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Published by BANG Showbiz English Brooke Shields wasn’t “personally scathed” by playing a child prostitute on screen aged 11, because she choose not to be “victimised”. The 56-year-old actress landed her breakthrough lead role as Violet in ‘Pretty Baby’ in the hit big-screen flick in 1978, and she believes the sexualisation of young people isn’t going away and she refuses to be made out to “be a victim”. In a candid interview with The Guardian newspaper, Brooke said: “I think it’s been done since the dawn of time, and I think it’s going to keep going on. “There’s something incredibly seductive about youth … I think it just has different forms and it’s how you survive it, and whether you choose to be victimised by it. It’s not in my nature to be a victim.” The ‘After Sex’ star, who lost her virginity when she was in her early twenties, insisted she grew up in a “sequestered” household, and though prostitution was rife in New York, it was all make-believe in her head as a result of her naivety. Reiterating that she “didn’t suffer” from the controversial role, she added: “It takes five minutes to see – on the old 42nd Street – what prostitution was. “And also I was very sequestered from all of it in my real life. “I was a virgin till I was 22, so it was all pretend in my mind. I was an actress. I didn’t suffer privately about it. “I guess you’d have to have an actress who was older, playing younger. “I’m not quite sure what the rules are now [as if it’s an HR issue, rather than a societal one.] But I also wasn’t personally scathed by it.” Meanwhile, Brooke recently admitted fame made school hard. She starred in ‘The Blue Lagoon’ two years after ‘Pretty Baby’, and her glitzy life as a teenager meant the other children took some time to warm up to her. She recalled: “Ninth grade was tough, just like being a freshman in college was tough … I went into a high school and I had just done ‘Blue Lagoon’ or something … They were not shy of getting up at the lunch table when I sat down in unison to move en-masse … Then they get bored with being difficult or caring. “Then we started studying together, or if I did well on a test then I proved to them that I wasn’t getting special treatment.” She revealed how the turning point came when her mum, Tina Shields, hosted a roller-skating party for “the whole class”, which was a wake-up call for the other kids. She explained: “The kids I thought I was so cool but what they saw while we were at this event was how much I had to work. “So they’re all dancing, and I’m having to take pictures and do soundbites. “And then I got to dance with them, but I think they saw that I wasn’t stuck up, I didn’t think I was better than they were. “And then I still had to take that math test on Monday. It balanced out!” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Kacper Pempel and Alan Charlish BRUZGI, Belarus/WARSAW (Reuters) -President Alexander Lukashenko said on Monday Belarus seeks no confrontation with Poland but wants the European Union to take in 2,000 of the migrants stranded on its border, and he added that if the crisis deteriorated “too far, war is unavoidable”. The European Union accuses Belarus of flying in thousands of people from the Middle East and pushing them to cross into the EU via Poland, Lithuania and Latvia in retaliation for EU sanctions imposed on Minsk over Lukashenko’s crushing of protests against his disputed re-election last year. Lukashenko denies fomenting the migrant crisis, but EU countries including Germany on Monday again rejected his call on them to accept migrants in limbo at the frontier. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Sunday that the crisis might be a prelude to “something much worse”, and Poland’s border guard said Belarusian forces were still ferrying migrants to the frontier. Lukashenko, as quoted by the state-owned Belta news agency, said he did not want things to escalate. “We need to get through to the Poles, to every Pole, and show them that we’re not barbarians, that we don’t want confrontation. We don’t need it. Because we understand that if we go too far, war is unavoidable,” he said. “And that will be a catastrophe. We understand this perfectly well. We don’t want any kind of flare-up.” ‘NOT ACCEPTABLE’ The plan proposed by Belarus last week would entail EU countries, particularly Germany, taking in some 2,000 migrants, while Minsk would send another 5,000 migrants back home, and Lukashenko said Belarus was preparing a second migrant repatriation flight at the end of this month. In the face of a rebuff from Germany and the EU’s executive commission, Lukashenko said on Monday he must insist Germany – the preferred destination of many migrants – take in a number of them. He said the EU was not engaging with Minsk on the issue. “They don’t even look at it (the problem). And even what she (German Chancellor Angela Merkel) promised me – contacts. They are not even getting in touch.” But a German government spokesman repeated Berlin’s refusal. “The idea of having a humanitarian corridor to Germany for 2,000 migrants is not a solution that is acceptable to Germany or the EU,” the spokesperson said. Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg told a news conference: “The EU must not give in to blackmail from Lukashenko. We have to respond united and very clearly to this state-sponsored hybrid attack on the European Union.” A group of around 150 migrants tried to break through the border fence near the Polish village of Dubicze Cerkiewne on Sunday, the Polish border guard said. THREAT TO CUT TRAIN LINK Poland has threatened to sever a train link with Belarus if the situation does not improve, and Lukashenko was quoted as saying that threat could backfire. Rail traffic could be diverted to run through a conflict zone in eastern Ukraine in such a scenario, he said. “It is Mr Lukashenko and the Belarusian regime that caused the entire problem at the border…It is up to Mr Lukashenko what will happen next,” Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz said. “The EU…can find a way to trade with eastern European and Asian partners without Belarus.” The Polish Economic Institute (PIE) said any closure of the border to train freight would be more costly for Belarus as exports account for up to 70% of its gross domestic product. Poland’s government spokesman said no decision had been taken on the closure, though that option was on the table. Humanitarian agencies say as many as 13 migrants have died at the border, where many have suffered in a cold, damp forest with little food or water as a frigid winter sets in. Poland said Belarusian forces were still ferrying migrants to the frontier, despite clearing the main migrant camps along the barbed-wire boundary last week. Many of the migrants have now been placed in a Belarusian warehouse near the border. (Reporting by Maria Kiselyova, Matthias Williams, Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz, Andrius Sytas, Francois Murphy; writing by Ingrid Melander and Alan Charlish; editing by Mark Heinrich) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Zainah El-Haroun BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) – The trickle of tourists is sometimes scarcely enough to fill a manger, let alone an inn, but Bethlehem’s Palestinians are hopeful that numbers will rise in the month before Christmas. The traditional birthplace of Jesus was all but shuttered by the pandemic last year, ravaging the tourism-dependent economy and leading some hoteliers to consider selling up. But this year Israel has eased curbs on foreign tourists in time for Christmas, although everyone remains wary of a winter coronavirus wave. While grateful for the return of some foreign tourists and Christian Palestinians from the West Bank and Israel, it is a far cry from the 3.5 million visitors who came in winter 2019, just before the pandemic. “Of course the numbers are very few, but as a start, as a beginning, I think it’s good,” Palestinian tourism minister Rula Maayah told Reuters. “Hopefully very soon these few hundreds will be a few thousand.” The reduced numbers have at least improved the experience for those who are there. One of just three wise tourists standing in an otherwise-deserted Manger Square on Nov. 17, Danish pilgrim Trina Dybkjaer said their timing seemed ideal. “I came to see where Jesus was born,” she said, looking up at the half-decorated Christmas tree outside the Church of the Nativity. “I can almost feel the history of how it was back then. It hasn’t been, at least today, destroyed by a lot of tourists.” Bethlehem’s municipality scaled back the town’s Christmas market last year and banned most spectators from the tree-lighting ceremony. But Mayor Anton Salman said this year’s celebration will proceed as normal on Dec. 4, with visitors asked to wear masks. He expected around 15,000 people, mostly Palestinians. Across Bethlehem, souvenir-sellers and hoteliers say they are struggling to make a living. “We have Christmas reservations from Britain, Colombia, the U.S., all over, we can’t complain about that,” said Joey Canavati, manager of Nativity Street’s Alexander Hotel. “We just don’t know what will happen next week, or next month – will there be another COVID wave? Will everything shut down again?” (Zainah El-Haroun reported from Bethlehem; Writing by Rami Ayyub; Editing by Stephen Farrell and Giles Elgood) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jonathan Allen (Reuters) -A prosecutor began delivering her closing argument before a Georgia jury on Monday in which she was expected to tell the jury that the three white men charged in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery had no right to chase and to try detain him. Gregory McMichael, 65; his son Travis McMichael, 35; and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan, 52, have pleaded not guilty to charges including murder. Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski in her summation was expected to highlight inconsistencies in testimony and initial statements to police as well as question the credibility of the defendants’ assertions that Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, posed a threat to them. The younger McMichael was the only defendant to take the stand, testifying that he fired his shotgun at close range at Arbery in self defense. He said Arbery had grabbed at his gun after the five-minute chase through the defendants’ mostly white neighborhood of Satilla Shores on Feb. 23, 2020. Bryan’s cellphone video of the killing sparked outrage when it emerged more than two months later and the public learned that the men involved had not been arrested. McMichael testified that he and his father thought Arbery might have been behind recent thefts in the neighborhood. No evidence has emerged that Arbery took anything on his frequent runs through Satilla Shores. Arbery had nothing on him when he was killed but his running clothes and sneakers. Prosecutors from the Cobb County district attorney’s office say the defendants “assumed the worst” about a Arbery, who was known to friends as an avid jogger. The three defense teams will make their closing arguments before the jury begins deliberations. They have argued that the defendants had a right to try to detain Arbery under Georgia’s citizen’s arrest law, which was repealed in the wake of outrage over the killing. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Alistair Bell) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Fresh off securing U.S. House of Representatives passage of President Joe Biden’s social and environmental spending plan, his fellow Democrats are pressing ahead with it in the Senate, where the bill may undergo major changes on issues such as paid family leave to satisfy party centrists. The $1.75 trillion legislation, approved by the House on Friday over united Republican opposition, includes four weeks of family leave paid by the government for reasons such as the birth of a child or caring for a sick relative. It is likely to become a battleground issue in the days ahead. The legislation, which aims to bolster the U.S. social safety net and fight climate change, must win over divided Senate Democratic moderates and liberals, as Republicans remain opposed. Democrats have said they want an agreement by year’s end. Any Senate changes would need House approval again. “There’s going to be some changes,” Democratic Senator Jon Tester told NBC’s “Meet the Press” program, urging compromise. “We don’t all see the world the same way.” Biden has said he looks forward to signing the bill into law as soon as it passes Congress, which is narrowly controlled by the Democrats. The bill must secure support from the 100-seat Senate’s 48 Democrats and the two independents who caucus with them because no Republican backs it. Centrist Democrats Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema in particular have raised concerns about its cost and scope. Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand mentioned differences with Manchin over paid family leave but said she hopes they could reach a compromise in the next three weeks. “This is the only moment to get paid leave done. … Now is the time,” Gillibrand told CBS’s “Face the Nation” program. The cost of the four weeks of federal paid leave has been estimated at $200 billion over 10 years. Gillibrand said the legislation could include an employee-employer contribution system similar to those used by some U.S. states. The United States is the only wealthy country that does not pay woman on maternity leave. The White House is reaching out to lawmakers to get the legislation passed, Biden’s National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said. “We will work with every member of the Senate on this bill,” Deese told the “Fox News Sunday” program, adding that the legislation has “a lot of momentum.” “We really do now have a good understanding of where the consensus lies,” Deese added, on issues such as government support for childcare costs, family benefits and tax increases on corporations and the wealthy. The House passed the bill with just one Democrat voting against it. It was scaled down from Democrats’ original $3.5 trillion vision. (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Will Dunham and Heather Timmons) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English JoJo Siwa wants a ‘cuddle buddy.’ The 18-year-old internet sensation has been keeping herself busy with work since splitting with Kylie Prew, also 18, but opened up about her breakup and admitted that she would be up for something more casual. She said: “I haven’t started dating at all, anybody, but whatever happens happens. I fell in love with somebody who I didn’t ever expect to fall in love with. We met on a cruise ship, she was my best friend. And then we went to Disney together and all of a sudden… it kind of all happened. And so I think I learned to just trust life and whatever’s supposed to happen is going to happen. But trust me, I want to have a cuddle date. So if anybody out there needs a cuddle date, cuddle buddy, I’ll take it.” However, the Nickelodeon star – who recently made it to the upcoming final of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ – also revealed that she is still in contact with her ex-girlfriend and noted that she is “grateful” to have the competition to focus on. She told PEOPLE: “There’s days where I truthfully will cry, and the only thing that I will want is to talk to Ky and I will call and Ky will answer and it’s all okay And there are other days where we don’t talk at all. And I think that either way, it’s okay. I think everyone’s life happens differently, but I’m really grateful that I’ve had ‘Dancing with the Stars’ that I’ve had ‘Dance Pop’. It’s just kept my brain occupied and it’s kept my brain happy and healthy. I was in love for the first time. It is such an amazing gift and something that I will cherish for as long as I live.” View the full article

Published by Reuters BEIJING (Reuters) -Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, whose whereabouts have been a matter of international concern for weeks, attended a tennis tournament in Beijing on Sunday, according to official photos published by the tournament organised by China Open. Peng can be seen among guests at the Fila Kids Junior Tennis Challenger Finals, dressed in a dark blue jacket and white trousers, according to the pictures published on the event’s official WeChat page. The former doubles world number one had not been seen or heard from publicly since she said on Chinese social media on Nov. 2 that former vice premier Zhang Gaoli had coerced her into sex and they later had an on-off consensual relationship. Neither Zhang nor the Chinese government have commented on her allegation. Peng’s social media post was quickly deleted and the topic has been blocked from discussion on China’s heavily censored internet. World tennis bodies have expressed concern, with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) threatening to pull tournaments out of China. The United States and Britain have called for evidence of Peng’s whereabouts and safety. The photographs and video footage of Peng that emerged on Sunday remain “insufficient” and do not address the WTA’s concerns, a spokesperson for the group told Reuters by email. The U.S. and British embassies in Beijing did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment on her reappearance. The issue of Peng’s safety and whereabouts has emerged as China prepares to host the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February amid calls from global rights groups and others for a boycott over its human rights record. A photo of Peng at the Fila tournament was also posted on Twitter by Ding Li, a senior executive of Global D-Sports, a company which corporate information app Tianyancha says organises sport events and manages athletes. NOODLES, BAMBOO SHOOTS Ding, who told Reuters he was a long-time friend of Peng’s, said her phone is always switched on, so the WTA could just call her. WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon, however, told Time magazine last week that the organisation had tried to contact her through various means. Ding said Peng was not accepting foreign media interviews as she received many calls after Simon had sent an email to her assistant that contained her contact information, and copied a number of people in his message. The WTA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on that email. Twitter is blocked in China. On Saturday night, Peng visited a popular restaurant in downtown Beijing for a meal Ding attended, according to photos he posted on Twitter. Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the state-backed Global Times reposted a video of the outing, which a restaurant manager confirmed to Reuters on Sunday. Seven people including Peng were at the Sichuanese restaurant, said the manager, Zhou Hongmei, adding that they ate in a private room and were joined by the restaurant’s owner. “It was crowded at the restaurant as usual,” Zhou said, showing a bill that included noodles and bamboo shoots. “They didn’t have much. I think they mostly chatted.” Searches on Chinese platforms for social media posts on Peng’s allegations continued to yield no results on Sunday. On some video-sharing websites like Bilibili, Peng’s name was also not found in searches. Some old videos featuring Peng could still be found, but access to their comments sections was locked. Chinese state media outlet CGTN on Wednesday released what it said was an email https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/wtas-simon-voices-concern-over-statement-attributed-peng-2021-11-18 Peng had sent to WTA’s Simon, in which she said the allegation of assault was untrue. Simon said at the time he had a hard time believing that Peng herself had written the email. Hu of the Global Times also tweeted Peng’s Sunday appearance at the tennis tournament. The Global Times is published by the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party. Videos posted by Hu and a Global Times reporter showed her smiling, waving and signing autographs for children. (Reporting by Brenda Goh, Sophie Yu, Yew Lun Tian, Gabriel Crossley and Ryan Woo; Editing by William Mallard) View the full article

And then right off to Nursing school with it no doubt. Anyone remember Primal Fear? — editor Published by Radar Online Kyle Rittenhouse‘s legal battle is seemingly not over even after his “not guilty” verdict. His current attorney Mark Richards predicts an argument between the Rittenhouse family and his former lawyers, John Pierce and L. Lin Wood, over his bail money. Following the dismissal of his charges, the $2 million bonds requested initially for his release will be returned to Pierce’s firm, who posted it. MEGA The 18-year-old accused killer hired Pierce and Wood in the beginning to handle his case but later fired them before alleging the two of misappropriating the funds meant to assist him in fighting the legal proceedings. However, the two lawyers who helped raise the money to free him from jail while he waited for his trials are demanding their money back. On Friday, Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges after shooting three Black Lives Matter protestors, killing two of them, and injuring another in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last year. He argued he acted in self-defense during the fatal shooting. Prior to his trial, he was released from jail after his former attorney posted the $2 million bond with a cashier’s check from his law firm. Many supporters who believe he was innocent have donated to the fund, including child actor Ricky Schroder and My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell. After a case was dismissed in Wisconsin, the bond would be refunded to the party that made the payment, which appeared to be Pierce’s law firm. “I suspect there will be a fight over that,” Richards claimed. “John Pierce is the person who posted the bond. All that money was raised on behalf of Kyle. Lin Wood and FightBack say they are entitled to it.” MEGA Richards revealed Rittenhouse’s mother had also played a part in the fundraising, which could cause a further dispute. “There was half a million dollars I think that came directly from [Kyle’s mother] Wendy Rittenhouse from money she raised,” Rittenhouse’s current attorney added. “So there’s going to be a fight over that, and I’m just thankful there will be a fight over it.” AsRadar previously reported, Rittenhouse fell to the floor and burst into tears after the judge read his verdict, marking the day of his freedom. In 2020, he traveled to the BLM protest and used his semiautomatic rifle to fatally shoot Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony M. Huber. Another victim Gaige Grosskreutz survived the shot. MEGA Huber’s family released a statement to express their disapproval after learning about the judge’s ruling. “Today’s verdict means there is no accountability for the person who murdered our son,” the statement read. “It sends the unacceptable message that armed civilians can show up in any town, incite violence, and then use the danger they have created to justify shooting people in the street.” View the full article

Published by OK Magazine Finding her voice! Britney Spears is no longer afraid to speak out, and she has a lot to say. mega The “Baby, One More Time” singer took to social media to blast old pal Christina Aguilera for seemingly refusing to talk to a reporter about Spears’ recent conservatorship win at the 2021 Latin Grammy Awards. BRITNEY SPEARS WOULD NOT ALLOW LYNNE SPEARS INTO HER HOME AFTER HER MOTHER FLEW FROM LOUISIANA TO LOS ANGELES TO SEE HER: REPORT When asked for her thoughts, Aguilera’s publicist immediately shut down the line of questioning and she was quickly led away. “I can’t, but I’m happy for her,” Xtina managed to get out before she was rushed off to prepare for her performance. mega Spears shared the clip to her Instagram Story with the caption: “I love and adore everyone who supported me…but refusing to speak when you know the truth, is equivalent to a lie !!!! 13 years being in a corrupt abusive system yet why is it such a hard topic for people to talk about ??? I’m the one who went through it all !!!!” Though the Princess of Pop clearly interpreted her rushed comment negatively, the “Candyman” singer has in fact been vocal about the unfairness of the oppressive 13 year conservatorship. BRITNEY SPEARS ‘THINKING’ ABOUT HAVING A BABY WITH HUNKY FIANCÉ SAM ASGHARI AS THE LOVEBIRDS PREPARE FOR THEIR UPCOMING WEDDING The 40-year-old shared a long message of support for her childhood friend on Twitter on June 28. “These past few days I’ve been thinking about Britney and everything she is going through. It is unacceptable that any woman, or human, wanting to be in control of their own destiny might not be allowed to live life as they wish.” “To be silenced, ignored, bullied or denied support by those ‘close’ to you is the most depleting, devastating and demeaning thing imaginable,” she continued. “The harmful mental and emotional damage this can take on a human spirit is nothing to be taken lightly.” But not everyone is on the 39-year-old pop star’s bad side. The “Toxic” singer profusely thanked Lady Gaga for her continued love and support following her grueling conservatorship battle. “Thank you @ladygaga for genuinely taking your time to say something so kind,” she captioned her Instagram Story. “You made me cry !!! I love you !!!” TheA Star Is Born actress replied with a fresh-faced selfie captioned: “Love you @britneyspears Live your best life I prayed for the legal system to treat you like a person. You’ve now changed the course for women in this industry forever. You stood up for yourself and were so brave. Thank you.” View the full article

