RadioRob

=Buck Slip8 Dead, Many injured in Stampede Ending Travis Scott’s Astroworld FestivalPolice open a criminal probe of the ‘mass casualty event’ as medics find evidence of needle mark on neck of security who said he felt it as stampede started and was later was revived with NARCAN, the opiate antidote. Festival limited to 50,000 attendees though venue has had 200,000. Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival 2019 Photo by Alexander Londoño Published by Reuters By Erwin Seba HOUSTON (Reuters) -A crush of fans pushing toward the stage during rap star Travis Scott’s Astroworld music festival in Houston killed at least eight people and injured dozens more as panic rippled through the crowd of largely young concertgoers, officials said on Saturday. City Police Chief Troy Finner said his department has opened a criminal investigation by homicide and narcotics detectives following unconfirmed reports that someone in the audience “was injecting other people with drugs.” The disaster unfolded at NRG Park at around 9:30 p.m. on Friday during the headline performance by Scott, a Grammy-nominated singer and producer, following what police and members of the crowd described as an escalation of unruly behavior. As some in the sold-out audience of about 50,000 surged toward the stage, people began to fall unconscious https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/travis-scotts-astroworld-concert-pauses-then-restarts-amid-deaths-injuries-2021-11-06, some apparently suffering cardiac arrest or other medical issues, officials told reporters outside the venue. Minutes later the chaos was declared a “mass casualty incident.” “It happened all at once. It seemed like it just happened … over the course of just a few minutes,” said Houston Police Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite, who was at the front of the event when the situation began. Satterwhite said he immediately met with promoters and they agreed to halt the show. Officials said the concert was brought to an end by 10:10 p.m. Finner said that among the “narratives” under review by police were reports suggesting “some individual was injecting other people with drugs.” One report involved a security officer “who felt a prick in his neck” as he was trying to restrain or grab someone and then fell unconscious, only to be revived with a dose of the opioid antidote NARCAN, Finner said, citing an account from medical personnel who treated the officer. Finner said the medical staff also noticed what appeared to be a needle mark on the officer’s neck. It was not clear whether authorities suspected such an episode played a role in the crowd surge, but Finner said, “we’re going to get down to the bottom of it.” City Fire Chief Samuel Peña said it appeared the venue had ample exit routes for fans and that none was obstructed. Twenty-five people were taken to hospitals by ambulance after the crush began, some of them in cardiac arrest, with 13 still hospitalized on Saturday – five under age 18 – following the discharge of four patients, Mayor Sylvester Turner told reporters. Eight people died. Most ranged in age from 14 to 27, though one victim’s age was not immediately known, Turner said. ‘IT FELT LIKE A RIOT’ After mobbing entrance gates and merchandise booths early in the day, the crowd grew increasingly unruly https://www.reuters.com/world/us/countdown-clock-choke-points-led-chaos-houston-rap-concert-2021-11-06 as performers took the stage, according to 19-year-old festival goer Hamad Al Barrak. “There were just too many people,’ said Al Barrak, who described chaos as he tried to buy festival gear. “We were all pressed together. You felt like you couldn’t breathe.” Albert Merza, 43, part of a group of eight people from Detroit attending the festival, recounted seeing “a lot of drinking and crazy behavior.” “It felt like a riot,” he said, adding that it appeared about half the crowd were under age 21. “There were people throwing out stuff, objects flying everywhere.” Nick Johnson, 17, said he witnessed a steady rise of disruptive behavior before the stampede. “It was going on for over two hours, and it just got worse and worse,” he said. An incident earlier in the day in which fans started “rushing” the festival gates was brought under control relatively quickly, said Finner, the police chief, adding it appeared unrelated to the deadly stampede later. Finner said police had 528 officers assigned to the festival on Friday, along with 755 private security personnel. Peña said the venue could theoretically have held up to 200,000 but that organizers limited the crowd to 50,000, and that number seemed accurate based on ticket sales. Houston-born Scott said he was “absolutely devastated” and vowed to support the police as they investigate.” “My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted,” Scott wrote https://twitter.com/trvisXX/status/1457018948109705217 on Twitter. “Love You All.” Peña described how the crush of fans quickly overwhelmed the private medical personnel for the festival, a two-day affair that was scheduled to culminate on Saturday https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/deadly-texas-concert-crush-who-is-travis-scott-what-is-astroworld-2021-11-06, but was canceled after Friday night’s tragedy. Videos posted to social media showed a chaotic scene as fans and staff tried to bring attention to injured concertgoers. One video showed fans attempting to make camera operators aware of the dangerous situation. A separate video showed people waving toward the stage and chanting “Stop the show!” The investigation is likely to focus on security and safety protocols. Two weeks ago, another Houston concert was canceled after fans pushed into a Playboi Carti show being held within the same NRG Park complex. Jennifer Ortega, 22, who arrived at Friday’s event at about 1 p.m. said access was orderly at that time. But by 4 p.m. the crowd at the smaller of the festival’s two stages “got pretty reckless,” with people throwing water bottles. She said she saw about three people leaving the area with bloody noses and missing teeth. Organizers said they were cooperating with police. “We are focused on supporting local officials however we can,” Astroworld Fest, an event organized by Live Nation Entertainment, said on Twitter. FANS IN DISTRESS Scott stopped multiple times during his 75-minute performance when he spotted fans in distress near the stage and asked security to ensure their safety, video posted online showed. Emergency vehicles, lights and alarms flashing, cut through the audience several times. “We need somebody to help. Somebody passed out right here,” Scott said, according to video of his set, which included a guest appearance by Canadian rapper