropes and remarks that I find disgusting,” which she said have come from both sides of the aisle. Mace quickly shot back at Greene on Tuesday in a tweet describing herself as an anti-abortion conservative and adding: “What I’m not is a religious bigot (or racist). You might want to try that over there in your little ‘league.'” Greene, Mace and Boebert are all in their first two-year term.The exchange came a day after a failed effort https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-republican-boebert-doubles-down-feud-with-democrat-omar-2021-11-29 to end the feud between Boebert and Omar, a Muslim who was born in Somalia. Boebert – like Greene an outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump – had referred to Omar as a member of a “jihad squad” and said it was safe to ride with her in a Capitol elevator if she was not wearing a backpack. Greene and Mace have clashed before. But their new rift could complicate matters for House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, as he seeks political unity to reclaim the majority in the House in the 2022 congressional midterm elections. McCarthy is under pressure from Democrats to discipline Boebert, barely two weeks after the House censured https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-republican-who-tweeted-violent-ocasio-cortez-video-face-house-sanction-vote-2021-11-17 Republican Representative Paul Gosar over an anime video depicting him killing progressive Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and swinging a pair of swords at Democratic President Joe Biden. “We’re considering what action ought to be taken,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the chamber’s No. 2 Democrat, told reporters. Hoyer suggested the Republican caucus sanction Boebert on its own to “cleanse itself” of such “toxic” behavior. McCarthy’s office was not immediately available for comment. Threatening rhetoric and political division have plagued House Republicans since Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 in an effort to stop the certification of Biden’s 2020 election victory. Republican Representative Liz Cheney was ousted from a party leadership https://www.reuters.com/world/us/liz-cheney-vote-us-house-republicans-reach-watershed-over-trump-2021-05-12 position after voting to impeach Trump and criticizing his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Greene called for the party to expel Cheney and Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger after they joined the committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot. Thirteen House Republicans were also criticized for supporting a $1 trillion infrastructure bill opposed by Trump and House party leaders. Some of those lawmakers later reported receiving death threats. (Reporting by David Morgan; additional reporting by Susan Heavey and Moira Warburton; editing by Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Halle Berry has signed a multi-picture deal with Netflix. The Academy Award-winning actress, 55, directed and starred in sports drama ‘Bruised’ for the streaming giant, which went on to top the global charts, and she could be set for even more success after putting pen to paper on a new contract. In a statement, she said: “My directorial debut, ‘Bruised,’ was a labour of love and I knew that Scott [Stuber] and Ted [Sarandos] [CEOs of Netflix] would treat it with great care. “The Netflix team has not only been collaborative and creative, but extremely passionate and a delight to work with. I am beyond grateful for the partnership and look forward to telling more stories together.” Her enthusiasm was met by Netflix film head Scott Stuber, who added that the streaming giant is “thrilled” to guide the ‘Catwoman’ star through the next stage of her career. He said: “There are few people with a career like Halle Berry. “She’s an award-winning actress, producer and as audiences saw this past week, she’s an incredible director. “We’re thrilled to be in her corner as she delivers power in front of and behind the camera in ‘Bruised’ and look forward to telling more stories together.” It comes after ‘Bruised’ was watched for 47.7 million hours in its first five days of release and topped the Netflix charts in 71 countries. While future projects within the new contract are yet to be announced, Berry will next be seen in two Netflix originals, sci-fi project ‘The Mothership’, from writer-director Matt Charman, which she will both executive produce and star in before going on to appear in ‘Our Man From Jersey’ opposite Mark Wahlberg. Neither are thought to be part of her new deal. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Kathy Griffin is cancer-free. The 61-year-old comic recently had half of her lung removed after being diagnosed with stage one cancer, and during an appearance on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ this week, she declared she is in remission. She told the host: “I’m cancer-free. “I don’t know why, I had a tumour, right? And I’ve never smoked, and it was in there for 10 years. So get this, they took it out and found it in another scan.” The ‘Trojan War’ actress also spilled about her doctor trying to impress her with his jokes, even comparing the lung to a used condom when it’s taken out. She recalled: “So I go in, and he’s like describing how they take half your lung out, and he goes, ‘It’s kind of like a balloon.’ So, we do it laparoscopically and we poke it, then he goes, ‘And when we take it out, kind of looks like a used condom.’ “And then he goes, ‘You can use that.'” She joked: “And I just did. And insurance covered it.” Commenting on her higher-pitched vocals from surgery, she said: “It will heal, but I’m sort of enjoying it. “I’m a good two octave’s higher, I think.” Jimmy asked: “Is it two octaves, really?” To which she quipped: “It might be. It’s higher than Mariah Carey, I know that.” Kathy recently admitted she was struggling with her breathing and a cough post-op. She wrote: “One thing that sucks about cancer, it’s hard to focus on anything else when one is experiencing shortness of breath, deep coughing, pain, extreme fatigue & in my case, vocal chord issues.” However, Kathy could still see the lighter side of her condition as she loves using it to “clap back” at her critics. She added: “One thing that doesn’t suck about cancer…how shameless I am when clapping back at people who dare to sass Ms. Kathy about anything with ‘Really, d***head??? TRY CANCER!’ I cannot get enough of it.” The flame-haired funnywoman first revealed her diagnosis in August. She wrote at the time: “I’ve got to tell you guys something. I have cancer. I’m about to go into surgery to have half of my left lung removed. Yes, I have lung cancer even though I’ve never smoked! The doctors are very optimistic as it is stage one and contained to my left lung. Hopefully no chemo or radiation after this and I should have normal function with my breathing.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jill Serjeant LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -CNN on Tuesday suspended its top news anchor, Chris Cuomo, for his role in defending his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, over sexual harassment allegations. The cable news channel said in a statement the suspension followed the release of new court documents on Monday. “These documents point to a greater level of involvement in his brother’s efforts than we previously knew. As a result, we have suspended Chris indefinitely, pending further evaluation,” CNN said. Andrew Cuomo was forced to step down https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-york-governor-cuomo-resigns-after-sexual-harassment-findings-2021-08-10 as governor in August after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. He has denied any wrongdoing. Chris Cuomo did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his suspension. Cuomo, who hosts CNN’s most-watched prime time news show, had admitted in May he breached some of the network’s rules in advising his brother how to handle the allegations from a public relations perspective. He also pledged not to report on the case on air. CNN said on Tuesday that at the time it “appreciated the unique position he was in and understood his need to put family first and job second”, but said the new documents “raise serious questions.” The documents released by New York Attorney General Letitia James showed text and other messages in which Cuomo sought to use his own sources in the media to find out information on the case and the women involved in it. A criminal complaint https://www.reuters.com/world/us/misdemeanor-complaint-related-sex-crime-filed-against-ex-ny-governor-cuomo-court-2021-10-28 charging Andrew Cuomo with a misdemeanor sex offense was filed on Oct. 29 in a New York court. (Reporting by Jill Serjeant; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Leslie Adler) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Twitter is planning to remove images or video of private individuals shared without consent. The social media platform has introduced the new rule which means tweeting images of people without their permission is against the site’s policies, and they can now be removed on request. The company wrote: “Sharing images is an important part of folks’ experience on Twitter. “People should have a choice in determining whether or not a photo is shared publicly. To that end we are expanding the scope of our Private Information Policy. “Beginning today, we will not allow the sharing of private media, such as images or videos of private individuals without their consent. “Publishing people’s private info is also prohibited under the policy, as is threatening or incentivizing others to do so.” twitter noted the policy update should “help curb the misuse of media to harass, intimidate, and reveal the identities of private individuals, which disproportionately impacts women, activists, dissidents, and members of minority communities”. They noted that images or footage of people in public events – such as “large scale protests” and sporting events – would not violate the policy. The Twitter Safety team continued: “Context matters. Our existing private information policy includes many exceptions in order to enable robust reporting on newsworthy events and conversations that are in the public interest. “We will take into consideration whether the image is publicly available and/or is being covered by journalists — or if a particular image and the accompanying Tweet text adds value to the public discourse — is being shared in public interest or is relevant to the community.