Janet Jackson super bowl incident to come under immense scrutiny Published by BANG Showbiz English The upcoming Janet Jackson documentary will explore her Super Bowl incident with “today’s perspective.” Back in 2004, Janet was performing ‘Rock Your Body’ with fellow singer Justin Timberlake at the Super Bowl XXXVIII half-time show when a wardrobe malfunction – which occurred Justin tore open her costume as part of the act – left her right breast exposed. Speaking about the new documentary ‘Malfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jackson’, director Jodi Gomes explained: “I think because, you know, we wanted to f rame the picture and look at everything through a new lens and look at it from today’s lens to find out exactly what happened. It was a massive performance that touched a lot of people and it had a lot of unintended consequences, and we wanted to just look at it from today’s perspective and put it under a microscope and look at the how and the why. One person was treated differently than the other, and I just think it made a lot of sense for me at this time.” The documentary is being produced by filmmakers at The New York Times . the same team behind, ‘Framing Britney Spears’, which explored the #FreeBritney movement surrounding the fight to free the pop star from her conservatorship. Showrunner Mary Robertson told Entertainment Tonight: “I think one of the many things that we took away from the experience, making and releasing ‘Framing Britney Spears’ and the follow-up film ‘Controlling Britney Spears’ was that there can be incredible value in bringing journalistic rigor to subject matters that others perhaps trivialized, minimized, overlooked in some ways. “That was certainly part of the ambition that undergirded this approach and this concept. I think also that much as with the Britney Spears film, you know, we saw then with those films and we see with this film that it can be critical importance to look at an event that we may realize now we’ve misremembered in context to provide context.” Janet Jackson Super Bowl on Towleroad JoJo Siwa wants a ‘cuddle buddy’ More Tennis Star Peng Shuai reappears, WTA not reassured. First Time Seen Since Nov 2 Post Saying Former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli Had Coerced Sex More Kyle Rittenhouse In Argument With His Former Lawyers Over $2 Million Returned Bail Fund Following Not Guilty Verdict More Britney Spears Blasts Christina Aguilera For ‘Refusing To Speak’ Following Conservatorship Win, Praises Lady Gaga For Her Kindness More Jessica Chastain To Be Awarded at Palm Springs Film Festival for ‘ The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ More Hero or vigilante? Rittenhouse verdict reignites polarized U.S. gun debate More Market in China’s Wuhan likely origin of COVID-19 outbreak – study More Mary Lambert is engaged to her long-term partner Wyatt Hermansen More Jonah Hill to star as Jerry Garcia in Martin Scorsese’s Grateful Dead biopic More Pope art: Andy Warhol’s Catholic roots subject of New York exhibition More Factbox: What’s in Biden’s $1.75 trillion ‘Build Back Better’ package? More Load More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jessica Chastain will be bestowed with the Desert Palm Achievement Award for her starring role in ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ at the 2022 Palm Springs International Film Awards. The 44-year-old actress plays the titular role in the movie about the controversial televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker and her husband Jim Bakker, and is tipped to win an Oscar for her outstanding portrayal, but first, she will be honoured at the prestigious event on January 6. The festival’s chairman Harold Matzner said: “Jessica Chastain brilliantly portrays televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker in a story that chronicles her singular life and style. “Jessica once again showcases both her acting and singing talents, embracing the make-up, hairstyles and fashion of Tammy Faye. For her outstanding Oscar-worthy performance, it is our honour to present the Desert Palm achievement award, actress, to Jessica Chastain.” In 2018, Chastain won the Chairman’s Award at the film festival, while in 2012, she was the recipient of the Spotlight Award. The likes of Cate Blanchett, Olivia Colman, Viola Davis, Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, Saoirse Ronan, Charlize Theron, and Renée Zellweger have won the Desert Palm Achievement prize in the past. The upcoming event will also see Jane Campion named Director of the Year, Penélope Cruz Sánchez will take home the International Star Award, and Kristen Stewart the Spotlight Award. The bash is held at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Meanwhile, Chastain recently revealed her husband thinks it’s “sexy” that she earns more than him. The ‘Molly’s Game’ star – who has two children with Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo – insisted women shouldn’t be made to feel guilty about being more successful than their partner and should surround themselves with people who “value” them and “celebrate” their triumphs. She said: “Well — my own husband! I wouldn’t be with a man who didn’t celebrate it. “It’s a modern thing now with women in the workforce and their earning power, and people valuing us for what we can do. It’s very important to be around men who celebrate that.” Jessica Chastain Desert Palm on Towleroad Hero or vigilante? Rittenhouse verdict reignites polarized U.S. gun debate More Market in China’s Wuhan likely origin of COVID-19 outbreak – study More Mary Lambert is engaged to her long-term partner Wyatt Hermansen More Jonah Hill to star as Jerry Garcia in Martin Scorsese’s Grateful Dead biopic More Pope art: Andy Warhol’s Catholic roots subject of New York exhibition More Factbox: What’s in Biden’s $1.75 trillion ‘Build Back Better’ package? More Right Now, Kamala Harris is First Woman With Presidential Powers. Biden Has Routine Colonoscopy, Team Briefs on Temp Transfer to V.P. (2 Things Trump Didn’t Do); More Biden General Motors Visit includes Tire-Screeching Hummer EV Test Drive in Detroit More Tennis-WTA threatens to pull tournaments out of China over Peng More US authorizes Covid boosters for all over 18s More Majority of U.S. House votes for Biden’s $1.75 trillion bill; voting continues More Load More View the full article

Published by Reuters (Corrects third paragraph to make clear Rittenhouse did not bring his weapon from Illinois to Wisconsin) By Joseph Ax (Reuters) -Kyle Rittenhouse’s acquittal https://www.reuters.com/world/us/jury-rittenhouse-murder-trial-deliberate-fourth-day-2021-11-19 on murder charges on Friday opened yet another front in America’s longstanding fight over gun rights: Is it acceptable for a teenager to bring an assault-style rifle to a protest? Conservatives hailed Rittenhouse as a hero for exercising his right to self-defense when he fatally shot two demonstrators and wounded a third who he said attacked him last year at a racial justice protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Gun control advocates warned the jury’s verdict could inspire a new wave of armed vigilantism, after Rittenhouse traveled in August 2020 from his Illinois home to Kenosha after demonstrations erupted following the police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake. Guns have long been a potent political issue in the United States, where permissive laws have led to the highest rate of civilian firearm ownership in the world. Mass shootings, which are far more rare in other wealthy nations, have plagued the country for decades. Rittenhouse’s decision, at age 17, to roam the streets of Kenosha toting a weapon in the name of protecting private property from rioters struck a particular nerve about just how far gun rights should extend. “As the tragic events on that night in August showed, a 17-year-old arming himself with an AR-15 makes no one safer,” top officials at Giffords, the gun safety group, said in a statement. “Today’s verdict sends a troubling message that will encourage further vigilante violence and murder.” Gun rights organizations and Rittenhouse supporters celebrated the outcome as a major victory. Within minutes of the verdict, the National Rifle Association posted on Twitter the language of the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” Brandon Lesco, who was standing outside the Kenosha courthouse holding a “Free Kyle!” sign, said the verdict was just. “Someone needs to be there to defend the American towns that people try to burn. I respect that he was there, I respect he carried a weapon, he used it properly, he used it legally. The jurors agree,” said Lesco. The trial judge earlier this week had dismissed a misdemeanor charge against Rittenhouse for illegally possessing the rifle he used in the shootings, citing vagueness in the law. ‘UNACCEPTABLE MESSAGE’ Liberals denounced Rittenhouse’s acquittal as further evidence of a racially biased criminal justice system. Rittenhouse, like the men he shot, is white. “That a white male youth can travel across state lines, armed with an assault rifle, and engage in armed confrontation resulting in multiple deaths without facing criminal accountability, is the all too familiar outcome in a country where systemic racism continues to rot the system,” Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center, said in a statement. Some legal experts were careful to draw a distinction between the specific facts of Rittenhouse’s case and the broader message it might send. Prosecutors had a high bar to clear to convince jurors that Rittenhouse did not reasonably fear for his life at the time he fired, according to Janine Geske, a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice. Under state law, he was legally permitted to carry his weapon openly. But Geske said she worried the trial will teach the wrong lesson: “When you’re out protesting or counter-protesting, it is perfectly fine to bring loaded weapons to ‘protect yourself.’ We’re going to have substantial issues of who’s defending themselves, when you’ve got two people with a gun?” That sentiment was echoed by Karen Bloom and John Huber, the parents of Anthony Huber, one of the men killed by Rittenhouse. “It sends the unacceptable message that armed civilians can show up in any town, incite violence, and then use the danger they have created to justify shooting people in the street,” they said in a statement. (Reporting by Joseph Ax; Additional reporting by Maria Caspani, Nathan Layne, Mike Scarcella and Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Daniel Wallis) View the full article

