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Published by AFP New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the city’s top tourist attractions, has received a record $125 million donation to renovate its modern and contemporary art spaces New York (AFP) – A Chinese-American couple has donated a record $125 million to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art to renovate the space that houses its collection of modern and contemporary art, the institution said Tuesday. The donation by Oscar Tang and his wife Agnes Hsu-Tang is the largest capital gift the Met — one of New York City’s biggest tourist attractions — has ever received in its 151-year history. In return, the newly renovated space will bear their names, the museum said. The injection of funds will allow the museum to carry out a long-postponed project offering a multidisciplinary “re-envisioning” of 80,000 square feet (7,400 square meters) of galleries and public space that house its collection of modern and contemporary art. “The Modern Wing will encompass a full renovation of the current modern and contemporary galleries, which The Met has been seeking to renovate for more than a decade,” the museum said. “With this remarkable gift, Oscar and Agnes are enabling The Met to realize its ambitious mission for future generations,” said Daniel Weiss, president of the iconic museum located next to Central Park. Tang, an 83-year-old retired financier who has acted as a trustee for the museum for three decades, has financed previous exhibitions, art acquisitions, room extensions and other expenses over the years. He has also donated works of art, including 20 Chinese paintings from the 11th to 18th centuries and the 10th century Song dynasty masterpiece “Riverbank,” the museum said. af/jh/sst/mlm Met Donation Met Gala on Towleroad White House asks government to buy more from small disadvantaged businesses More Prince Harry pens letter to mark World AIDS Day More Donald Trump Reportedly Tested Positive For COVID 3 Days Before 2020 Debate Against Joe Biden, Former Chief Of Staff Claims More Stacey Abrams announces second bid for governor of Georgia state More Biden marks World AIDS Day with plan to eradicate disease More Ivanka Trump Turns On Charm, Mingles With Rich Pals In First Outing Since Dad Donald Trump Was Accused Of Being Jeffrey Epstein’s Sex ‘Wingman’ More US Supreme Court appears likely to roll back abortion rights More Hungary parliament clears way for government’s LGBT referendum as election nears More New York City opens first U.S. sites for supervised narcotics injection More National Guard who refuse to get vaccinated could lose funding- Pentagon chief More Sex & The City Reboot ‘And Just Like That…’ Trailer Reveals The Status Of Carrie & Big’s Relationship, New Ventures & More! More Load More View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House on Thursday unveiled plans to ask federal agencies to direct at least 11% of contract dollars spent to disadvantaged small businesses next year, up from an average of 9.8% over the last five years. The small increase, which would go well beyond the 5% required by law, is part of a bid to harness the federal government’s hefty buying power to boost equity, the White House said. “President Biden’s committed to leveraging every tool available to him and helping level the playing field for small and underserved businesses … as a way to narrow the racial wealth gap,” a senior administration official told reporters on a briefing call prior to the announcement. He said the federal government is the single largest buyer of goods and services in the world with $600 billion a year. “Federal government can be a powerful driver of equity and wealth building in underserved communities,” he added, noting that the overall goal was to reach 15% by 2025. Small disadvantaged businesses are a category under federal law for which Black-owned, Latino-owned and other minority-owned businesses “are presumed to qualify,” the White House said. The move comes after a recent report found that the number of new small business entrants to federal procurement decreased by 60% over the past decade, the White House said. (Reporting by Jeff Mason and Alexandra Alper; Editing by Leslie Adler) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Prince Harry has praised AIDS activists for “leading the call for COVID-19 vaccine equity”. The 37-year-old royal has written a letter to Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus – the director-general of the World Heath Organization – and UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima to mark World AIDS Day on Wednesday (01.12.21). In the letter, Harry – who has previously undergone public testing for HIV – says: “It is striking to now see the world’s leading AIDS activists are also leading the call for COVID-19 vaccine equity. “Vaccinating the world is a test of our moral character and we are