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Gabriella Borter, Julia Harte and Jan Wolfe WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Carrying signs and playing music, hundreds of people favoring and opposing abortion rights staged dueling rallies in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday as the nine justices prepared to hear arguments in a case that could overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. The groups stood close together and tried to yell over each other. Abortion rights activists chanted, “What do we want? Abortion access. When do we want it? Now.” Anti-abortion protesters held huge signs reading “abortion is murder,” some carrying Christian crosses and others playing Christian music. The justices will consider Mississippi’s bid to revive a Republican-backed 2018 state law, blocked by lower courts, banning abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy. Jen Rudolph, 52, and her daughter Ella, 17, drove four hours from Raleigh, North Carolina, to join the rally for abortion rights. “We’re here to be part of this crowd and support Roe v. Wade,” Jen Rudolph said. “Republicans get abortions, Democrats get abortions. It’s a healthcare right.” J.C. Carpenter, 49, drove from Marysville, California, to voice her opposition to abortion. “I think Roe needs to be abolished. It was one of the biggest mistakes our country ever made,” Carpenter said. “I am feeling optimistic,” she added. At noon, about 60 pro-choice activists will engage in an act of “civil disobedience” outside the courthouse, according to one of the participants, Heidi Sieck, the CEO and co-founder of #VOTEPROCHOICE, a voter mobilization project dedicated to electing candidates who support abortion access. Sieck said the group will “engage in radical self-expression” with signs, songs and costumes, and that they plan to sit in the streets until forced to move, which could run afoul of local laws against blocking city streets to traffic. “If that does include an arrest, so be it,” Sieck said on Tuesday. The fact that the court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, agreed to hear the Mississippi case does “not bode well” for advocates of abortion rights, Sieck said. Anti-abortion activists rallying outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday also expected the justices to limit abortion access. “The fact that four justices decided to even hear the case tells you that they want to do something about abortion and Roe v. Wade, whether that means a full overturn or some kind of degrading of it,” said Mark Harrington, the president of anti-abortion group Created Equal, in an interview on Tuesday. (Reporting by Julia Harte; Editing by Will Dunham and Stephen Coates) View the full article

Published by DPA Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko is pictured during an interview with the Russian magazine Natsionalnaya Oborona (National Defense). Lukashenko has recognized the annexed Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea as Russian for the first time after a long period of hesitation. -/Belrusian Presidency /dpa Authoritarian Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko has recognized the annexed Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea as Russian for the first time after a long period of hesitation. “Crimea is … de facto a Russian Crimea,” Lukashenko said in an interview with the Russian state agency Ria Novosti, excerpts of which were published on Wednesday. “After the referendum, Crimea also became Russian by right,” the 67-year-old said, referring to a controversial referendum in 2014 after which Russia annexed Crimea against international protest. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed that “nothing has to be done and no laws have to be passed” for recognition. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, on the other hand, said that Lukashenko’s actions were what mattered – and warned Minsk against official recognition. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House said on Wednesday the U.S. Department of Justice “will vigorously defend” the government’s authority to promote its vaccine requirement in federal contracting after courts blocked the Biden administration from enforcing two vaccine mandates. A U.S. District Judge in Louisiana on Tuesday temporarily blocked the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from enforcing its vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. A U.S. District Judge in Kentucky blocked the administration from enforcing a regulation that new government contracts must include clauses requiring that contractors’ employees get vaccinated. The legal setbacks added to a string of court losses for the Biden administration over its COVID-19 policies. They also come amid concerns that the Omicron coronavirus variant could trigger a new wave of infections and curtail travel and economic activity around the globe. The most sweeping regulation from the administration, a workplace vaccine-or-testing mandate for businesses with at least 100 employees, was temporarily blocked by a federal appeals court in early November. “We know vaccine requirements work…We are confident in the government’s authority to promote economy and efficiency in federal contracting through its vaccine requirement and the Department of Justice will vigorously defend it in court,” a White House spokesperson told Reuters on Wednesday. Biden unveiled regulations in September to increase the U.S. adult vaccination rate beyond the current 71% as a way of fighting the pandemic, which has killed more than 750,000 Americans and has weighed on the economy. (Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Chizu Nomiyama) View the full article

Cast of The Normal Heart Reading Encore Streaming Dec 4th‘The Normal Heart’ Beats On; Streaming, Final Encore Reading December 4th of Larry Kramer’s Play; First BIPOC-Led Cast — Sterling K. Brown, Laverne Cox and Many More. Laverne Cox (OITNB, Promising Young Woman) and Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us, Black Panther)Sterling K. Brown, Laverne Cox and Jeremy Pope lead the Benefit Reading of Larry Kramer’s ‘The Normal Heart’, to raise awareness of World AIDS Day and the changed geography and demography of that pandemic. Cast Q&A To Follow Hosted by Emmy Winning Director Paris Barclay . Tickets to the Historic Virtual Production, An Encore of Last Spring’s Reading which was the first time ‘The Normal Heart’ featured a predominantly BIPOC and LGBTQ cast, benefits One Archives and are available now for the December 4th streamed show. Paris Barclay, Director In its review, the LA Times praised Sterling K. Brown, in the role of Ned Weeks Star Studded Cast Top to Bottom In addition to Cox and Brown, the producers fills the other roles with Jeremy Pope (Hollywood, Choir Boy); Vincent Rodriguez III (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Insatiable): Guillermo Díaz (Scandal, Weeds); Jake Borelli (Grey’s Anatomy, The Thing About Harry); Ryan O’Connell (Special, Will & Grace); Daniel Newman (Walking Dead, Homeland); Jay Hayden (Station 19, The House Bunny); and Danielle Savre (Station 19, Heroes). The virtual reading will include a special introduction by Martin Sheen. [This post contains video, click to play] Reminder AIDS is Not Over: World AIDS Day World AIDS Day which takes place on December 1 every year, was founded in 1988 to fight against HIV, support people living with HIV, and commemorate those who have died from AIDS-related illness. The success of the first showing of THE NORMAL HEART, which reached This performance of THE NORMAL HEART is an reminder that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is not over, with nearly 38 million people living with HIV globally in 2020. As of 2019, 42% of new HIV cases have occurred within the Black community, which