Published by Reuters SINGAPORE (Reuters) – The first known COVID-19 case was a market vendor in the Chinese city of Wuhan, not an accountant who appeared to have no link to the market but whose case contributed to speculation the virus could have leaked from a lab, according to a U.S. study. The origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 remains a mystery and a major source of tension between China and the United States. A joint study by China and the World Health Organization (WHO) this year all but ruled out the theory that COVID-19 originated in a laboratory, saying that the most likely hypothesis was that it infected humans naturally, probably via the wildlife trade. A WHO-led team of experts spent four weeks in and around the central city of Wuhan with Chinese scientists and said in a joint report in March that the SARS-CoV-2 virus had probably been transmitted from bats to humans through another animal but that further research was needed. The accountant, who was widely thought to be the first person with COVID-19, reported that his first symptoms appeared on Dec. 16, several days later than initially known, Michael Worobey, head of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona, said in the study published in the journal Science on Thursday. The confusion was caused by a dental problem he had on Dec. 8. “His symptom onset came after multiple cases in workers at Huanan Market, making a female seafood vendor there the earliest known case, with illness onset 11 December,” the study said. It said most early symptomatic cases were linked to the market, specifically to the western section where raccoon dogs were caged, and it provided strong evidence of a live-animal market origin of the pandemic. The WHO proposed last month a new expert panel to investigate the source of the coronavirus. (Reporting by Miyoung Kim; Editing by Robert Birsel) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Mary Lambert is engaged. The ‘She Keeps Me Warm’ singer is getting married to her long-term partner Wyatt Hermansen, something she “dreamt” of for a lifetime. She shared the news on Instagram: “I’ve dreamt of this moment my whole life. We’re gonna get married in front of god and everybody!!!!! I love you Wyatt Paige Hermansen!!!” The note was shared along with a slideshow of the pair – who have dated for three and half years – celebrating their upcoming nuptials. The 32-year-old star also spilled about how Wyatt had popped the question at a gig in Fayette in Arkansas, as well as posting a video of the moment. During the show, Wyatt put down their guitar and made their way to Mary as she was playing the piano. Along the video, Mary wrote: “Three and a half years ago, I met the handsomest, funniest, most brilliant, kind, and warm person in the entire universe. I had about 5 glasses of champagne, we split a giant pretzel [pretzel emoji], laughed a ton, and shared our bipolar diagnoses with each other.” The ‘Heart On My Sleeve’ singer hailed her engagement “a divine moment” and the “deepest act of love.” Mary – who featured on Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ 2021 hit ‘Same Love’ – continued: “And now, this divine moment – so perfectly captured – feels meteoric. Watching my love get down on one knee felt like the deepest act of choosing. What an incredible honor to love Wyatt, to be their fiancé, to build a family and a home and a life and maybe several more dogs (????).” According to Mary,the Fayette show was “so special” even before the proposal as it was at an event focusing on mental health, queer issues and radical self-love at the University of Arkansas. She continued: “Performing this show in Fayetteville was already so special, and is now THE BEST EVENT IN HISTORY EVER. I can’t stop happy crying. My life is so full. What a gift, what joy, what blessing, what kindness, what hope, what love.” Wyatt is equally thrilled to be getting married. They wrote on their own Instagram: “I still cannot believe she’s going to be my wife. I am walking on air! The whole world feels brighter.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jonah Hill will play Jerry Garcia in Martin Scorsese’s Grateful Dead biopic. The 37-year-old actor has been tapped to play the late rocker in Scorsese’s latest project for Apple. Jonah is set to produce the flick through his Strong Baby banner with his producing partner Matt Dines. Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann will executive produce with Jerry’s daughter Trixie Garcia, Eric Eisner and Bernie Cahill. Insiders say that with the band and their management participating in the movie, Apple will have the rights to use the group’s musical catalogue in the project. Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski are writing the script after previously working on the acclaimed ‘American Crime Story: The People vs O.J. Simpson’ while Scorsese is also set to produce. It is unknown what will be covered in the movie, but the story of the group goes back to its formation in California during the 1960s. The band were known for their eclectic style and had a loyal fanbase following them across the United States for decades. Frontman Garcia passed away in 1995, although surviving members have carried on in various incarnations. Scorsese has a long track record of producing and directing rock documentaries, including the 2017 Grateful Dead feature ‘Long Strange Trip’ – but this would mark the first time that the legendary filmmaker has travelled down the biopic route for a legendary musical act. The project will reunite Hill and Scorsese, who first collaborated on ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’, and the two have been looking for something to work together on ever since. Scorsese – whose film credits include ‘Taxi Driver’ and ‘Cape Fear’ – is also teaming up with Apple on ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’, the Western crime drama that will star Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons. View the full article

Published by DPA “The Last Supper (Pink)” is among the works on display at a Brooklyn Museum show exploring Warhol’s deep connection to the Catholic faith. Christina Horsten/dpa Andy Warhol’s strong connection to Catholicism is the focus of a new exhibition exploring how the US pop artist’s works reflect his relationship with the Christian faith. New York’s Brooklyn Museum, staging the show, says it is the first exhibition to address this aspect of Warhol’s art, which is better known to many for its celebration of consumerist imagery and Hollywood celebrities. “Although Andy Warhol is one of the most celebrated and recognizable artists of the twentieth century, his Byzantine Catholic upbringing, and its profound impact on his life and work, remains a lesser known facet of his career,” the exhibition’s curators write. Around 100 pieces – including paintings, films, photographs and personal items – are on display in the exhibition, which opens on Friday and is scheduled to run until June 19, 2022. Among the highlights is Warhol’s pink-tinted version of Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper”. Warhol was born Andrew Warhola into a Pittsburgh family that emigrated from what is now Slovakia. His Catholic mother Julia, who later moved with him to New York, had a great influence on her son’s life and work. The Brooklyn Museum, which opened in 1887, is New York’s second-largest exhibition space and houses natural science and ethnological collections, as well as design and art of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Andy Warhol in 1971: A new Brooklyn Museum show is exploring the artist’s deep connection to the Catholic faith. Lothar Parschauer/dpa “Ten Punching Bags” by Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat is among the works on display at a Brooklyn Museum show exploring Warhol’s deep connection to the Catholic faith. Christina Horsten/dpa View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed President Joe Biden’s $1.75 trillion social policy and climate package, sending it back to the Senate where it is likely to be modified further. Here is what the latest version contains, according to the White House: FAMILY BENEFITS – Free preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds – Support for childcare costs: Families that earn less than $300,000 a year would pay no more than 7% of their income on childcare – Tax credits worth up to $300 a child per month – Bolsters coverage