Drake. “Security, somebody, jump in here real quick.” Another video clip showed police performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on several people even as music blared in the background. The tragedy harkens back to a 1979 concert by British rock band The Who in which 11 people were killed when fans stampeded into the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati before the event. (Factbox: Some of the world’s worst stampedes https://www.reuters.com/world/some-worlds-worst-stampedes-2021-11-06) Scott, who came to fame in the early 2010s for his unique vocal style has a daughter with Kylie Jenner from the famed Kardashian family. Astroworld is also the name of his third studio album released in 2018 to critical acclaim. (Reporting by Erwin Seba and Gary McWilliams in Houston; Rich McKay in Atlanta; Bhargav Acharya and Sabahatjahan Contractor in Bengaluru; Timothy Gardener and Pete Schroeder in Washington; Nathan Layne in Kenosha, Wisconsin; Writing by Frank McGurty, Nathan Layne and Steve Gorman; Editing by Giles Elgood, Frances Kerry and Daniel Wallis) Astroworld 2019 Photo by Alexander Londoño Astroworld Travis Scott Concert on Towleroad Lil Nas X’s ‘Montero’ Goes Kidz Bop; Mastodon Apologizes For Gay Slur; DaBaby Back With Rolling Loud; Boosie Stays Homophobic: Music Roundup More Chloé Zhao has ‘kept tabs’ on Harry Styles since Dunkirk More Idris Elba thinks Luther can hit James Bond levels More Daniel Craig’s final act as James Bond planned for 15 years More Biden backs payment to families separated at border under Trump More ‘Finally, infrastructure week!’ Biden says, cheering $1 trillion bill More U.S. federal appeals court issues stay on Biden’s vaccine rule for U.S. companies More Hollywood Heiresses! Paris Jackson, Rooney Mara, Billie Lourd & More Celebs Who Inherited Their Family Fortunes More U.S. Democrats pass $1 trln infrastructure bill, ending daylong standoff More US Navy names ship after assassinated gay rights campaigner More Protestors Say Joe Manchin Tried To Hit Them With His Luxury Car As Votes On Key Biden Bills Stall More Load More View the full article

Lil Nas XLil Nas X Goes Kidz Bop Lil Nas X’s statement piece “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” reigned so long atop the pop charts that it only made sense that Kidz Bop, the long-running music series that covers pop music for child audiences, would add it to its collection. But the reworked version of the song has drawn some criticism from Lil Nas X fans for stripping out references to LGBTQ identities. The cover expectedly removes references to drugs and sexual acts in the song, but lyrics that center its voice as queer ( and even some that don’t) have also been reworked. The Kidz Bop version removes the word “boy” from the line “You live in the dark, boy, I cannot pretend” and changes biblical references to Eve and the Garden of Eden to, as one commenter put it, “degayify” the song. According to XXL, Madison referred to Boosie’s multiple claims that he arranged for a “grown woman” to perform oral sex on his underage son. Charlamagne joined with Madison, saying no street rapper or anyone else has the right to label Lil Nas X as a threat to children whenever so many other topics popularized in hip-hop have had adverse effects on children as well. He included “violence towards people, selling celebration of drugs, using or selling” as examples. Boosie responded via Twitter reply, though he replied to tweet celebrating the anniversary of the film “Paid In Full” rather than any of Charlamagne’s tweets. “They still got my name [in] they mouth bout that gay shit LOL,” Boosie wrote. “[Charlamagne] U part of the problem keep egging these people on your show with this bro. U using your platform to support Nas X [and] his antics (I see what side U on) He said fuck y’all kids SMH dummies.” Charlamagne responded to Boosie on Wednesday’s edition “The Breakfast Club,” saying “I’m not on no side. I’m on the side of Blackness.” Montero: Previously on Towleroad Lil Nas X’s ‘Montero’ Goes Kidz Bop; Mastodon Apologizes For Gay Slur; DaBaby Back With Rolling Loud; Boosie Stays Homophobic: Music Roundup Brian Bell November 6, 2021 Read More Dolly Parton Hits the Humble, Generous High Notes: ‘Honored And Flattered’ Lil Nas X Covers ‘Jolene,’ Says It’s ‘Really, Really Good’ Towleroad September 30, 2021 Read More First of R. Kelly Male Victims Testifies; Was 17 When Singer Asked What He ‘Was Willing to do for Music’; Filmed Acts; Told To Call Him ‘Daddy’ Towleroad September 1, 2021 Read More Lil Nas X New Relationship is Under Wraps; Had ‘Good Boyfriends and Some Bad Ones’; This is ‘Someone Special ‘. It’s ‘effortless’ Towleroad August 25, 2021 Read More Cardi B and Lizzo Together Tweak More White Supremacists and Fat Shamers Than Usual. Get Right With ‘Rumors’; Let Them ‘be great’, Offset Urges Towleroad August 24, 2021 Read More Britney Spears Topless Photos Are Being Posted By the Singer Herself. She Says It’s Strong, Not Sleazy and Reveals Rationale Michael Goff August 18, 2021 Read More Screenshot from YouTube View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English ‘Eternals’ director Chloé Zhao says she has “kept tabs” on Harry Styles since ‘Dunkirk’. Chloe admitted that Harry and Eros were very much a “package deal” and she only wanted to introduce the character to her movie if he was portrayed by Harry. She told Deadline: “Harry as Eros was very much a package deal for me. I pitched the idea of Pip the Troll [voiced by Patton Oswald in Eternals] and Eros to Kevin [Feige, Marvel Studios President] a while back, and I love the idea of exploring an Eternal who is beyond Titan and who may have influenced Thanos throughout the years the same way Eternals influenced us, earthlings. “And then, it wasn’t like I suggested Eros, and let’s go find actors. I kept tabs on Harry since Dunkirk, I thought he was very interesting. After meeting him I saw he is that character—the same way I cast the rest of my cast. There’s so much of Eros in him. For me, if he says yes, and Kevin says yes, then it’s a go. And I’m very happy they both did.” Harry appears in a post-credits scene alongside Patton, in which their characters meet up with Thena (Angelina Jolie), Druig (Barry Keoghan), and Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), who are left confused and need assistance after Arishem the Judge (David Kaye) takes Sersi (Gemma Chan), Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani), and Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry). And Richard Madden, who plays Ikaris, admitted he is excited to see how their characters fit into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He said: “It’s all still a mystery. I want to know more about that little goblin that popped up. Who is that guy?” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Idris Elba thinks ‘Luther’ can be on the level of a James Bond film. The 49-year-old actor is set to reprise the role of DCI John Luther in a Netflix movie based on the hit BBC detective drama, and he thinks they can keep fans of the TV show happy while taking the story and characters “into a new sphere”. He told Collider: “‘Luther’ – we have an incredible appetite to satisfy the audience that love Luther in its current form as a TV show, but also bring it into a new sphere with the film version. “I don’t wanna be controversial, but people imagine me as Bond, and that’s great, but I can’t wait to see them, as Luther, in this movie. Really, our ambition is to take it there.” Before the ‘Luther’ film, Elba features in Netflix’s new all-Black Western ‘The Harder They Fall’, and while he wasn’t surprised by the quality of the film, he was delighted with the timing and response to the release. He said: “We expected this, you know? I can say this to [writer and director Jeymes Samuel] and all of us – we didn’t expect it to hit in the way it has. This film has been brewing for a long time, but the climate of where the world is, and the appetite for something like this, we could not have written. “It’s Black History Month in the UK, and here you have a Western with Black characters that people don’t even know about and forgot about. It hit so hard here. “We couldn’t have expected that but everything that he envisioned, from the first time when he’s telling you about a scene, takes his guitar and starts singing the score. We expected it to be what it is.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Daniel Craig says his final act as James Bond was planned since he joined the franchise. The 53-year-old actor told producers when he took on the role in 2005 that he “would like to be killed off when I am finished” and the final twist of ‘No Time To Die’ was kept a closely guarded secret. Speaking to the authors of Taschen’s ‘James Bond Archives: No Time To Die’, Daniel explained: “When I started as Bond on Casino Royale, one of the early discussions I had with Barbara [Broccolli] and Michael [G. Wilson] was that I would like to be killed off when I am finished.” And ‘No Time To Die’s ending was only kept a secret by handing out fake copies of the script to the crew, which showed Bond emerging from the rubble and receiving a knighthood. Gregg Wilson, the associate producer of the film, explained: “This is the first time we have had to keep elements of the story a secret.” Producers Barbara Broccolli and Michael G Wilson, also admitted that they had discussed the idea of Bond having a daughter in 2015’s ‘Spectre’, but decided against it as he was “too old to have some repartee”. Meanwhile, Daniel recently insisted that, unlike Bond, he is a homebody who prefers to be at his house with his wife Rachel Weisz and their daughter. He said: “I would just rather keep myself to myself and my home, with my wife and family. I don’t venture out a great deal and I will choose places that I want to go to carefully. It’s not that I don’t like fans or appreciate how passionate they are about the films and the industry; they are entirely the ones who keep this industry moving; it’s just that I choose not to be the person who courts publicity or has loads of celebrity friends and is always out for the paparazzi to shoot me in particular hot spots. “I prefer to keep the close friends that I have and have had for some time. We all have jobs and mine just happens to be one where people know where I am, and I have a very public image.” View the full article

Published by AFP US President Joe Biden speaks at the White House after Congress passes his $1.2 infrastructure package Washington (AFP) – US President Joe Biden said Saturday he supported compensation for families of immigrants separated from their children at the Mexican border under the “zero tolerance” policy of Donald Trump. “If, in fact, because of the outrageous behavior of the last administration you, coming across the border, whether it was legal or illegal, and you lost your child — you lost your child, it’s gone! — you deserve some kind of compensation, no matter what the circumstance. “What that will be, I have no idea,” he said. Biden was speaking at the White House while taking questions after remarks about the passage Friday of his big infrastructure plan. The US departments of Justice and Homeland Security have been negotiating with affected families who have sued the government, the Wall Street Journal reported in late October. It said payments could run as high as $450,000. Asked about that report on Wednesday, Biden said it was “garbage” — adding, of the $450,000 figure, “That’s not going to happen.” A White House spokesperson, Karine Jean-Pierre, later clarified that while Biden was “perfectly comfortable” with the idea of compensation, “the reported figures are higher than anywhere that a settlement can land.” During his run for president, Biden promised more “humane” immigration policies following Trump’s repeated efforts to crack down on undocumented migrants. Under a “zero tolerance” policy announced in 2018, the Trump administration vowed to step up criminal prosecution of people caught entering the country illegally. But reports soon emerged that immigrant parents were being prosecuted and separated from their children. In all, close to 4,000 migrant children were separated from their families. As of June 2021, more than 2,000 had yet to be reunited with their families. dax/bbk/dw View the full article

Published by Reuters By Steve Holland and Heather Timmons WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A giddy President Joe Biden on Saturday hailed congressional passage of a long-delayed $1 trillion infrastructure bill as a “once in a generation” investment and predicted a broader social safety net plan will be approved despite tense negotiations. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris appeared in the White House State Dining Room about 12 hours after moderate and progressive Democrats in the House of Representative overcame internal bickering and delivered the president his biggest legislative win thus far. “Finally, infrastructure week,” Biden said with a chuckle. “I’m so happy to say that – infrastructure week!” The president’s comment referred to a running joke in recent years after Biden’s Republican predecessor Donald Trump declared https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-week/confluence-of-crises-crashes-trumps-infrastructure-week-idUSKCN1G02M6 “Infrastructure week” in 2018 but was unable to pass a bill after multiple tries during his presidency. The bipartisan bill’s passage gives Biden a jolt of good news https://www.reuters.com/world/us/with-infrastructure-vote-congress-gives-biden-long-needed-jolt-good-news-2021-11-06 after sobering election losses for his Democratic party this week and a drop in his approval ratings. Referring to the losses, Biden said they showed American people “want us to deliver.” “I think the one message that came across was – ‘get something done. It’s time to get something done – stop talking,'” said Biden. The United Steelworkers union welcomed the bill’s passage. “The House has passed the #InfrastructureBill, which would provide roughly $1 trillion for upgrading the nation’s critical infrastructure. This is a big freakin’ deal for us because Steelworkers supply America in so many ways!” the union tweeted. The bill had been caught up for months in bitter fighting between Democrats and the impasse had raised questions about Biden’s effectiveness. With Biden making multiple phone calls to lawmakers urging a compromise, an agreement was worked out late on Friday for the House to vote by Nov. 15 on Biden’s proposed $1.75 trillion Build Back Better social safety net plan. This allowed lawmakers to go forward on the infrastructure bill and it passed with backing from 215 Democrats, and in a move that annoyed the conservative right, 13 Republicans helped provide the margin of victory. A half dozen progressive Democrats voted no. Biden said that in his last-gasp negotiations with Democrats to try to get the bill passed, he urged them, “Let’s be reasonable.” “Last night we proved we can, on one big item, we delivered,” he said of the bill, which includes https://www.reuters.com/world/us/roads-bridges-airports-details-bidens-1-trillion-infrastructure-bill-2021-11-05 tens of billions in investments in road, rail, public transport and broadband. Biden was in an upbeat mood in taking questions from reporters, at one point playfully putting his hands over his eyes to pick out a journalist to call on. He said he will sign the bipartisan bill “soon” in a formal signing ceremony that highlights all the people who worked on it, Democrats and Republicans alike. He plans to visit some ports next week to promote the bill and Americans should see the impacts in coming months, he said, offering Democrats something to campaign on as they try to head off losses in next year’s congressional elections. The infrastructure bill will create “blue collar” jobs modernizing roads and bridges, and transform the transportation system, Biden said. The “vast majority” of the jobs created will not require a college degree, he said. Americans “will see the effects of this bill probably starting within the next two to three months,” he said. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Heather Timmons; editing by Diane Craft and Grant McCool) View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. federal appeals court issued a stay Saturday freezing the Biden administration’s efforts to require workers at U.S. companies with at least 100 employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 or be tested weekly, citing “grave statutory and constitutional” issues with the rule. The ruling from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit comes after numerous Republican-led states filed legal challenges against the new rule, which is set to take effect on Jan 4. (Reporting by Mike Scarcella, writing by Pete Schroeder) View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Born with a silver spoon! These celebs cashed in on piles of dough from their wealthy families. Scroll through the photos below to see which celebrity legacies were born into wealth! Rooney Mara – $3 Billion Mega Football family! Rooney Mara, 36, and her sister Kate, 38, are part of not one, but two sports dynasties. Their dad is the third generation to own a piece of the New York Giants franchise since their great-grandfather Tim Mara founded the team in 1925. Tim paid a mere $500 at the time — and it’s now worth an estimated $500 million! Meanwhile, their mom is descended from Art Rooney, who founded the Pittsburgh Pirates. Never heard of ’em? Well, they’re now the six-time Super Bowl Champs, the Pittsburgh Steelers! Paris Jackson – $1.3 Billion mega Biding her time! King of Pop Michael Jackson reportedly structured his will so that the singer and her two brothers get $8 million a year until they all turn 33. At that point, they’ll each get an equal chunk of half of their dad’s estate. At 40, they’ll split the rest. Still, all the money in the world can’t fill the hole in Paris Jackson’s heart caused by her dad’s 2009 death. “They always say, ‘Time heals,’ ” the 23-year-old mused. “But it really doesn’t. You just get used to it.” PRINCE JACKSON RECALLS TRAUMATIC FIRST TIME HE WATCHED ‘THRILLER’ VIDEO WITH DAD MICHAEL JACKSON Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Billions Mega Well, not exactly. While the Veep alum, 60, has a reported $200 million of her own dough, she’s tried to set the record straight that it is her late father Gérard’s business, a commodities and shipping conglomerate, that is worth billions and not the man. “Whatever I do, people just assume it’s true,” she’s said. “Welcome to the f**in’ Internet.” Billie Lourd – $45+ Million Mega Billie Lourd faced the unthinkable when her mom, Star Wars icon Carrie Fisher and grandmother, Old Hollywood sweetheart Debbie Reynolds, died within a week of each other in 2016. Experts speculate that the 29-year-old inherited the bulk of Carrie’s estate as well as a portion of her grandma’s — which was worth a whopping $85 million! Lourd is philosophical about her loss. “I’ve always kind of lived in their shadows,” the Scream Queens actress said. “And now is the first time in my life when I get to own my life and just stand on my own.” Brooke Shields – $25 Million mega He split when she was just 5 months old, but Frank Shields, an executive at Revlon, did right by the Pretty Baby actress when he passed away in 2003. Brooke Shields, who has been working since she was 11 months old, learned how not to handle her finances from her late mother, Teri. “When I was 20 years into my career, I had made and lost everything twice,” said the 56-year-old of her momager (the two were frequently estranged). “My mom’s perspective was, if I did a movie, we could buy a house, or if I did a job, we could get a car.” BROOKE SHIELDS LISTS RUSTIC LUXE PACIFIC PALISADES PAD FOR $8.2 MILLION — TOUR THE WOODSY RETREAT WITH CHEF’S KITCHEN, MESMERIZING VIEWS Kyra Sedgwick – $16 Million mega Descended from an old New England family, Kyra Sedgwick, 56, was born into a life of privilege — and came into an even bigger fortune when her venture capitalist dad Henry Dwight Sedgwick V died in 2018. That year, The Closer star, wed to Kevin Bacon, remembered her father, who split from her mom when the actress was just 4, as “something of a ’70s swinger. He was handsome and charismatic and had lots of girlfriends.