only makes up 13% of the US population. According to the CDC, in 2019, Southern states account for an estimated 51% of new HIV cases annually, even though only 38% of the US population lives in the Southern region. The encore presentation of THE NORMAL HEART will take place on Saturday, December 4, at 12:00pm PT and again at 5:00pm PT. Tickets are now on sale Prices range from $20 – $100. Proceeds support ONE Archives Foundation’s LGBTQ initiatives. Men of West Hollywood Link Roundup 1: Gay Ghosts; Demi Moore Have a GF? First Responders to ‘West Side Story’; Men of WEHO and More Kristen Stewart Is Working on a Gay Ghost-Hunting Reality ShowReality show ‘The Men of West Hollywood’ is met with… thoughtsDoes Demi Moore Have a Girlfriend? An InvestigationA win for transgender athletes and athletes with sex variations: the Olympics shifts away from testosterone tests and toward human rightsSteroid use amongst gay menAndersen: The royals are ‘all in competition behind the scenes,’ it’s very ‘toxic’Dr. Jill Biden went all out for this year’s White House Christmas decorationsRihanna Declared a National Hero of Barbados at Country's First Event as a RepublicFirst Reactions to 'West Side Story' Remake Are Glowing with Raves for Rachel Zegler – Read the Tweets!Head Over Heels Transforms Pasadena Playhouse with Alaska 5000 (Drag Race), Lea Delaria (OITNB, etc), The Go-Gos Tunes and A Priority Given to Experience and Fun (L-R) Alaska 5000 and Lea DeLaria in HEAD OVER HEELS at Pasadena Playhouse. Photo by Jeff LorchPasadena Playhouse is Head Over Heals A re-imagined and more “experiential” production of the musical comedy set to the music of The Go-Gos kicks off the 21-22 season at the Pasadena Playhouse. The show follows follows “a royal family in search of a purpose, lovers in search of each other, and a whole kingdom in search of a beat.” We completely reconfigured the theatre to accommodate a massive “dance floor” space, with actors performing from platforms in the middle of the floor and dancing around on scaffolding above the audience. It’s a journey from We Got the Beat with many stops including Our Lips Are Sealed, Vacation, Belinda Carlisle’s Heaven is a Place on Earth, and Mad About You. The producers explain: Originally produced for a traditional proscenium stage on Broadway in 2018, the Playhouse’s 90-minute, intermission-free production puts the audience in the middle of a non-stop, dance-filled joyride through magic, merriment, and mischief. And the Playhouse has assembled a spectacular cast ensuring a real spectacle. A bunch of queer all-stars Alaska 5000 (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Lea DeLaria (Orange is the New Black), Yurel Echezarreta (Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story), Tiffany Mann (Be More Chill), George Salazar (Little Shop of Horrors), Emily Skeggs (Fun Home), Shanice Williams (“Dorothy” in NBC’s The Wiz Live!) plus Oakland musician and drag performer Freddie. The production is directed, choreographed, and conceived by Jenny Koons and Sam Pinkleton and features music direction by Kris Kukul, scenic design by David Meyer; costume design by Hahnji Jang; lighting design by Stacey Derosier; sound design by Danny Erdberg and Ursula Kwong Brown; casting by Ryan Tymensky of The Telsey Office, and stage management by Sara Sahin. Head Over Heels, with songs by The Go-Go’s, is based on The Arcadia by Sir Philip Sidney, conceived by and features an original book by Jeff Whitty, and adapted by James Magruder. Masks required. (L-R) Lea DeLaria, Shanice Williams and Tiffany Mann in HEAD OVER HEELS at Pasadena Playhouse. Photo by Jeff Lorch Link Roundup 2: Jussie Smollett Trial 3 Years on, Teacher Resigns For Pride Flag; OMG Playlist; Tom Holland, Celebrity Deaths, Magic Mike … Back for more Jussie Smollett: Trial begins 3 years after Empire star allegedly faked anti-gay hate crimeJussie Smollett's trial begins almost three years after allegedly faking a […]Fleshback: Sexy Beyond All ReasonCool yer jets, boys. (Image via 2oth Century Fox) Gr8erDays on […]Bisexual Michigan teacher resigns after being told to remove Pride flagBisexual teacher Russell Ball resigned from his Michigan middle school after […]OMG Playlist: November 2021Every month, our music editor ED curates a special selection of […]BenDeLaCreme & Jinkx Monsoon are mad for the holidaysJinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme deck the nation's halls with The Return […]Condors vs Vultures: What Is The Difference?In the ornithological world vultures internationally are divided into two different […]Channing Tatum is back in ‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’Channing Tatum is returning to Magic Mike! The 41-year-old actor took […]Tom Holland set to return as Spider-ManIt appears that “Spider-Man: No Way Home” will not be Tom […]RIP 2021: Was It An Especially Tough Year For Celebrity Deaths?RIP Arlene Dahl (Image via movie still) By my estimation, the […]OMG, Ryan & Amy present: DOREEN & CAL are the kinkiest couple around View this post on Instagram A post shared […] Scott Robbe, Veteran Activist Was Part of Founding ACT UP, Queer Nation, Out in Film, and Film and Theater Producer Dies at 66 Scott Robbe, Veteran Activist Robbe was an active member and active in the of founding ACT UP and Queer Nation, two direct action groups in New York City in the late 80s and into the 1990s. He was part of an ACT UP undercover team, led by activist Peter Staley, that gained access to the New York Stock Exchange in September 1989 to protest record high price of AZT, and that led public pressure on Burroughs Wellcome to eventually lowered its drug price on the only approved HIV/AIDS Drug at at the time by 20%. “Scott didn’t flinch when our lawyers would warn us of all the possible charges and maximum sentences we’d face for infiltrating a powerful institution,” said Peter Staley, who chronicled his ACT UP days in the new memoir, Never Silent. “When it came to fighting for his dying gay brothers, he’d always reply, ‘I’m in.’” In 1991, Robbe relocated to the West Coast and cofounded Out in Film at a time when several high-grossing films were built based on stereotypic and unflattering depictions of gay characters — Jonathan Demme’s Silence of the Lambs, Oliver Stone’s JFK and Paul Verhoeven’s Basic Instinct. Robbe’s television credits include the first-ever LGBT comedy special on TV for Comedy Central in 1993, called “Out There,” and hosted by Lea DeLaria. Robbe was on the creative team for the 2003 series “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and he produced shows for Lifetime, Comedy Central, VH1, Children’s Television Workshop and American Playhouse. “Scott was a fearless activist, always on the front lines, whether he was protesting pharmaceutical company greed or homophobia at the Oscars,” said ACT UP New York veteran Ann Northrop. “And he was a total sweetheart.” According to Paul Algiers, a longtime friend and the executor of Scott Robbe’s estate, Robbe was in hospice care at the home of his sister, Angela, in Hartford, Wisconsin when he passed away February 21st of complications from a blood cancer he had battled for more than a year. There will be no funeral. A celebration of Robbe’s life will be broadcast online early in 2022. Donations in Scott’s memory may be made to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and ACT UP New York. The Normal Heart on Towleroad Miriam Margolyes loves surprising Harry Potter fans at King’s Cross More Lone Mississippi clinic on front line of U.S. Supreme Court abortion battle More Chinese province targets journalists, foreign students with planned new surveillance system More More Than 2,000 Flight Records Associated With Jeffrey Epstein’s Private Jets Accidentally Disclosed By The FAA More The Bachelor Colton Underwood ‘Didn’t Want To Be Gay’; But Is ‘Coming Out Colton’ to Dad; Has Gus Kenworthy For Advice: Netflix Trailer More Trumpism without Trump: the Republican playbook for 2022? More Channing Tatum returning for Magic Mike 3 More Jussie Smollett juror dismissed after expressing wish to protect gay daughter More Load More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Miriam Margolyes likes to surprise ‘Harry Potter’ fans at King’s Cross. The 80-year-old actress – who played Herbology teacher Professor Sprout in both 2002’s ‘The Chamber of Secrets’ and 2011 film ‘The Deathly Hallows – Part 2’ – admitted she isn’t the biggest fan of “fantasy” films, but she often heads to the London train station and poses for pictures with people visiting Platform Nine and 3/4. She told the Metro newspaper’s 60 Seconds column: “[‘Harry Potter’] is probably what I’ll be best known for. It did a great deal for me because it made me very well known to millions of people. “It’s not my kind of film at all because I’m not interested in fantasy. I prefer searing human drama and espionage so ‘Harry Potter’ is a bit anodyne for me. But it’s brought me an awful lot of friends. “When I go to King’s Cross, I always go to the platform and say ‘I’m Professor Sprout if you want to take a photograph’. They’re very excited when they finally believe me.” Meanwhile, Miriam – who is set to appear in BBC period drama Call The Midwife’s upcoming Christmas special – also admitted she isn’t a big fan of kids either, although she had to learn to cope on set. She added: “I’m the Mother Superior. I love everything about it except the children. In an ordinary life, I wouldn’t have much to do with children. “I don’t want to hurt them or anything, I just prefer to separate myself from them. But you can’t do that in ‘Midwife’ or ‘Harry Potter.’ “ Miriam co-starred in the ‘Potter’ films with Dame Maggie Smith – who played Professor McGonagall – and she admitted the veteran actress can be a “bit alarming”. She said: “She is a little bit alarming. you have to be watchful with Maggie because if she’s cross, she doesn’t mind sharing it. “She’s actually a very sweet lady and if you don’t irritate her she’s absolutely gorgeous. If you say something stupid, she will come back at you quite fiercely. “But she hates it when people say they’re scared of her. I’d quite like people to be scared of me but they never are.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Lawrence Hurley JACKSON, Miss. (Reuters) – As a car drove into the parking lot of Jackson Women’s Health Organization clinic, the only abortion provider in the state of Mississippi, anti-abortion activist Beverly Anderson leaned in to speak to the woman in the passenger’s seat. Two escorts wearing rainbow-colored vests blared rock music to drown out Anderson and other protesters as patients entered the fenced lot. “Ma’am, you are already a mother. Don’t let them kill your baby,” Anderson, 61, told the woman. The escorts turned up the volume on the Guns N’ Roses song “Nightrain” as the woman was led into the pink-colored building located next to a Homewood Suites hotel and across the street from a taqueria. It is a common scene at a clinic at the center of a major legal fight https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-supreme-court-case-past-could-be-future-abortion-2021-11-23 now before the U.S. Supreme Court that could shape the future of American abortion rights. The nine justices on Wednesday are due to hear arguments in Mississippi’s bid to revive a Republican-backed 2018 law, blocked by lower courts, banning abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy. Mississippi has asked the justices to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe. v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. Mississippi is among 12 states https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-supreme-court-case-past-could-be-future-abortion-2021-11-23 with so-called trigger laws designed to ban abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Additional states also likely would move quickly to curtail abortion access with such a ruling. Anti-abortion advocates like Anderson, who cite religious opposition to the procedure, believe they are closer than ever to overturning Roe, a longstanding goal for Christian conservatives and a driving force https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-abortion/at-anti-abortion-rally-trump-assails-democrats-draws-applause-idUSKBN1ZN152 behind some recent Supreme Court appointments https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-court-barrett/trumps-supreme-court-nominee-advocated-overturning-legalized-abortion-idINKBN26M7IS by Republican presidents. Anderson said she would “praise God” if the Supreme Court rules the way she hopes. ‘EVERY WOMAN HAS A CHOICE’ The Jackson clinic sees between 60 and 80 patients a week, with most obtaining abortions by pill. It has two rooms where women can obtain surgical abortions performed between 11 and 16 weeks of pregnancy. A 40-year-old woman from Jackson, who was six weeks pregnant and undergoing a medication abortion, said she was grateful for the clinic. “Every woman has a choice on whether to have a child or not. I don’t think it’s the state’s decision,” she said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Roe v. Wade recognized that the right to personal privacy under the U.S. Constitution protects a woman’s ability to terminate her pregnancy. The Supreme Court in a 1992 ruling called Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey reaffirmed the right to abortion and prohibited laws imposing an “undue burden” on abortion access. Abortion opponents hope the court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, will narrow or overturn the Roe and Casey rulings in the Mississippi case. Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, a Republican, in court papers called those two rulings “egregiously wrong” and based on obsolete science. State legislatures should have more leeway to restrict abortion, Fitch said. The Roe and Casey decisions determined that states cannot ban abortion before a fetus is viable outside the womb, generally viewed by doctors as between 24 and 28 weeks. Mississippi’s 15-week ban directly challenged that finding. Even if the court does not explicitly overturn Roe, any ruling letting states ban abortion before the fetus is viable outside the womb would raise questions about how early states could ban the procedure. “Without that clear line that courts could apply, states would be able to ban abortion at virtually any point of pregnancy,” said lawyer Julie Rikelman of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which challenged Mississippi’s law on behalf of the Jackson clinic. Mississippi’s law and other similar ones passed by various Republican-led states represent direct challenges to Roe v. Wade. After the clinic sued to block the measure, a federal judge in 2018 ruled against Mississippi. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2019 reached the same conclusion, prompting Mississippi to turn to the Supreme Court Sitting behind her desk in her cluttered office, one eye on a screen showing security camera footage of the anti-abortion protesters outside, clinic director Shannon Brewer vowed to do whatever she can to help women access abortion if the Supreme Court rules in favor of Mississippi. “That would be a huge step backwards. It would be a slap in a woman’s face to say after all these years you still don’t have control over your body,” Rikelman said. Her organization could assist with travel and accommodation costs and refer women to out-of-state doctors for abortions, Brewer said. If Roe v. Wade were overturned, more women would have to travel out of conservative states like Mississippi for abortions, an option that those with scarce financial resources may be unable to accomplish, according to a doctor at the clinic who flies in from Massachusetts. “It makes me want to cry,” said the doctor, also speaking on condition of anonymity. “It makes me feel defeated and horrified that people in this country hate women so much they don’t want them to be able to access a full range of pregnancy care.” (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley in Jackson, Mississippi; Additional reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham and Scott Malone) View the full article

Published by Reuters BEIJING (Reuters) -Security officials in one of China’s largest provinces have commissioned a surveillance system they say they want to use to track journalists and international students among other “suspicious people”, documents reviewed by Reuters showed. A July 29 tender document published on the Henan provincial government’s procurement website – reported in the media for the first time – details plans for a system that can compile individual files on such persons of interest coming to Henan using 3,000 facial recognition cameras that connect to various national and regional databases. A 5 million yuan ($782,000) contract was awarded on Sept. 17 to Chinese tech company Neusoft, which was required to finish building the system within two months of signing the contract, separate documents published on the Henan government procurement website showed. Reuters was unable to establish if the system is currently operating. Shenyang-based Neusoft did not respond to requests for comment. China is trying to build what some security experts describe as one of the world’s most sophisticated surveillance technology networks https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-monitoring-insight-idUSKBN1KZ0R3, with millions of cameras in public places and increasing use of techniques such as smartphone monitoring and facial recognition. U.S.