of home-care costs for the elderly and disabled through the Medicaid health program – Expands free school meals and provides $65 a month in grocery money during summer months for 29 million low-income children who are eligible for free lunches at school CLIMATE – Rebates and credits to cut the cost of rooftop solar systems by 30% and American-made, union-made electric vehicles by $12,500 – Incentives to encourage U.S. manufacturing of clean energy technology and shift other industries to reduce carbon emissions – Creates a 300,000-strong Civilian Climate Corps to work on environmental and climate projects – Creates a Clean Energy and Sustainability Accelerator to invest in climate-related projects, with at least 40% serving disadvantaged communities – New spending on coastal restoration, forest management and soil conservation HEALTHCARE – Enables the Medicare health plan for seniors to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs that have been on the market for at least nine years – Penalizes drug companies that increase prices faster than inflation – Caps out-of-pocket prescription drug prices at $2,000 a year and lowers insulin prices to $35 a month – Expands Medicare to cover hearing aids – Reduces Affordable Care Act premiums by an average of $600 per person a year – Expands Medicaid coverage to low-income people in the 12 states that have opted not to expand the program on their own HOUSING – Expands affordable housing, public housing and rental assistance programs – Broadens down-payment assistance to bolster home ownership – Expands lead-paint removal efforts – Supports community-led redevelopment in low-income neighborhoods – Encourages local governments to ease zoning restrictions that limit housing density EDUCATION – Increases Pell Grants for college costs – More aid for historically Black colleges and other minority-serving schools – Boosts the Labor Department’s job-training programs by 50% IMMIGRATION – $100 billion in “immigration reform,” which is additional funding beyond the $1.75 trillion – Efforts to reduce backlogs, expand legal services and improve border processing and asylum programs OTHER PROGRAMS – Expands a tax credit for low-income workers to cover those who do not have children – More money for rural projects – Supports community violence intervention TAXES – 15% minimum tax on corporate profits for companies with more than $1 billion in profits – 1% surcharge on stock buybacks – 15% minimum tax on foreign profits of U.S. corporations – 5% surtax on personal income above $10 million – additional 3% surtax on income above $25 million – close loophole to prevent wealthy from avoiding 3.8% Medicare tax – bolster the Internal Revenue Service to improve customer service and focus enforcement on wealthy tax evaders – expands a deduction for state and local taxes that primarily benefits upper-income households in high-tax states. Republicans reduced that benefit in their 2017 tax-cut package. (Reporting by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis and Peter Cooney) View the full article

Published by Reuters BETHESDA, Md. (Reuters) – President Joe Biden will transfer power to Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday for the period during which he will be under anesthesia for a routine colonoscopy he will undergo as part of his annual physical, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing by Katharine Jackson) View the full article

Biden General Motors visit leverages the president’s love of cars to promote Hummer EVs and Electric Vehicles in general. [This post contains video, click to play] Published by Reuters By Jeff Mason and Jarrett Renshaw DETROIT (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden climbed behind the wheel of an electric Hummer SUV on Wednesday and sped off with a screeching of tires, in a test drive to tout billions of dollars in electric vehicle investment. “Anyone want to jump in the back, or on the roof?” Biden asked reporters after taking a few laps at a General Motors plant. “These suckers are something else!” The test drive, at a General Motors Co electric vehicle assembly plant in Detroit, the largest city in Michigan, was part of a nationwide White House tour promoting the $1 trillion infrastructure bill Biden, a Democrat, signed into law on Monday. The law provides $7.5 billion in funding to build out the nation’s electric vehicle charging network, investments the industry says will inspire more Americans to buy electric vehicles, and manufacturers to produce them. Electric vehicle sales accounted for just 1.8% of the U.S. new vehicle market in 2020. In Detroit, Biden lavished praise on Detroit’s Big Three automakers, especially GM, for embracing EVs. “In the auto industry, Detroit’s leading the world in electric vehicles,” Biden said. He did not mention Tesla Inc, the U.S. automaker that accounts for nearly 80% of U.S. EV sales but is not unionized. “You know, up until now, China has been leading in this race,” Biden said, speaking about EV manufacturing. “That’s about to change” because of infrastructure law, he said. Biden’s approval ratings have dropped as inflation increases, and Democrats are promoting the bi-partisan bill as proof the party can deliver in a divided America. Michigan is a key political battleground state in U.S. elections. NEXT UP, THOUSANDS IN EV TAX CREDITS Biden also touted his proposed $2 trillion social safety net spending plan being debated in Washington.The bill contains up to $12,500 in tax credits for U.S.-made EVs, including a $4,500 credit for union-made vehicles. The bill is a key pillar of Biden’s domestic agenda but progressive and moderate lawmakers in his party have not yet agreed on what exactly should be in it. Biden stressed Wednesday the “Build Back Better” bill would be paid for by increasing taxes on corporations, turning to GM CEO Mary Barra to make his point that big companies are not paying as much as they should. “Guess what? They ain’t paying enough,” Biden said. “Sorry Mary.” With Americans jittery over inflation and the prospect of a shortage of goods during the holiday season, Biden said he had been assured by executives of Wal-Mart and Target that they would have plenty of items to buy despite supply-chain woes. “Their inventories are up and they’ll have all the toys, food and other items that shoppers are looking for in the holiday season. That’s going to happen,” he said. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Additional reporting by David Shepardson; Writing by Steve Holland; Editing by Mary Milliken, Stephen Coates, Karishma Singh, Heather Timmons and Lincoln Feast.) Biden General Motors Hummer EV on Towleroad Tennis-WTA threatens to pull tournaments out of China over Peng More US authorizes Covid boosters for all over 18s More Majority of U.S. House votes for Biden’s $1.75 trillion bill; voting continues More Drag, Comedy and Theater Keep Gay Travelers Laughing In Key West More Moon lighting: partial lunar eclipse to be longest since 1440 More Meet The Queen Frontman Few Came To Know In Psychologically Thrilling Documentary ‘Freddie Mercury: Inside His Mind’ More Madonna Is Still ‘Hellbent’ On ‘Righting The Wrongs’ Of Britney Spears’ Conservatorship After Judge Officially Frees Singer More U.S. to allow texting to new ‘988’ suicide prevention hotline More U.S. House could vote on ‘Build Back Better’ Thursday -Pelosi More Matt Gaetz May Hire Kyle Rittenhouse As Congressional Intern, Republican Politician Thinks Accused Murderer Is ‘Not Guilty’ More Antibody protection after mild COVID-19 may not last; an estimated 100 million people have had long COVID More Load More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Tony Munroe BEIJING (Reuters) – An outcry over the whereabouts of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai escalated on Friday as the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) said it was prepared to pull its tournaments out of China over the issue, prompting an influential Chinese state media editor to criticise the organisation for using a “coercive tone”. Former doubles world number one Peng has not been seen or heard from publicly since she said on Chinese social media on Nov. 2 that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli coerced her into sex and they later had an on-off consensual relationship. Neither Zhang or the Chinese government have commented on her allegation. Peng’s social media post was quickly deleted and the topic has been blocked from discussion on China’s heavily censored internet. Concern among the global tennis community and beyond has grown over Peng’s safety and whereabouts since her allegation, with the WTA calling for an investigation. Some of the world’s top tennis players, including Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, as well as the German Olympic Committee, have tweeted #WhereIsPengShuai. The issue has also emerged as China prepares to host the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February amid calls from