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Susan Cornwell, Makini Brice and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) -After a daylong standoff, Democrats set aside divisions between progressives and centrists to pass a $1 trillion package of highway, broadband and other infrastructure improvement, sending it on to President Joe Biden to sign into law. The 228-to-206 vote is a substantial triumph for Biden’s Democrats, who have bickered for months over the ambitious spending bills that make up the bulk of his domestic agenda. Biden’s administration will now oversee the biggest upgrade of America’s roads, railways and other transportation infrastructure https://www.reuters.com/world/us/roads-bridges-airports-details-bidens-1-trillion-infrastructure-bill-2021-11-05 in a generation, which he has promised will create jobs and boost U.S. competitiveness. Democrats still have much work to do on the second pillar of Biden’s domestic program: a sweeping expansion of the social safety net and programs to fight climate change. At a price tag of $1.75 trillion, that package https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/whats-bidens-175-trillion-build-back-better-package-2021-11-05 would be the biggest expansion of the U.S. safety net since the 1960s, but the party has struggled to unite behind it. Democratic leaders had hoped to pass both bills out of the House on Friday, but postponed action after centrists demanded a nonpartisan accounting of its costs – a process that could take weeks. After hours of closed-door meetings, a group of centrists promised to vote for the bill by Nov. 20 – as long as the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that its costs lined up with White House estimates. The House planned a procedural vote on that package later on Friday. “Welcome to my world. This is the Democratic Party,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters earlier in the day. “We are not a lockstep party.” The standoff came just days after Democrats suffered losses in closely watched state elections, raising concerns that they may lose control of Congress next year. Biden called lawmakers to urge them to pass the transportation package, which has already won approval in the Senate. The infrastructure bill passed with the support of 13 Republicans, fulfilling Biden’s promise of passing some bipartisan legislation. The phrase “infrastructure week” had become a Washington punchline during his predecessor Donald Trump’s four years in the White House, when plans to focus on those investments were repeatedly derailed by scandals. AIM TO MOVE FORWARD The party is eager to show it can move forward on the president’s agenda and fend off challenges in the 2022 midterm elections in which Republicans will seek to regain control of both chambers of Congress, which they lost to the Democrats under Trump. Congress also faces looming Dec. 3 deadlines to avert a politically embarrassing government shutdown and an economically catastrophic default on the federal government’s debt. With razor-thin majorities in Congress and a united Republican opposition, Democrats need unity to pass legislation. The infrastructure bill, which passed the Senate https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-biden-infrastructure-idTRNIL1N2PH1MA in August with 19 Republican votes, would fund a massive upgrade of America’s roads, bridges, airports, seaports and rail systems, while also expanding broadband internet service. The “Build Back Better” package includes provisions on child care and preschool, eldercare, healthcare, prescription drug pricing and immigration. It would bolster the credibility of Biden’s pledge to halve U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 2030 during the U.N. climate conference https://www.reuters.com/business/cop taking place in Glasgow, Scotland. Republicans uniformly oppose that legislation, casting it as a dramatic expansion of government that would hurt businesses. “This is potentially a very black day for America,” said Republican Representative Glenn Grothman, who characterized the legislation’s child-care and preschool provisions as a “Marxist” effort to have the federal government raise children. The nonpartisan U.S. Joint Committee on Taxation estimates the social-spending bill would raise $1.48 trillion in new tax revenue over the next decade, short of its $1.75 trillion cost. Pelosi and other top Democrats have said that fails to account for increased tax enforcement and savings from lower prescription drug prices. (Reporting by David Morgan, Susan Cornwell and Makini Brice, additional reporting by Trevor Hunnitcutt and Alexandra Alper; Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Scott Malone, Will Dunham and Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by AFP Harvey Milk was one of the first openly gay elected politicians in the United States Los Angeles (AFP) – One of the first openly gay politicians in the United States, who was assassinated four decades ago, will have a ship named after him this weekend, as the US military looks to keep step with modern-day social attitudes. The USNS Harvey Milk honours a former navy diver who served at a time there was a ban on homosexuality in the armed forces, and who was later shot dead in San Francisco, months after winning public office. The naming ceremony for the 227-metre (744-foot) refuelling vessel in San Diego on Saturday will be attended by Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro. “Leaders like Harvey Milk taught us that diversity of backgrounds and experiences help contribute to the strength and resolve of our nation,” Del Toro said, according to a Navy press release. “There is no doubt that the future sailors aboard this ship will be inspired by Milk’s life and legacy.” Milk, who was frank about his sexuality after his time in the military, was elected to San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, where he was instrumental in passing laws banning discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. Just months later, in 1978, Milk was shot dead along with mayor George Moscone, by a disgruntled former city supervisor. His killer, Dan White, pleaded diminished responsibility, saying he was suffering from depression and had eaten a lot of sugary foods, in what was dubbed the “Twinkie defense”. White was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to five years in jail, a verdict that sparked outrage, particularly in San Francisco’s gay community. Milk’s murder helped to fix his reputation as a civil rights icon, and he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Navy announced five years ago that it would name a ship after Milk, along with vessels for civil rights leaders including abolitionist Sojourner Truth and suffragist Lucy Stone. This is not the first official tribute to Milk by the United States: in 2014, the US Post Office issued a stamp with his image, where he appeared smiling next to a rainbow flag. Sean Penn won a best actor Oscar for his portrayal of the activist in the 2008 film “Milk”. View the full article