-based surveillance research firm IPVM, which has closely tracked the network’s expansion and first identified the Henan document, said the tender was unique in specifying journalists as surveillance targets and providing a blueprint for public security authorities to quickly locate them and obstruct their work. “While the PRC has a documented history of detaining and punishing journalists for doing their jobs, this document illustrates the first known instance of the PRC building custom security technology to streamline state suppression of journalists,” said IPVM’S Head of Operations Donald Maye, using the initials of the People’s Republic of China. Reuters was unable to find any documents identifying journalists or foreigners as specific targets of surveillance systems in other parts of China. The Henan provincial government and police did not respond to requests for comment. The Ministry of Public Security and China’s Foreign Ministry also did not comment. “TAILED AND CONTROLLED” The near-200 page tender document from the Henan Public Security Department does not give reasons why it wants to track journalists or international students. Another category of people it said it wants to track were “women from neighbouring countries that are illegal residents.” Public access to the tender document was disabled on Monday. The tender document specified cameras must be able to build a relatively accurate file for individuals whose faces are partially covered by a mask or glasses, and those targeted must be searchable on the database by simply uploading a picture or searching their facial attributes. The system will be operated by at least 2,000 officials and policemen, and specifies that journalists will be divided into three categories: red, yellow, green, in decreasing order of risk, according to the tender. Different police forces covering all of Henan, whose 99 million inhabitants makes it China’s third-largest province by population, will be connected to the platform in order to spring into action in the event of a warning being set off, the tender explains. Warnings will be set off if a journalist while in Henan registers into a hotel, buys a ticket, or crosses the provincial border, according to the tender. “Suspicious persons must be tailed and controlled, dynamic research analyses and risk assessments made, and the journalists dealt with according to their category,” the tender reads. The tender also detailed different early warning systems for the other groups. MEDIA CONTROL Some press freedom groups say the ruling Chinese Communist Party has tightened control over media since Chinese President Xi Jinping took office in 2012. In February, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China (FCCC) said China used coronavirus prevention measures https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-media-idUSKCN2AT182, intimidation and visa curbs to limit foreign reporting in 2020, citing responses to an annual survey of correspondents and interviews with bureau chiefs. The Chinese foreign ministry at the time called the FCCC report “baseless” and said China always welcomed media and journalists from all countries to cover news in China according to the law. “What we oppose is ideological bias against China and fake news in the name of press freedom,” a spokesman said. While most of the Henan document refers to journalists, several segments specify “foreign journalists”. In October last year, the Henan government published on its procurement platform for prospective suppliers a short summary of the intended project in which it said the system would be “centred on foreigners” and help “protect national sovereignty, security, and interests”. The contract was put out for tender on July 29, days after foreign journalists from the BBC, LA Times, Agence France-Presse and others reporting on devastating floods in Henan were targeted by a nationalist campaign on China’s heavily censored social media platform Weibo. The FCCC said at the time https://twitter.com/fccchina/status/1419946356995629057 it was “very concerned to witness the online and offline harassment of journalists” covering the floods. It described how, for instance, one Weibo account asked its 1.6 million followers to report the whereabouts of a foreign journalist who was reporting about the floods. The tender also said the system should be able to track the movements of international students through methods such as mobile phone positioning and travel bookings – particularly during key dates such as the country’s national day or annual session of parliament. “On…sensitive dates, launch a wartime early warning mechanism,” it read. ($1 = 6.3924 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Lincoln Feast.) View the full article

Published by Radar Online The Federal Aviation Administration reportedly accidentally disclosed more than 2,000 flight records associated with four of Jeffrey Epstein’s private jets in response to an unrelated request made by news outlet Business Insider. According to Business Insider, in January 2020 they made a request to the FAA for flight records pertaining to a handful of private jets owned by Epstein. The outlet reportedly filed the request under the Freedom of Information Act but was ultimately denied the request by the FAA two months later. mega The FAA reportedly denied the request because “the responsive records originate from an investigative file” and therefore were not allowed to be shared with the outlet. The agency allegedly cited an exemption statute that was designed by Congress to protect records they considered “compiled for law enforcement” and “could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceeding.” But then, earlier this year, the FAA reportedly mailed Business Insider a portion of Epstein’s flight records consisting of 2,300 flight records from four private jets registered by the former billionaire between 1998 and 2020. Although the majority of the flights accidentally disclosed by the agency were already known by the outlet, a reported 704 of the disclosed flights were new. The 704 previously unknown flights reportedly included hundreds of flights made by Epstein’s planes between 2013 and 2016, a gap of three years that the outlet claims were previously unaccounted for. Also, even though the 704 new flight records do not include any names of passengers on the flights, the outlet believes the accidentally disclosed new information could be used to find out when and where certain people close to Epstein were traveling. In fact, the outlet names Ghislaine Maxwell as a frequent passenger on Epstein’s private jets, and perhaps this new flight information could be used to pinpoint where she was traveling between 2003 and 2006. Epstein with Ghislaine AMxwellmega Besides Maxwell, many other famous individuals – such as former Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump – were known to have flown on Epstein’s private jets. Although the FAA has reportedly declined to comment on the accidental disclosure of this new flight information, a spokesperson for the agency reportedly told the outlet that “flight data is typically considered to be releasable information.” mega View the full article

The bachelor Colton Underwood Netflix Release Friday of ‘Coming Out Colton’ Colton Underwood Netflix Coming Out Colton Trailer on Towleroad Trumpism without Trump: the Republican playbook for 2022? More Channing Tatum returning for Magic Mike 3 More Jussie Smollett juror dismissed after expressing wish to protect gay daughter More Moderna CEO warns COVID-19 shots less effective against Omicron, spooks markets More Jennifer Coolidge wants more ‘romance and sex’ for The White Lotus character More Rihanna declared national hero by Barbados More AIDS timeline: Four decades but still no silver bullet More Jack Dorsey steps down as Twitter CEO More In Afghanistan Gay Men Forced into Sex Work; Speak of Taliban Kill Lists, Fake Evacuation Traps, Family Treachery; Afghan LGBTQ Fear For Lives, Taliban Solidifies Rule More Study: Protection offered by booster shot beats ‘natural immunity’ More Prince Charles Denies Being The Royal Family Member Who Questioned Skin Tone Of Prince Harry And Meghan Markle’s Child More Load More View the full article

Published by AFP Donald Trump, pictured in his final days in office, is the first president since Herbert Hoover nearly a century ago to lose the House, the Senate and the White House during a single term Washington (AFP) – As US Republicans cheered impressive gains in state elections in the fall, their leader may not have been so delighted as he followed the results from his fiefdom in southern Florida. For the results of the gubernatorial races — victory in leftward-trending Virginia and an unexpectedly narrow defeat in deeply Democratic New Jersey — proved one thing beyond doubt: Republicans can win without Donald Trump. Whisper it, but five years after submitting entirely to the will of its mercurial leader, and one year ahead of the crucial midterm elections, the Republican Party is tentatively picturing life after Donald. “At this stage, he would be the frontrunner if he chose to enter the 2024 presidential race,” Matt Lacombe, an assistant professor of political science at New York liberal arts school Barnard College, told AFP. “But it’s also very possible that coordination among potential candidates and party officials… would be sufficient to prevent him from pursuing or succeeding in a second run.” After Trump secured the Republican presidential nomination in May 2016, the party abandoned its policy platform at its next two conventions, instead opting to simply declare fealty to its rambunctious chieftain. The consensus remains that all paths to Congress go through Mar-a-Lago — that to succeed in Washington you had to kiss the ring in Palm Beach, flattering Trump and his ultra-loyal base of tens of millions of ardent devotees. Republican politicians who fail to toe the line know they risk a public dressing down and primary challenge at best and death threats to their families if his supporters were particularly inflamed. “Despite losing his social media megaphone, his endorsements still energize