experiencing a spectacular failure when it comes to global vaccine equity. Similar to the AIDS crisis, we’ve yet again revealed over the past year, that the value of life depends on whether you were born and/or live in a rich nation, or a developing country.” In his letter, Harry paid tribute to people who have lost their lives to AIDS. The prince also referenced Princess Diana’s efforts to break the stigma surrounding AIDS and HIV in the 80s and 90s. Harry – who now lives in the US with his wife and their two children – wrote: “We honour those whose lives have been cut short and reaffirm our commitment to a scientific community that has worked tirelessly against this disease. “My mother would be deeply grateful for everything you stand for and have accomplished. We all share that gratitude, so thank you.” Earlier this year, Harry blamed “mass-scale misinformation” for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. The royal – who has Archie, two, and Lilibet, five months, with the Duchess of Sussex – explained: “Until every community can access the vaccine and until every community is connected to trustworthy information about the vaccine, then we are all at risk.” View the full article

Published by OK Magazine Mega Donald Trump allegedly tested positive for COVID just three days before he faced off against President Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential debate, according to a new book written by his former chief of staff. In an excerpt from The Chief’s Chief — obtained by The Guardian — Mark Meadows claimed the 75-year-old learned he had tested positive on September 26 after boarding Air Force One en route to a rally in Middletown, Penn. MELANIA TRUMP DIDN’T WANT ELECTION NIGHT PARTY AT WHITE HOUSE AS COVID-19 PANDEMIC RAGED ON, KNEW DONALD TRUMP WOULD ‘DO IT ANYWAY’: AUTHOR Hours earlier, the ex commander-in-chief attended the infamous Rose Garden event honoring Supreme Court then-nominee Amy Barrett at the White House, in which 11 attendees contracted the disease. Mega Meadows, who worked under Trump for two years, alleged that 45’s response to hearing the news that he tested positive “rhyme[d] with ‘Oh spit, you’ve gotta be trucking lidding me,'” per the Guardian.He alsonoted that the father-of-five’s initial test had been done with an old model. A second test resulted in a negative outcome, in which, as Meadows tells it, he could “almost hear the collective ‘Thank God’ that echoed through the cabin.” Meadows claims Trump’s negative test allowed him to carry on with business as usual, which included meeting with military families, appearing at a rally — and facing off with Biden at the presidential debate against in Ohio. Mega (For his part, Meadows explains he “didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks, but I also didn’t want to alarm the public if there was nothing to worry about — which according to the new, much more accurate test, there was not.”) On the day of the debate, Meadows noted that Trump looked “slightly” better, but “the dark circles under his eyes had deepened” and “he was moving more slowly than usual.” On October 2, Trump announced via his former Twitter account that he and his wife Melania Trump “tested positive for COVID-19” that night. Melania took to Twitter to reassure her followers that the couple were “are feeling good and I have postponed all upcoming engagements”. Mega Fox News‘ Chris Wallace — who moderated the debate — later admitted that both Trump and Biden were believed to have tested negative prior to the event, based on an “honor system”. CELEBRITIES WHO HAVE HAD CORONAVIRUS — STARS EXPLAIN THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH COVID-19 According to Yahoo! News, Trump blasted Meadows’ claims in a statement: “The story of me having COVID prior to, or during, the first debate is Fake News. In fact, a test revealed that I did not have COVID prior to the debate.” President Biden, 79, remarked “I don’t think about the former President” when asked about claims that Trump had tested positive prior to their debate, per CNN. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Fauci also insisted he “certainly was not aware of Trump’s test positivity or negativity” when asked by reporters. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Alexandra Ulmer and Joseph Ax (Reuters) – Voting rights activist Stacey Abrams said on Wednesday that she is running again for governor of Georgia, setting up a potential rematch against Republican Governor Brian Kemp in a state that has become a key battleground in U.S. elections. “Opportunity and success in Georgia shouldn’t be determined by your ZIP code, background or access to power,” Abrams, a Democrat, said in a video https://twitter.com/staceyabrams/status/1466140248887418885?s=20 launching her campaign. “If our Georgia is going to move to its next and greatest chapter, we’re going to need leadership.” Abrams, 47, a former member of the Georgia House of Representatives, lawyer, entrepreneur and romance novelist, became a national Democratic figurehead after losing a hard-fought governor’s race to Kemp in 2018 by just 55,000 votes. Since that defeat, which many Democrats blamed on voter suppression, Abrams has built a national reputation as a voting rights advocate, founding the organization Fair Fight. She was credited by many Democrats with boosting the party’s turnout in 2020, when President Joe Biden became the first Democrat to carry the state in a presidential election in nearly three decades. Two months after Biden’s victory, Democrats swept two Senate races in Georgia to give them control of the U.S. Senate. A matchup between Abrams and Kemp next year would offer a test of whether those wins reflect a more permanent Democratic edge in a diversifying and growing Southern state or whether they were driven by antipathy toward Republican former President Donald Trump. Georgia hasn’t had a Democratic governor since Roy Barnes left office in 2003. If she wins next November, Abrams, whom Biden at one point considered as a potential running mate, would be the first Black woman elected governor of a U.S. state. Kemp, who is running for re-election, reacted on Wednesday by saying that Abrams would have shut down the state over COVID-19 and allowed “woke politics” to be part of school lessons. “I’m in the fight against Stacey Abrams, the failed Biden agenda, and their woke allies to keep Georgia the best place to live, work, and raise a family,” Kemp said on Twitter. Kemp could face a difficult primary battle within his own party after resisting Trump’s requests that he convince the Georgia state legislature to overturn the 2020 presidential results showing Biden had beaten Trump. Kemp has since signed into law sweeping voting restrictions sponsored by Republicans, with potentially big implications for how elections are administered in Georgia in 2022 and the U.S. presidential contest in 2024. Proponents say the legislation is needed to safeguard elections and restore voters’ faith in the process. Opponents say it was born out of the Republican Party’s “Big Lie,” the false claim that Biden’s defeat of Trump in November 2020 was the result of widespread fraud. In an interview released earlier on Wednesday at the Reuters Next conference, Abrams said she remains optimistic that Congress will pass federal legislation to advance and protect voting rights, despite Republican opposition. Georgia is set to vote in congressional and gubernatorial general elections next November. Raphael Warnock, a Baptist preacher from Martin Luther King Jr.’s former church who was elected to the Senate in January in a special election, is also up for re-election for a six year-term. (Reporting by Alexandra Ulmer and Joseph Ax; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Leslie Adler) View the full article

Published by AFP US President Joe Biden is joined by Marguerite Wheeler-Lara, mother of HIV/AIDS advocate Gabriel Maldonado, during a World AIDS Day commemoration at White House Washington (AFP) – President Joe Biden marked World AIDS Day on Wednesday with a speech declaring that an end to the epidemic in the United States is within reach. “It’s not hyperbole to suggest that we are within striking distance,” he told an audience of activists and political supporters at the White House. Biden’s speech outlined what the White House said was an administration plan for “redoubling efforts to confront the HIV/AIDS epidemic,” bringing it effectively to a close by the end of the decade. The target is for a 75 percent reduction in new infections by 2025 and 90 percent by 2030. Biden said the approach is centered on “innovative community solutions… to make sure that the latest, latest advances in HIV prevention, diagnosis and treatment are available to everyone.” Biden also promised “aggressive action,” backed by a “historic” budget target of $670 million, to make sure the HIV response was more fair to people who had before been left out or suffered discrimination. “As we look back in the past 40 years, where there’s been so much pain and suffering, it’s a testament… (that) we can do this. We can eliminate HIV transmission, we can get the epidemic under control in the United States and countries around the world.” In the 40 years since US researchers encountered the first cases of what later became known as AIDS, there have been 700,000 US dead and more than 36 million fatalities worldwide. Today, there are 1.2 million people in the US living with the disease, but “we celebrate the remarkable gains we have made,” the White House said in a briefing paper on the 2030 plan. Between 2015 and 2019, new HIV infections fell eight percent, “a hopeful sign,” the White House said. The shift Biden is ordering will aim to “aggressively reduce new HIV cases, while increasing access to treatment.” Lessons from Covid According to a senior Biden