Published by Radar Online A viral video shows protestors swarming the Maserati of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and the protestors claim the congressman tried to mow them down. Manchin has become a focal person in U.S. politics as he holds a key vote for President Joe Biden’s agenda. A video posted on social media shows supports surrounding his luxury car in a Washington D.C. parking garage. To learn more about the incident or to see if you think Manchin tried to hurt the protestors, check out Knewz.com. mega View the full article

Published by Radar Online Actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolieis not holding back, especially regarding human rights issues that she believes in. Her recent movie with Marvel, Eternals, had been barred from several countries in the Middle East over scenes that featured gay characters. The middle east is notoriously known for its stance against the LGBT community. In some of their countries, homosexuality is even punishable by death. The 46-year-old Maleficent star responded to the ban, saying she couldn’t comprehend how people could be “angry” and “threatened” by “the beauty of that relationship” before labeling their actions as “ignorant.” “I’m sad for [those audiences],” Angelina said during a press conference. “And I’m proud of Marvel for refusing to cut those scenes out. I still don’t understand how we live in a world today where there’s still [people who] would not see the family Phastos has and the beauty of that relationship and that love.” She then added, “How anybody is angry about it, threatened by it, doesn’t approve or appreciate it is ignorant.” The movie features Marvel’s first on-screen gay couple superhero, Phastos, played by Brian Tyree Henry, who lives in a home with his husband character Ben, played by Haaz Sleiman. In one of the scenes from the film, Briana and Haaz share a passionate kiss, which also marks Marvel’s first same-sex kiss ever displayed in cinemas. mega After learning about the characters, several countries in the Middle East had demanded the scenes be censored. However, Disney, who owns Marvel studio, denied their request. One cinema franchise in the Gulf country later confirmed they had banned the movie without explanation. AlthoughEternals isn’t the first movie to have experienced such discrimination, the Pixar film, Onward was also barred last year from cinemas in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia over a line that mentioned a lesbian relationship. mega Eternals is a film based on a fictional race of humanoid aliens who are immortal and just came out of hiding for the first time in thousands of years to protect the earth from their enemy, the Deviants. The movie premiered in Los Angeles earlier this month and was directed and co-written by Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao who won Best Director and Best picture for Nomadland in 2020. Jolie with her children at Eternals premieremega View the full article

=Buck SlipWhat Do Real Housewives Dubai Think of Civil, Sharia Punishments for LGBTQ Consensual Sex; Beach PDA; ‘Cross Dressing’ —- Arrest, Deportation, Prison— up to 10-years prison for consensual same-sex intimacy. Sharia also death penalty (rare) – 2005-2016 Arrests every year include: 2 in a relationship; posting cross dressing pics; entrapped by police for sex work; 2 women arrested for PDA at the beach; 13 young men got 5 years in prison for an Abu Dhabi hotel party; Gigi Gorgeous, detained, denied entry at airport . “Our society does not accept queer behavior, either in word or in action….” –Former UAE Minister of Justice – When asked by Forbes about the restrictive human rights laws in Dubai, Cohen’s answer was a worrying variation of blind confidence in the Real Housewives of Dubai ability to change the world just by existing, by “opening hearts…” “While the shows are always entertaining, they also drive the cultural conversation and I hope that it does just that. Since this will be a lot of people’s first look at Dubai, hopefully we can shed light on some of the things that are going on there and maybe with education, we can create and provoke change and interest in making things different.” –Andy Cohen in response to question about Human Rights My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure. Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. — MLK, Notes from BirminghamMy “Nobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them.” ― Assata Shakur, Published by BANG Showbiz English Andy Cohen thinks Lindsay Lohan featuring on ‘The Real Housewives of Dubai’ would be a “good idea”. Bravo announced earlier this week their beloved reality franchise is expanding to the United Arab Emirates and the series’ executive producer would love it if the ‘Freaky Friday’ star – who has lived in the UAE for several years – joined the cast. In an appearance on ‘The Talk’, co-host Jerry O’Connell suggested to his guest: “Lindsay Lohan lives in Dubai, a Real Housewife potential, maybe Andy?” ‘The Watch What Happens Live’ star replied: “Let me tell you something. It’s a good idea, Jerry.” However, earlier this week sources insisted Lindsay hadn’t even been considered for the series. Andy teased there will be an “outstanding group of friends” leading the cast of the new show. He said earlier this week: “Everything’s bigger in Dubai, and I couldn’t be more excited to launch Bravo’s first international ‘Housewives’ series in a city I’ve been fascinated by for years, with an outstanding group of friends as our guides. “This is going to blow the lid off of the entire franchise”. Bravo have promised the series will showcase the best the “billionaire’s playground” of Dubai has to offer, as well as focusing on the lives of the ‘Housewives’. A synopsis for the show read: ‘‘A group of women navigating their relationships, careers and supremely lavish and ultra-wealthy lifestyles in the United Arab Emirates. “With the desert paradise of Dubai as the backdrop, this billionaire’s playground is known for its over-the-top opulence, jaw-dropping modern architecture and wild nightlife scene.” The ‘Mean Girls’ actress moved