grassroots supporters, drive donations, and in some cases clear away competitors and force retirements,” Tommy Goodwin, a Washington-based political consultant and lobbyist, told AFP. Some prominent Republicans are seizing on the recent governors’ races to call for a course correction, however, navigating around Trump and his “big lie” that the 2020 election was stolen from him by the Democrats. All-time low In Virginia, Republican multimillionaire Glenn Youngkin won by far exceeding Trump’s 2020 showing in the suburbs, especially among independents and women. Trump immediately took credit but in reality, Youngkin soft-pedaled the former reality TV star’s support and did all he could in the final weeks to keep his high-profile endorser at arm’s length. In New Jersey too, Republican Jack Ciattarelli started out very pro-Trump, even speaking at a “Stop the Steal” rally in 2020, but distanced himself from the ex-president during the campaign proper. The suburbs are likely to be the key battlegrounds again next year, when the stakes will be control of the House of Representatives and Senate and 36 governorships — yet Trump is far less popular there than in the countryside. The takeaway for many Republicans is that borrowing heavily from Trump’s playbook while assiduously avoiding the man himself could be the key. The former president’s approval sank to an all-time low of 34 percent after the January 6 insurrection, when thousands of his supporters stormed the US Capitol to stop lawmakers certifying Joe Biden’s victory. Trump has since issued a number of statements praising the insurrectionists and defending their threats on the life of his vice president, Mike Pence. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has urged the 75-year-old real estate tycoon to stay out of the midterms, telling reporters: “I do think we need to be talking about the future, and not the past.” Yet Rick Scott, the chairman of the Republicans’ Senate campaign committee for 2022, told NBC any Republican would be “foolish” to reject Trump’s endorsement — underlining the dilemma Republicans face. “Donald Trump is where he wants to be — the center of attention, a crying child in the candy aisle of a packed grocery store, demanding more soda while he throws bags of candy bars at other children,” Peter Loge, an associate professor at George Washington University, told AFP. “It is difficult to imagine him demurring so that others can have their turn in the spotlight.” ‘The past is never dead’ Trump’s bully pulpit isn’t what it was before social media bans effectively curbed his day-to-day influence and, in any case, his electoral secret sauce was never as powerful as he claimed. Republicans did fairly well down-ballot in 2020 — keeping their Senate loss to the narrowest possible margin and almost taking the House — but stumbled at the presidential level. And Trump is the first president since Herbert Hoover nearly a century ago to lose the House, the Senate and the White House during a single term. “So far, Trump-endorsed candidates haven’t fared particularly well,” said Sam Nelson, associate professor and chair of the University of Toledo’s political science department. “While Republican primary candidates actively seek his endorsement, valuable in Republican races, that same endorsement can be somewhat dangerous in a general election in that it motivates Democrats to turn out to vote against the Trump-supported candidate.” Loge believes challengers who think they have nothing to lose may emerge, alongside others concerned about the future of the Republican Party and the country. “The 2022 midterm elections will also go a long way to determining Trump’s level of support in 2024,” Loge told AFP. “If Trump-backed candidates win primary and general elections, Trump’s stock will go up. If Trump-backed candidates lose primary and general elections, Trump’s stock will go down.” But Trump remains a hero to the millions of disaffected new voters he brought to the Republican cause in 2016, and is credited with remaking the federal judiciary in the image of his right-wing backers. His deficit-busting tax cuts remain popular among the working classes, although they tilt increasingly toward the mega-rich over the longer term. “William Faulkner famously wrote ‘The past is never dead. It’s not even past,'” Mark Bayer, a former chief of staff in the Senate and the House, told AFP. “The same can be said about Trump’s trance-inducing influence over the Republican Party. His grip… is as strong as it was when he was president.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Channing Tatum is on board for ‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’. The 41-year-old Hollywood heartthrob will reunite with Steven Soderbergh – who directed the first film in the series, which focuses on the world of male stripping – in the third and final instalment of the franchise. He took to Twitter to tease fans with the news, posting alongside an image of the script: “Well world, looks like Mike Lane’s tapping back in.” In a statement, he said: “There are no words for how excited I am to blow the doors off of the world of ‘Magic Mike’ with Steven, Greg, Reid, and the amazing people at HBO Max. The stripperverse will never be the same.” The franchise – which has so far grossed more than $300 million worldwide – is loosely based on Tatum’s own experiences as an 18-year-old stripper. He plays a veteran performer who takes a newcomer under his wing. Toby Emmerich, Chairman of Warner Bros., said in a statement: “Is there anybody on screen more charismatic and appealing than Magic Mike? We’re thrilled to be back in business with Channing, Steven and their creative team to bring back Magic Mike’s wonderful combination of dance, drama, romance and humour.” Director Soderbergh noted how he was directly inspired to make a third film when he saw ‘Magic Mike Live’, the spin-off show that premiered in London in 2018. He said: “As soon as I saw what Channing, Reid, and the Magic Mike choreographic team did with the live show, I said, ‘We have to make another movie.’ “Mike Lane’s dream of connecting people through dance must be realised.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English A woman selected to be a juror in Jussie Smollett’s hate crime trial was dismissed after she admitted she wouldn’t be able to fairly judge the case – because her daughter is gay. The 39-year-old actor was issued with a 16-count felony indictment for filing a false police report after he claimed he was the victim of a shocking racist and homophobic attack in Chicago in 2019, as it was alleged he knew two men investigated over the incident and claims were made that he had staged the attack. Smollett’s initial charges were dropped by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office in the same month they were filed, but in February 2020 he was indicted once again for allegedly orchestrating the attack himself. And a Caucasian woman who was chosen to potentially be a part of the jury had to pull out, upon learning details of the crime, and, ultimately, decided after doing her research that she feared taking part in the trial could put her offspring at risk. She stated: “When I found out it was a hate crime, my daughter is gay, so I did some research on that. “She works in the downtown area, so I was very concerned for her safety and what was going on.” After being asked by Cook County Judge James Lin if it was possible for her to offer up an impartial view to help decide the verdict, the female was dismissed as she admitted she wasn’t sure if she could. According to reports, other jurors included a woman who has seen ‘Empire’ and enjoys drag, an immigrant from Iraq, a Canadian store manager, a counselor, a man who works in health care, and a salesman. Prosecutor Dan Webb claimed Smollett had allegedly worked with two siblings he worked with to help him carry out the fake attack, and that Chicago police spent 3,000 hours investigating the crime. Webb told the courtroom in Chicago on Monday (29.11.21): “When he reported the fake hate crime that was a real crime.” The brothers claimed Smollett awarded them $3,500 (£2,626) to pose as his attackers, and he has been charged with felony disorderly conduct. The prosecutor said Smollett then “devised this fake crime” and rehearsed it with Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, and instructed them to use racial and homophobic slurs and “MAGA (Make American Great Again)”. Other key points include Smollett asking the pair to film the fake attack on video, however, a filming mishap meant the device was facing the wrong way. Smollett’s lawyer, however, has insisted his client “is a real victim” of a “real crime”. Attorney Nenye Uche insisted the $3,500 cheque was paid to his colleagues for a music video they were making. And the lawyer claimed there was a third person involved in the attack. There were 12 jurors in the end, plus there alternate jurors who were sworn in with a verdict set for a week’s time. At this stage, it is not known if Smollett will testify. If convicted, a prison sentence of up to three years is not unheard of, however, it has been claimed that Smollett could end up on probation and even given community service. The judge had asked for evidence to be brought forward right up until 7pm, and then the court was adjourned for the day. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Marius Zaharia and Renju Jose HONG KONG/SYDNEY (Reuters) -Drugmaker Moderna’s CEO set off fresh alarm bells in financial markets on Tuesday after he warned that COVID-19 vaccines were unlikely to be as effective against the Omicron variant as they have been against the Delta version. Crude oil futures shed more than a dollar, the Australian currency hit a year low, and Nikkei gave up gains as Stéphane Bancel’s comments spurred fears that vaccine resistance could lead to more sickness and hospitalisations, prolonging the pandemic. [MKTS/GLOB][USD/][O/R] “There is no world, I think, where (the effectiveness) is the same level . . . we had with Delta,” Moderna CEO Bancel told the Financial Times https://www.ft.com/content/27def1b9-b9c8-47a5-8e06-72e432e0838f in an interview. “I think it’s going to be a material drop. I just don’t know how much because we need to wait for the data. But all the scientists I’ve talked to . . . are like ‘this is not going to be good’,” Bancel said. Moderna did not reply to a Reuters’ request for comment on the interview and on when it expects to have data on the effectiveness of its vaccine against Omicron, which the World Health Organization (WHO) says carries a “very high” risk https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/omicron-poses-very-high-global-risk-countries-must-prepare-who-2021-11-29 of infection surges. Bancel had earlier said on CNBC https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL4N2SK37Y that there should be more clarity on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines against Omicron in about two weeks, and that it could take months to begin shipping a vaccine that work against the new variant. The WHO and scientists https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/how-fast-does-it-spread-scientists-ask-whether-omicron-can-outrun-delta-2021-11-29 have also said it could take days to several weeks to understand the level of severity of the variant and its potential to escape protection against immunity induced by vaccines. “Vaccination will likely still keep you out of the hospital,” said John Wherry, director of the Penn Institute for Immunology in Philadelphia. The uncertainty about the new variant has triggered global alarm, with border closures casting a shadow over a nascent economic recovery from a two-year pandemic. News of its emergence wiped roughly $2 trillion off the value of global stocks on Friday, but some calm was restored this week as investors waited for more data on Omicron. Remarks by President Joe Biden that the United States would not reinstate lockdowns had also helped soothe markets before comments from the Moderna CEO spooked investors. Biden has called for wider vaccination, while the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged everyone aged 18 years and older to get a booster shot. Britain too has expanded its COVID-19 booster programme amid Omicron fears. First reported on Nov. 24 from South Africa, Omicron has since spread to over a dozen countries. Japan, the world’s third-largest economy, has confirmed its first case. HONG KONG EXPANDS CURBS Countries around the world have moved quickly to tighten border controls to prevent a recurrence of last year’s strict lockdowns and steep economic downturns. Hong Kong has expanded a ban on entry for non-residents from several countries. It said non-residents from Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zambia would not be allowed to enter as of Nov. 30. Additionally, it said non-residents who have been to Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Israel and Italy in the past 21 days would not be allowed to enter the city from Dec. 2. The global financial hub, among the last places pursuing a zero-COVID strategy, has already banned non-residents arriving from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe. In Australia, five travellers tested positive for Omicron. Singapore’s health ministry said two travellers from Johannesburg who tested positive for the variant in Sydney had transited through its Changi https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/singapore-says-two-travellers-sydney-with-omicron-transited-changi-2021-11-30 airport. Australian authorities have also identified a sixth traveller who was most likely infected with the variant and had spent time in the community. Canberra delayed on Monday the reopening of the nation’s borders for international students and skilled migrants, less than 36 hours before they were due to be allowed back in. “We’re doing this out of an abundance of caution but our overwhelming view is that whilst (Omicron) is an emerging variant, it is a manageable variant,” Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said. The global curbs on travellers from southern Africa also raised concerns about vaccine inequality. “The people of Africa cannot be blamed for the immorally low level of vaccinations available in Africa – and they should not be penalized for identifying and sharing crucial science and health information with the world,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/un-chief-concerned-about-southern-africa-isolation-over-omicron-2021-11-29 in a statement. India, home to the world’s largest vaccine maker, has approved supplies of COVID-19 vaccines to many African countries and said it stands ready to “expeditiously” send more. China too has pledged https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/chinas-xi-pledges-10-bln-credit-line-african-financial-institutions-2021-11-29 1 billion doses to the continent. (Reporting by Marius Zaharia in Hong Kong, Renju Jose in Sydney, Tom Westbrook in Singapore and Reuters bureaus; Writing by Himani Sarkar; Editing by Shri Navratnam) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jennifer Coolidge wants more “romance and sex” for her character in ‘The White Lotus’. The 60-year-old actress stars as Tanya McQuoid in the sitcom about holidaymakers at a resort in Hawaii, and she revealed her high hopes for the upcoming second season. She said: “They haven’t told me what the script is. But, I hope I have lots of romance and sex in this next one. I felt like I didn’t get enough of that in the first one.” Jennifer – who has also starred in the likes of ‘American Pie’ and ‘Legally Blonde’ – admitted wherever she goes, she gets recognised for her role in the HBO hit series, even when wearing a mask. She told ‘Entertainment Tonight’: “It didn’t matter where I was this year. It didn’t matter that I had a mask on. I could be in a motorboat up in Maine going by another speedboat and someone would be like, ‘White Lotus.’ I mean, it was weird. Everyone saw it. Everyone saw that thing.” The ensemble cast of the satirical comedy also features Murray Bartlett, 50, Connie Britton, 54, Jake Lacy, 46, Molly Shannon, 57, and ‘Percy Jackson’ star Alexandra Daddario, 35, and Jennifer previously spoke of how she would prefer things to stay that way. When asked whether the new season is to feature any new cast members, she said: “I hope not. I have heard that. But you know what? You never know! And even so, imagine what Mike White can write the second time around. So, I’ll watch it, even if I’m not in it.” Her comments come after Jennifer previously gave her take on ‘Legally Blonde 3’, the upcoming second sequel to the 2001 hit in which she starred as manicurist Paulette Bonafonté alongside Reese Witherspoon. She said; “I hope Reese [Witherspoon] and I are running really fast for most of it, we’re running from something really fast. I don’t know what it’ll be this time around, I just hope it’s some really fast-moving, caper-type [thing], that we get into trouble.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Rihanna has been declared a national hero by her native Barbados. The ‘Umbrella’ hitmaker, 33, was honoured by Prime Minister Mia Mottley at an event which marked Barbados’s new status as a republic, which was attended by Prince Charles. Addressing the pop star by her real name, the PM said: “Robyn Rihanna Fenty tomorrow morning shall have conferred upon her the order of national hero of Barbados.” The Fenty Beauty founder was then summoned from her seat to accept the honour, with the Prime Minister managing to rouse a laugh from the singer when she referenced her 2012 hit ‘Diamonds.’ She added: “On behalf of a grateful nation, but an even prouder people, we therefore present to you, the designee, for national hero of Barbados. And to accept on behalf of a grateful nation – you can come my dear – ambassador Robyn Rihanna Fenty, may you continue to shine like a diamond and bring honour to your nation.” Rihanna – who was born on the St Michael parish of Barbados – found fame in 2005 after being spotted by a record producer and has since gone on to become one of the most successful female artists of all time with sales of over 250 million and recently reached billionaire status through her Fenty beauty brand. The Prime Minister continued in her speech: “‘Commanding the imagination of the world through the pursuit of excellence, her creativity, her discipline, and above all else, her extraordinary commitment to the land of her birth. “Having satisfied that, Ambassador Robyn Rihanna Fenty has given service to Barbados which has been exemplified by visionary and pioneering leadership, extraordinary achievement and the attaining of the highest excellence to the Government of Barbados.” It comes after a historic move for Barbados, which has become a republic after almost 400 years and welcomes its first president, Sandra Mason, after removing Queen Elizabeth as head of state. View the full article