administration official, one of the innovations will be to accelerate the private sector’s participation in a “national effort.” Focus will also be put on “addressing social determinants of health that influence an individual’s HIV risk or outcomes.” According to the official, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic could ultimately strengthen the health care system in the even lengthier struggle against AIDS. The response to the coronavirus crisis has spurred advances in self-testing at home and telehealth, as well as boosting the role for pharmacies — all ways to engage the public in a complex health care endeavor. Top US infectious diseases specialists, including Biden’s lead medical advisor Anthony Fauci, brought years of experience from fighting AIDS to the Covid-19 crisis. Now, new lessons gained during the pandemic may be applied to AIDS. “We’re looking forward to seeing what additional insights and knowledge and expertise researchers have gained through fighting this virus that can now be applied to our search for a vaccine and a cure for HIV,” the senior official said. The United Nations said Monday that HIV infection rates are not slowing fast enough around the world to reach the goal of eradicating AIDS everywhere by 2030. View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Ivanka Trump put on a happy face and acted like nothing was wrong when she attended an A-list event alongside Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. The former first daughter turned on her charm and mingled with her rich pals just hours after her father Donald Trumpwas accused of letting late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein be his sex “wingman.” Trump’s 40-year-old daughter appeared to be in good spirits despite the cringe-worthy accusations about her dad that were brought to light amid Ghislaine Maxwell‘s sex trafficking trial. The British socialite is accused of recruiting and grooming young girls for Epstein to abuse. Jeffrey Epstein Was Donald Trump’s Sex ‘Wingman,’ Claims Woman Who Accused Ex-Prez Of Sexual Abuse Ivanka wasted no time jumping back into the elaborate world of the fashion industry. Mixing it up with the best of them, the blonde mom flashed a smile and greeted everyone with money at Louis Vuitton’s tribute show to Virgil Abloh. Miami was filled with New York and Hollywood’s elite on Tuesday night to remember Virgil after he passed away over the weekend. The late creative director died after a private cancer battle. Virgil was beloved by many, and Kanye’s best friend. Pete Davidson All Smiles Courtside At Knicks Game With Sister As Girlfriend Kim Kardashian Reunites With Estranged Husband Kanye West MEGA Trump’s favorite daughter didn’t try to hide her wealth at the show titled, “Virgil Was Here.” Instead, she flaunted it by wearing a simple bubble gum pink LV dress that cost more than most people’s rent. Ivanka slipped into the $3,500 chic number to make her splash back into the fashion world after years of going political. Blending in with the likes of Kimye, Pharrell, Kid Cudi, and more, Ivanka didn’t appear to be sweating the allegations against her dad — and neither did those around her. As Radar reported, Trump’s alleged close relationship with Epstein was exposed by celebrity makeup artist Jill Harth, who accused #45 of sexual abuse. In an interview with Daily Mail, Jill called the former president a “girl hound,” adding that Epstein was his “wingman” with the ladies. According to the former pageant organizer, Trump and the late pedophile were “definitely close friends.” She alleged they used their wealth, power, and status in a world of vulnerable, young women to get what they wanted. Jill also claimed that Trump knew Epstein’s fetish for young and sometimes underage girls but allegedly didn’t care. MEGA View the full article

Published by AFP Demonstrators gathered outside the US Supreme Court as the justices heard a case that could roll back abortion rights Washington (AFP) – The conservative-dominated Supreme Court appeared poised Wednesday to roll back abortion rights in the United States by upholding a law in the southern state of Mississippi that would ban the procedure after 15 weeks. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the imposing court in Washington as the nine justices heard two hours of arguments in the most pivotal abortion case to reach the nation’s highest court in 50 years. Mississippi Solicitor General Scott Stewart urged the court to uphold the state’s 15-week ban and strike down the landmark cases that enshrined a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion. While acknowledging abortion is a “hard issue,” Stewart argued that individual states should be allowed to set their own rules. “When an issue affects everyone and when the Constitution does not take sides on it, it belongs to the people,” he said. “This court should overrule Roe and Casey and uphold the state’s law.” In a 1973 ruling, Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court, by a 7-2 vote, held that access to abortion is a constitutional right until the fetus is viable outside the womb, typically 22 to 24 weeks. In a 1992 ruling, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the court upheld Roe and said states cannot impose an “undue burden” on a woman’s ability to get an abortion. The law passed by the Republican-led legislature in Mississippi, a Bible Belt state, would ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy and makes no exception for rape or incest. Should the Mississippi law be upheld, more than two dozen other US states are expected to seek to restrict abortion. The court is expected to render its decision in June. ‘Flatly unconstitutional’ At least four of the six conservative-leaning justices — including two nominated by Donald Trump — seemed receptive to overturning Roe v. Wade. The other two conservatives, Chief Justice John Roberts and Neil Gorsuch, also a Trump nominee, appeared to favor a more cautious approach — upholding the Mississippi law while not going so far as to strike down Roe. “The thing that is at issue before us today is 15 weeks,” Roberts said. Attorney Julie Rikelman, arguing for the Center for Reproductive Rights, said the Mississippi law is “flatly unconstitutional.” “For a state to take control of a woman’s body and demand that she goes through pregnancy and childbirth — with all the physical risks and life-altering consequences that brings — is a fundamental deprivation of her liberty,” Rikelman said. Rikelman argued for maintaining viability as the legal cutoff point for an abortion. “Without viability, there will be no stopping point,” she said. “States will rush to ban abortion at virtually any point in pregnancy.” Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, representing the administration of President Joe Biden, said the court “has never revoked a right that is so fundamental to so many Americans.” “The real world effects of overruling Roe and Casey would be severe and swift,” Prelogar said. Speaking to reporters after the court session, Biden said Roe v. Wade is a “rational position” and he will “continue to support it.” ‘Alarming’ Elena Kagan, one of the three liberal justices on the court, said abortion rights are “part of the fabric of women’s existence in this country.” Justice Sonia Sotomayor, another liberal, said “the right of a woman to choose, the right to control her own body, has been clearly set.” Overturning Roe would give the impression the court is a political body, Sotomayor said. “Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception, that the Constitution and its reading are just political acts?” she asked. Amy Coney Barrett, who was nominated by Trump, asked repeatedly why adoption cannot be considered a viable alternative to abortion. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, also nominated by Trump, made it clear he believed access to abortion should be regulated by the states. “Why should this court be the arbiter rather than Congress, the state legislatures, state supreme courts, the people,” Kavanaugh said. “There’ll be different answers in Mississippi, in New York. Different answers in Alabama than California,” he said. “Why is that not the right answer?” Prelogar, the solicitor general, said it was not the right answer because the court has recognized that abortion is a “fundamental right of women” and it is “not left up to state legislatures to decide whether to honor them or not.” Alexis McGill Johnson, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, a leading abortion provider, expressed concern for abortion rights after the court session. “It was alarming, though not surprising, that the majority of the Supreme Court justices appeared prepared to allow politicians to control what we can do with our bodies,” McGill Johnson said. As the court heard arguments, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside carrying signs reading “Abortion Is Murder” or — on the other side — “Abortion Is Health Care.” Public opinion polls have found most Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. But a segment of the population, particularly on the religious right, has never accepted the Roe v. Wade ruling and campaigned to have it overturned. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Krisztina Than BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Hungary’s parliament passed a resolution on Tuesday which will empower the government to hold a referendum on LGBT issues, raising Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s anti-LGBT campaign to a new level as he heads into a tough election race next year. Orban, a nationalist who has been in power since 2010, this year proposed a referendum on ruling party legislation that limits schools’ teaching about homosexuality and transgender issues, stepping up a culture war with the European Union. Facing his first competitive election in more than a decade, nationalist Orban has sought to promote social policies that he says safeguard Christian values against Western liberalism, putting gender issues and what he calls LGBTQ propaganda at the centre of his campaign along with migration. Parliament voted on four referendum questions one by one, passing them with Fidesz’s ruling majority. “The Hungarian government proposes that citizens should have a chance to express their stance on the issues of gender propaganda,” deputy minister Balazs Orban told parliament. “We are committed. We believe that we …have to say no to LGBTQ propaganda in schools carried out with the help of NGOs and media, without parental consent.” He said holding the referendum on the same day as the parliamentary vote would save taxpayers money but it is up to President Janos Ader to set the date. Ader, an ally of the government, has not yet fixed a date for the parliamentary elections which are expected to be held in April. In the referendum, Hungarians will be asked whether they support the holding of sexual orientation workshops in schools without parents’ consent and whether they believe gender reassignment procedures should be promoted among children. They will also be asked whether media content that could affect sexual orientation should be shown to children without any restrictions. The law passed in June, which the government says aims to protect children, has caused anxiety in the LGBT community. (Reporting by Krisztina Than and Anita Komuves, editing by Ed Osmond) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Maria Caspani NEW YORK (Reuters) – The first sites in the United States that allow narcotics users to inject drugs under the supervision of trained staff opened in New York City on Tuesday, a move aimed at stemming a surge in overdose deaths. The city’s health department said two sites, both located in Upper Manhattan, may begin operations as of Tuesday. They are run by two existing Syringe Service Providers, organizations that offer a range of services including access and disposal of injection equipment. “Overdose Prevention Centers are a safe and effective way to address the opioid crisis,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in the statement. “I’m proud to show cities in this country that after decades of failure, a smarter approach is possible.” Citing research, proponents say the sites provide clean, safe places that save lives and can help curb addiction. “This is a watershed milestone in the fight to end overdose deaths in New York,” Melissa Moore, director of civil systems reform at Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), said in a statement. “If we want to save lives, reduce criminalization, and curb racial disparities, we need comprehensive, innovative, and forward-thinking approaches like Overdose Prevention Centers.” Opponents of the sites say they threaten communities in which they are located by facilitating drug use. De Blasio, who leaves office in January after two terms as mayor, has long supported the opening of such sites, following an innovation that Canada and other countries implemented years ago. Incoming mayor Eric Adams voiced support for the concept during his campaign. In addition to allowing users to inject narcotics under supervision, the sites are to provide users with syringes and other supplies, as well as medications to reverse overdoses and treatment options. Last year, overdose deaths in New York City jumped to more than 2,000, the highest number since tracking began in 2000. Nearly 600 people died in the first quarter of 2021, according to preliminary city data, the most in a single quarter. Across the country, the opioid epidemic – which worsened since the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States in early 2020 – has ravaged the lives of millions. More Americans than ever – more than 100,000 – died from overdoses over a recent 12-month period, federal data released earlier this month showed. The supply of illicit drugs on the streets has become deadlier, mostly due to widespread availability of fentanyl, which is increasingly mixed with other drugs. Drug consumption services currently operate in 10 countries around the world, according to DPA. Other U.S. cities including San Francisco have plans to open safe injection sites, but none have opened yet. Legal barriers at the federal and state level have hindered efforts to establish supervised consumption services. Earlier this year, a coalition of mayors sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland seeking clarity on the position of the Department of Justice on a section of the U.S. Controlled Substances Act that says it is illegal to maintain any place for the use of controlled substances. (Reporting by Maria Caspani; Editing by Leslie Adler) View the full article

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