to Dubai in 2014 to get out of the public eye. She previously said: “Moving here was a fresh start. I don’t have to be publicly seen all the time, or discuss what I’m doing.” Real Housewives Dubai on Towleroad JoJo Siwa is proud to be a gay icon More JonBenét Ramsey Case: Boulder Police Accused Of Sitting On Crucial DNA Evidence That Could Help Solve Beauty Queen’s Murder 25 Years Later More NASA to deflect asteroid in test of ‘planetary defense’ More New Manhattan grand jury convened in Trump Org probe -source More Australia’s Great Barrier Reef will survive if warming kept to 1.5 degrees More Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo cast as Wicked’s leading ladies More Cardi B offers to officiate Kal Penn’s wedding More Tom Ford: Celebrities used to take much bigger risks on red carpet pre-stylists More Pfizer says antiviral pill cuts risk of severe COVID-19 by 89% More Factbox: What’s in Biden’s $1.75 trillion ‘Build Back Better’ package? More Marvel’s ‘Eternals’: 3 Countries Ban Film When Disney Refuses To Cut Gay Scenes; IMDb Culls The Trolling Bros Review Bomb; More Load More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English JoJo Siwa is proud to be a gay icon. The YouTuber – who is currently taking part in ‘Dancing With the Stars’ – is thrilled to have received the same status as some of her pop idols because of her LGBTQ+ status. JoJo said: “It’s wild to me, I think because I look at people who are called gay icons—you, Lady Gaga, Freddie Mercury, my favourite people—and to be in that category at 18 is just insane. And just because of who I am, it feels amazing.” The social media star went on to gush about making history as part of the first all-female pairing on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ with professional partner Jenna Johnson. Speaking on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’, JoJo said: “Being partnered with another female on the show, it just shows all the little kids watching, ‘Okay, cool, boy-girl, wait, a girl-girl. That’s cool, too. It just makes it more normal, and not so stereotypical.” The 18-year-old Nickelodeon star – who identifies as pansexual – also went on to open up about her own coming out, nothing that she was so “happy” with the way things turned out and how she has become a role model for young people. She said: “I am so happy with the outcome of me coming out. The world has taken it so positively, and it’s impacted so many young kids in such a way that hearing adults say, ‘I wish I had someone like you when I was little.’ That makes me know the kids that are little have someone like me, too.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online As the 25th anniversary of JonBenét Ramsey’s death approaches, Radar has exclusively learned crucial DNA evidence, which potentially has the power to solve the murder, has NOT gone through nationwide genetic testing that may identify the killer or a relative. Amazingly, investigators have yet to utilize any commercially available genetic DNA database to catch the cold-blooded killer or killers responsible for the brutal strangulation and sexual assault of the 6-year-old. JonBenét was murdered inside her ritzy Boulder, Colorado, home on December 26, 1996. The bombshell finding comes from renowned investigative reporter Paula Woodward, who exclusively obtained the 3,000-page “police book summary” case file detailing just about every report written by detectives tasked with solving the crime. Woodward claims that records show cops are STILL allegedly convinced JonBenét was viciously garroted by her mother Patsy Ramsey, who died of ovarian cancer in 2006 at age 49. She also alleges the police are stubbornly refusing to look at any other potential suspects or evidence. “There are certain police officers in Boulder who not only did not do their jobs — but they also went way beyond that in trying to convict the Ramseys,” said Woodward, who details her findings in her new blockbuster book, “Unsolved: The JonBenét Ramsey Murder 25 Years Later.” YouTube “Everything about the case defies logic,” she told Radar exclusively. “They don’t want the murder to have happened there. They want to move on from it. Surely (they think) the Ramsey family did something wrong before they moved to Boulder. This is not Boulder’s fault. This is the Ramseys fault so get the murder out of here, it doesn’t matter if it’s solved, the family did it.” Woodward claims the Boulder police have refused to look at DNA markers from any other potential suspect — leaving the case to “languish.” Woodward believes investigators are refusing to harness the genetic DNA database used by millions of consumers to trace their family trees to ferret out JonBenét’s killers — the same way investigators in 2018 nabbed the elusive Golden State Killer, Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., and solved countless other cold cases around the country. “They will not take the remaining DNA for genetic testing – they won’t do it!” she alleges. In 2016, Boulder police and prosecutors announced plans to run the existing evidence through new sophisticated DNA technology with the help of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation — but Woodward claims that was all a farce. “It never happened,” said Woodward, who has covered the case for 25 years. “There was a lot of posturing but no definitive action.” When asked why, she responded, “I don’t know.” The JonBenét DNA evidence was checked with the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), which has the genetic profiles of 15 million known criminals and about 730,000 unsolved crimes, with negative results. MEGA Cops believe the killer or killers broke into the Ramsey home through a basement window, slipped into JonBenét’s bedroom, and knocked her out with a stun gun. She was reportedly carried to the basement where she was gagged with duct tape, sexually abused, strangled with a garrote, and smashed in the head with a baseball bat. JonBenét’s half-brother John Andrew Ramsey said DNA evidence was left at the crime scene but blasted the Boulder police for allegedly failing to vigorously pursue the suspect — specifically the same two veteran lead detectives involved in the case since December 1996. “It’s the same mentally — they think Patsy Ramsey did it and, in their minds, they solved it so why put any effort into it. It’s insane!” John Andrew told Radar. “It’s the same old guard doing the same stupid s–t that they were doing 25 years ago today,” he continued. “Everybody knows there has been huge advances in DNA technology and that this case with a mountain of physical evidence, I mean a mountain, that can benefit by taking those steps, but the Boulder police won’t do it!” “It’s a hell of a lot easier not the face the truth,” John Andrew added. “They are trying to run the clock out – that’s what they are trying to do.” Radar reached out to the Boulder Police Department, who responded with “no comment. Susan Medina, a rep for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) tells Radar, “this is not our case and we do not discuss test results. Generally speaking, as DNA testing continues to improve because of technological advances, our forensic scientists continually work to see how cases might be impacted with new testing.” MEGA View the full article