global rights groups and others for a boycott over its human rights record. The International Olympic Committee has declined to comment on Peng’s matter, saying it believed “quiet diplomacy” offered the best opportunity for a solution. Liz Throssell, a U.N. human rights spokesperson, called for proof of her whereabouts and wellbeing as well as a transparent investigation into her allegations. WTA Chief Executive Steve Simon told various U.S. media outlets on Thursday the tour would consider pulling tournaments worth tens of millions of dollars out of China. “We’re definitely willing to pull our business and deal with all the complications that come with it,” he told CNN in an interview. “Because this is certainly, this is bigger than the business. Women need to be respected and not censored.” FOCUS OF EXPANSION Hu Xijin, the editor of the Global Times, responded to Simon’s comments on Friday on Twitter, saying “don’t use a coercive tone when expressing any concern to China. “Perhaps you did it out of goodwill. But you should understand China, including understanding how the system you dislike has promoted the actual rights of the 1.4 billion Chinese,” said Hu, whose newspaper is published by the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily. The WTA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Hu’s tweet. China has been the focus of the WTA’s most aggressive expansion over the last decade and hosted nine tournaments in the 2019 season with a total $30.4 million of prize money on offer. The season-ending WTA Finals had a prize purse of $14 million in 2019 when it was played in Shenzhen for the first time. The Finals were cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and moved this year to Guadalajara, Mexico, but the WTA has said it will return to Shenzhen from 2022 until 2030. Streaming platform iQiyi is the WTA’s digital rights partner in China, signing a 10-year deal reportedly worth $120 million. The deal commenced in 2017. HEAVILY CENSORED IN CHINA The hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai has so far racked up over 32 million mentions on Facebook’s Instagram and Twitter, according to hashtag analysis website BrandMentions. Both platforms are blocked in China. In contrast, the topic remains heavily censored in China’s tightly controlled cyberspace. As of Friday, searches for the WTA’s official account on China’s Twitter-like Weibo platform yielded no results although its account remained available. Peng’s name on Weibo also continues to show no search results. Peng had not been seen or heard from since her post until Wednesday, when the WTA’s Simon said he had received an email purporting to be from Peng and denying the allegations of sexual assault, which he cast doubt over. A Chinese state media outlet also released the letter on Twitter. Hu, who has a uniquely high profile in China’s tightly controlled state media, weighed in on the scandal on Twitter earlier on Friday, saying he does not believe she has been the target of retribution. “As a person who is familiar with Chinese system, I don’t believe Peng Shuai has received retaliation and repression speculated by foreign media for the thing people talked about,” he said on Twitter. He did not make any similar comment on his official account on Weibo. (Reporting by Tony Munroe in Beijing and Nick Mulvenney in Sydney; Additional reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Kim Coghill and Alex Richardson) View the full article

Published by AFP Covid-19 booster shots were previously available in the United States to the immune compromised, over 65s, people at high risk of severe disease and in high risk occupations Washington (AFP) – The United States authorized the Pfizer and Moderna Covid vaccine boosters to all people aged 18 and older on Friday, as the world’s hardest-hit country enters a new winter wave of the pandemic. Boosters were previously available to the immune compromised, over 65s, people at high risk of severe disease and people in high risk occupations. The new decision “helps to provide continued protection against Covid-19, including the serious consequences that can occur, such as hospitalization and death,” said acting FDA commissioner Janet Woodcock in a statement. “This emergency use authorization comes at a critical time as we enter the winter months and face increasing Covid-19 case counts and hospitalizations across the country,” added Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel. The FDA said it based its decision on strong immune response data from hundreds of people dosed with the two vaccines. Pfizer also carried out a clinical trial involving 10,000 people aged over 16 which found that the booster showed an efficacy against symptomatic infection of more than 95 percent compared to those who did not receive a booster. This study was not cited by the FDA in making its decision, but it could nevertheless indicate the Pfizer vaccine works best as a three-dose shot — or that the three-week time interval between first and second dose was never long enough to induce the best immune response. Both vaccines are available to people six months after completing their primary series. Pfizer’s vaccine is dosed at 30 micrograms, the same as the primary series, while Moderna’s is 50 micrograms, half the primary series. People who received the Johnson & Johnson one dose vaccine were already eligible for a booster two months after their first shot. The booster decision comes as cases are rapidly rising nationally, reaching 88,000 new infections per day on average as the country enters its fifth wave, according to the latest data. Misgivings – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will hold a meeting later Friday to discuss clinical recommendations for who should now seek a vaccine. The meeting should provide greater insight into the thinking of top federal advisors, some of whom have expressed misgivings about a “booster bonanza.” The vast majority of those people becoming hospitalized or dying with Covid are unvaccinated, and thus the best way to control the winter wave would be to reach those people, rather than topping up the vaccinated, the critics say. A potential downside, they argue, is that vaccine holdouts might conclude the shots are ineffective. Another risk is a greater number of cases of vaccine-linked heart inflammation (myocarditis), especially among younger males. Both companies are conducting post authorization studies to assess the risks of myocarditis. Experts are in broad agreement that boosters alone can’t resolve the pandemic while the poorest countries, especially in Africa, remain stuck in the single digit percentages for people covered by their primary vaccination series. Last week, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus decried the fact that rich countries are administering six times more vaccine doses everyday than low-income countries are delivering primary doses. This increases the risk of new variants of concern emerging in those regions, which could eventually evade the protective action of current vaccines. View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A majority of the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of President Joe Biden’s $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act on Friday morning, as voting continued on the bill. (Reporting by Moira Warburton in Washington) View the full article

Randy Roberts as Better Midler at LaTeDa in Key West. Despite the draw of a vacation spent entirely in the buff, there are plenty of good reasons to throw on a pair of shorts and hit the town in Key West. The island paradise and must-visit gay travel destination boasts lively nightlife and topnotch restaurants, but look a little closer and find a thriving artistic community highlighted by one of the queer community’s greatest strengths: humor. After a day soaking up the sunshine and a dinner date at any of Key West’s mouth-watering restaurants, nothing washes down dessert better than a show. Queer travelers looking for a gut-busting evening of entertainment have no shortage of options on the island, from live theater to drag shows and stand-up comedy. True to the spirit of the island, the Key West sense of humor is eclectic and not afraid to get naughty. When that permissive atmosphere meets the talent of the community, magic happens nearly nightly. We spoke with some of Key West’s favorite LGBTQ writers and performers about what makes the local scene so special and where to find a few laughs on your next visit. Randy Roberts captivates as Cher at LaTeDa in Key West.You Better Believe On a Thursday evening in Key West earlier this fall, a rowdy room is screaming along to a live performance of “Believe,” by Cher. There’s a married straight couple, traveling with siblings, a table packed with gay friends having a guys night out, two young nurses and more, all enthralled by what they’re witnessing. The diva’s perfect pucker, her long, raven hair, that unmistakable voice. It’s not Cher on