Published by AFP Paris (AFP) – With hopes of eradicating AIDS badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, we look at the fight against the deadly condition since its emergence 40 years ago, as the planet marks World AIDS Day on Wednesday. 1981: First alert In June 1981, US epidemiologists report five cases of a rare form of pneumonia in gay men in California, some of whom have died. Unusual versions of skin cancer are identified in others. It is the first alert about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), still unknown and unnamed. Doctors identify “opportunistic infections” among injected drug-users late in the year and in haemophiliacs and Haitian residents in the United States (mid-1982). The term AIDS appears for the first time in 1982. 1983: Identifying HIV In January 1983, researchers in France, Francoise Barre-Sinoussi and Jean-Claude Chermann, working under Luc Montagnier, identify the virus that “might be” responsible for AIDS. It is dubbed LAV. The following year, US specialist Robert Gallo is said to have found the “probable” cause of AIDS, the retrovirus HTLV-III. The two viruses turn out to be one and the same, and in May 1986 it becomes officially known as the human immuno-deficiency virus, or HIV. Barre-Sinoussi and Montagnier win a Nobel prize in 2008 for their discovery. 1987: Anti-retroviral treatment In March 1987, the first anti-retroviral treatment known as AZT is authorised in the US. It is expensive and has many side effects. The World Health Organization (WHO) declares December 1, 1988 the first World AIDS Day, to raise awareness. By June the following year, the number of AIDS cases worldwide is estimated at more than 150,000. Early 1990s: Falling stars – US actor Rock Hudson is the first high-profile AIDS death in October 1985. A host of other stars succumb to the disease, including British singer and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury (November 1991) and the legendary Russian dancer and choreographer Rudolf Nureyev (January 1993). In 1994, AIDS becomes the leading cause of death among Americans aged between 25 and 44. 1995-96: New approach A new class of drugs signals the start of combinations of different anti-retroviral therapies. Called tri-therapies, they provide the first effective treatment for HIV although they are not a cure and remain costly. 1996 is the first year in which the number of AIDS deaths declines in the US. 1999: 50 million infections A report released by WHO and the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) in November 1999 estimates the number of people infected with HIV since it first appeared at 50 million, of whom 16 million have died. Africa is the hardest-hit continent, with 12.2 million cases. 2001: generic medicines After an accord signed in 2000 by UNAIDS and five major drug companies to distribute affordable treatments in poorer countries, a deal is signed on November 13, 2001 at the World Trade Organization to allow developing countries to make generic medicines. 2012: HIV ‘shield’ In July 2012, the first-ever daily pill to help prevent HIV infection is approved by US regulators. Truvada is a pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, taken by high-risk people who are HIV-negative in order to prevent them from being infected. 2017: Treatment spreads For the first time ever, more than half of the global population living with HIV are receiving anti-retroviral treatment, UNAIDS reports. Today the proportion is three quarters: 27.5 million people are being treated out of 37.7 million who are infected, according to UNAIDS. 2020/2021: Impact of Covid The Covid-19 pandemic undermines UNAIDS’ goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The new disease has disrupted access to health systems, to testing, and treatment, slowing progress in the fight against AIDS which in 40 years has killed 36.3 million people. View the full article

Published by AFP During his tenure as Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey confronted thorny freedom of speech issues, ways to make the platform profitable and pressure he had spread himself too thin Washington (AFP) – Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey announced Monday he was leaving the company, after steering the social network during the tumult of Donald Trump’s presidency and surviving an activist investor’s ouster bid in 2020. Dorsey, who is also chief executive of payments company Square, was confronted during his tenure by thorny freedom of speech questions, challenges to making the platform profitable and criticism he had spread himself too thin. With his recognizable look of a shaved head, long beard and unconventional style, Dorsey for years embodied Twitter. “I want you all to know that this was my decision and I own it. It was a tough one for me, of course,” he wrote in an email to Twitter staff announcing his resignation as CEO, which was effective immediately. “There aren’t many companies that get to this level. And there aren’t many founders that choose their company over their own ego,” he added. The company said Twitter’s chief technology officer Parag Agrawal has replaced Dorsey in the top post, with Dorsey saying he would remain a member of the board through until around May to help with the transition. “And after that… I’ll leave the board,” Dorsey wrote. “Why not stay or become chair? I believe it’s really important to allow Parag the space he needs to lead.” Nasdaq briefly suspended trading of Twitter on Monday, citing “news pending,” and after some volatility, the price was down over 2.5 percent for the day. Trump era Like many Silicon Valley celebrities, from Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs to Bill Gates or Michael Dell, Dorsey dropped out of college, never graduating from either of the universities he attended, one in his native Missouri and the other in New York. Dorsey is credited with coming up with the idea for Twitter when eventual co-founder Evan Williams gave workers at blogging start-up Odeo two weeks to work on new projects as a way to break up the daily routine. He ran Twitter from 2007 to 2008 and returned later as CEO after Dick Costolo resigned in June 2015. With Dorsey at the helm, Twitter reported its first profitable quarter for the last three months of 2017, and then two full years in the green, before slipping back into the red in 2020. Twitter in March 2020 made a deal with key investors to end an effort to oust the chief, creating a new committee on the board of directors to keep tabs on company leadership. Dorsey came under pressure in 2020 from Elliott Management amid concerns he had spread himself too thin by running both Twitter and Square. During Trump’s presidency, which ended in January this year, Twitter was widely seen as the medium used to broadcast America’s deepening political and cultural rifts. Dorsey took the controversial decision to permanently ban Trump from the platform, where the former president had amassed 88.7 million followers. Dorsey made the decision days after Trump whipped up a mob of supporters who stormed the US Capitol, where they tried to prevent Joe Biden being confirmed winner of the 2020 election. New CEO Trump supporters accused Dorsey and the social media giants of trying to curb free speech, and many ditched Twitter to join new, far-right-friendly platforms. But some also defended the hard decisions Dorsey had to make. “People tend to conflate Jack Dorsey with Twitter censorship, but my sense is he’s actually done what he could these past few years to keep the platform relatively open,” tweeted Mike Solana, head of the private equity firm Founders Fund. “Things will be worse without him, not better. Godspeed, bird king,” he added. Twitter’s incoming CEO Agrawal joined the company in 2011 and has served as chief technology officer since October 2017, where he was responsible for the network’s technical strategy. Dorsey cited Agrawal’s understanding of the company as key to his decision to step down. “There’s a lot of talk about the importance of a company being ‘founder led.’ Ultimately, I believe that’s severely limiting and a single point of failure,” Dorsey wrote to Twitter staff. Agrawal holds a PhD in computer science from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay. “We recently updated our strategy to hit ambitious goals, and I believe that strategy to be bold and right,” he wrote in his own message to staff. He is the latest India-born talent to be tapped to lead a major US tech firm, following the likes of Google-parent Alphabet’s CEO Sundar Pichai and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. “USA benefits greatly from Indian talent!” tweeted Tesla boss Elon Musk on Monday. View the full article