stage, of course, but it hardly matters. Instead, the audience is en rapt by yet another performance from legendary showman, Randy Roberts. Alongside fellow celebrity impersonator Christopher Peterson, Roberts reigns over the cabaret theater of LaTeDa on Duval Street. He wows crowds with his Bette Midler, Mae West and, of course, Cher. “Cher has become a rock concert,” he tells me one morning over a post-workout smoothie beside the Island House pool. “Cher brings them in, but Randy brings them back.” He’s right. The makeup is incredible, he nails all the signature mannerisms and the actual live singing makes the chic cabaret theater feel like an arena. But that’s not what makes it such a delightful evening. Randy shines just as brightly when he drops the impersonations, whether that’s showing off his vocal chops outside the diva canon or in all the playful banter between numbers. As Bette or Cher or Randy, there’s not a moment where Roberts’ command of the stage isn’t on display. He’s particularly adept at needling a few of the straight audience members. “My show is 80-90 percent straight most nights,” he said. “They bring their kids and their grandparents and everybody.” It’s another perfect example of the island’s One Human Family ethos. Key West prides itself on its ability to invite visitors to “come as you are” and leave their inhibitions at home. It’s easy to let go when you’re in paradise, but there’s more to the island’s allure than climate. Key West drag superstar Epiphany onstage at Aqua. Key West’s Duval Street Is Dense with Drag “Drag sort of created what we see as modern Key West,” said Epiphany, a performer at Aqua on Duval Street. “People came down here in the ’70s and ’80s to escape — similar to Fire Island, they went to the farthest place they can go to be themselves.” Unlike many cities, drag isn’t relegated to a gay neighborhood. (The entire island could be considered a gayborhood.) Instead, the main drag clubs are all prominently located smack on Duval Street, one of Key West’s leading tourist destinations for shopping, dining and entertainment. Aqua is just a short walk from LaTeDa, where Randy performs. At Aqua, the gals lip sync to pop hits that delight the crowd. Between the two venues there’s also 801 Bourbon Bar, home to the 801 Girls led by the world-famous Sushi. Their proximity makes a “drag crawl” (or, let’s be honest, a drag stumble) easily achievable in an evening. Or, if you’re more of a morning person, there are drag brunches around the island. “There are drag shows for all different audiences,” Epiphany said. “It’s amazing we can live on this island that’s 2-miles-by-4-miles and have that.” Key West resident and writer Hy Conrad. Key West’s History of Humor Long before today’s queens were teetering on heels along Duval Street, Key West was a haven for all kinds of artists. Roberts is quick to rattle off writers that have lived on or have some connection to the island: Tennessee Williams, Ernest Hemingway, Truman Capote, Nancy Friday, Judy Bloom, the list goes on. “Artists in Key West have always been important,” Roberts “I don’t know if it’s the location in the world, I don’t know about the spiritual aspect of it, but they’re drawn here.” One such artist is writer Hy Conrad, best known as a writer and co-executive producer on Monk as well as work on White Collar and The Good Cop. Conrad was inspired to move to the island with his husband after visiting with comedy legend Steve Martin and being impressed with the theater community. “The last thing we wanted was to find a place that felt very middle class and ordinary and people just gave up,” Conrad said. “A place where people just make a living and not trying to get the most out of their lives.” Conrad certainly isn’t slowing down. Now, he’s getting ready for the opening of his latest play, “Quarantine for Two” at Key West’s Red Barn Theatre in February. The mystery-comedy is not only in Conrad’s wheelhouse, but he thinks it’s a great fit for the island’s sensibilities. “Key West audiences are more discerning than the usual small-town audience, but they still like the popular things,” he said. “People like musicals, they like comedies.” There’s more theater to be found at the Waterfront Playhouse, located in Mallory Square, as well as the Fringe Theater Key West, which changes locations for different productions. Both theaters have shows (musicals, comedies and more) announced for 2022. As for what makes the theater community so unique, Conrad says it all comes down to the people. “I think because it has a very community feel, there are a lot of smart people here,” Conrad said. “Rob Reiner once described Hollywood as ‘high school with money,’ and I’ve always thought Key West was like junior high with an open bar.” Key West comedian Gwen Filosa. Photo by Ralph DePalma. A Key West Comedic Perspective If anyone can speak to what makes Key West so rife for humor, it’s comedian Gwen Filosa. “Kest West can be a goldmine of material,” she said. “It can be a really wacky place.” Life on the island is just one source of inspiration for Filosa’s material, which she regularly performs at Comedy Key West. She gleefully cops to working blue (an industry term for more adult humor), and doesn’t shy away from material about her experience as a queer person. “I feel really welcomed by the crowd,” she said. “It’s a very accepting place.” That extends beyond sexuality. The same welcoming atmosphere that invites visitors to shed their inhibitions (and swimsuits) also helps unlock creative potential, generating an island full of artists. “For a small town, Key West is like an art colony,” she said. “If you live here long enough, everyone seems to become a photographer.” She’s kidding, of course. Not everyone becomes a photographer. They also become burlesque performers, chefs or any number of artistic pursuits — even comedians, like Filosa. Before coming to Key West, pursuing stand-up was just a dream for the Indiana native. By linking up with the supportive community at the burgeoning Comedy Key West, Filosa went from open mics to steadily performing at the venue weekly. Now, her credits include performances at the Key West Theater, the San Carlos Institute and the Greenwich Village Comedy Club in New York City. “Key West almost has a magical quality about opening doors,” she said. “You can be what you want to be here.” That also includes just being an appreciative audience member. Comedy Key West and the local drag bars have lots of shows every week, while tickets for theater productions at the Red Barn Theater, the Waterfront Playhouse and Fringe Theater Key West are available online. Plan your next gaycation to Key West. View the full article

Published by AFP Moon lighting: sky-watchers are preparing for the longest lunar eclipse in almost 600 years Los Angeles (AFP) – The longest partial lunar eclipse in nearly 600 years, which will bathe the Moon in red, will be visible Thursday and Friday for a big slice of humanity. The celestial show will see the Moon almost completely cast in shadow as it moves behind the Earth, reddening 99 percent of its face. The spectacle will be visible for all of North America, as well as parts of South America, Polynesia, Australia and northeast Asia. Space scientists say sky-watchers in those parts who are blessed with a cloud-free view will see a slight dimming of the Moon from 0602 GMT Friday as it enters Earth’s penumbra — the outer shadow. An hour later it will appear as if someone has taken a giant bite out of the lunar disc as it starts to pass into the umbra — the full shadow. By 0845 GMT the Moon will appear red, with the most vivid coloring visible at peak eclipse 18 minutes later. The whole process then goes into reverse as the Moon slithers out of shadow and carries on its endless journey around our planet. The dramatic red is caused by a phenomenon known as “Rayleigh scattering”, where the shorter blue lightwaves from the Sun are dispersed by particles in the Earth’s atmosphere. Red lightwaves, which are longer, pass easily through these particles. “The more dust or clouds in Earth’s atmosphere during the eclipse, the redder the Moon will appear,” a NASA website explains. “It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon.” From the moment the eclipse proper begins — when the Moon enters the Earth’s shadow — to when it ends will take more than three hours and 28 minutes. That is the longest partial eclipse since 1440 — around the time Johannes Gutenberg invented his printing press — and won’t be beaten until the far-off future of 2669. The good news for Moonwatchers, however, is that they won’t have to wait that long for another show — there will be a longer total lunar eclipse on November 8 next year, NASA says. And even better news for anyone wanting to watch is that no special equipment is necessary, unlike for solar eclipses. Binoculars, telescopes or the naked eye will give a decent view of the spectacle — as long as the weather here on Earth plays ball. View the full article