Published by AFP This artist's illustration obtained from NASA shows the DART spacecraft prior to impact with the asteroid Dimorphos Washington (AFP) – In the 1998 Hollywood blockbuster “Armageddon,” Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck race to save the Earth from being pulverized by an asteroid. While the Earth faces no such immediate danger, NASA plans to crash a spacecraft traveling at a speed of 15,000 miles per hour (24,000 kph) into an asteroid next year in a test of “planetary defense.” The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is to determine whether this is an effective way to deflect the course of an asteroid should one threaten the Earth in the future. NASA provided details of the DART mission, which carries a price tag of $330 million, in a briefing for reporters on Thursday. “Although there isn’t a currently known asteroid that’s on an impact course with the Earth, we do know that there is a large population of near-Earth asteroids out there,” said Lindley Johnson, NASA’s Planetary Defense Officer. “The key to planetary defence is finding them well before they are an impact threat,” Johnson said. “We don’t want to be in a situation where an asteroid is headed towards Earth and then have to test this capability.” The DART spacecraft is scheduled to be launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 10:20 pm Pacific time on November 23 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. If the launch takes place at or around that time, impact with the asteroid some 6.8 million miles from Earth would occur between September 26 and October 1 of next year. The target asteroid, Dimorphos, which means “two forms” in Greek, is about 525 feet in diameter and orbits around a larger asteroid named Didymos, “twin” in Greek. Johnson said that while neither asteroid poses a threat to Earth they are ideal candidates for the test because of the ability to observe them with ground-based telescopes. Images will also be collected by a miniature camera-equipped satellite contributed by the Italian Space Agency that will be ejected by the DART spacecraft 10 days before impact. ‘A small nudge’ Nancy Chabot of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, which built the DART spacecraft, said Dimorphos completes an orbit around Didymos every 11 hours and 55 minutes “just like clockwork.” The DART spacecraft, which will weigh 1,210 pounds at the time of impact, will not “destroy” the asteroid, Chabot said. “It’s just going to give it a small nudge,” she said. “It’s going to deflect its path around the larger asteroid.” “It’s only going to be a change of about one percent in that orbital period,” Chabot said, “so what was 11 hours and 55 minutes before might be like 11 hours and 45 minutes.” The test is designed to help scientists understand how much momentum is needed to deflect an asteroid in the event one is headed towards Earth one day. “We are targeting to be as nearly head on as possible to cause the biggest deflection,” Chabot said. The amount of deflection will depend to a certain extent on the composition of Dimorphos and scientists are not entirely certain how porous the asteroid is. Dimorphos is the most common type of asteroid in space and is some 4.5 billion years old, Chabot said. “It’s like ordinary chondrite meteorites,” she said. “It’s a fine grain mixture of rock and metal together.” Johnson, NASA’s Planetary Defense Officer, said more than 27,000 near-Earth asteroids have been catalogued but none currently pose a danger to the planet. An asteroid discovered in 1999 known as Bennu that is 1,650 feet wide will pass within half the distance of the Earth to the Moon in the year 2135 but the probability of an impact is considered very slight. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Karen Freifeld NEW YORK (Reuters) -The Manhattan district attorney has convened another grand jury to weigh possible new charges in a case involving the Trump Organization, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday. The second grand jury was expected to examine how former President Donald Trump’s company valued its assets, the Washington Post reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. The legal woes could complicate the company’s relationships with banks, and could pose a challenge to Trump’s political future as he considers running for another term in 2024. Trump has called the charges politically motivated. The criminal case stems from a probe by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance in collaboration with New York State Attorney General Letitia James. An indictment unsealed in July charged the Trump Organization and its chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, with tax fraud arising from a probe into Trump’s business and its practices. That indictment said the company provided perks and benefits such as rent-free apartments and leased cars to Weisselberg and other officials without proper reporting on tax returns. Both Weisselberg and the company pleaded not guilty. A Republican, Trump himself has not been charged. The new grand jury was seated after the first grand jury’s term expired, said the person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity. A spokesman for the Manhattan District Attorney’s office declined to comment. A lawyer for the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mary Mulligan, a lawyer for Weisselberg, declined to comment. Trump’s company operates hotels, golf courses, and resorts around the world. Before entering the White House in January 2017, Trump put it into a trust overseen by his adult sons Donald Jr. and Eric, as well as Weisselberg. The current status of the trust was not immediately clear. Besides Weisselberg, another Trump Organization executive who has come under a glare is chief operating officer Matthew Calamari. Calamari’s lawyer Nicholas Gravante has not yet been informed whether his client will be charged or subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury, another person familiar with the probe told Reuters on Thursday. Calamari’s son, Matthew Calamari Jr., testified before a grand jury in September in connection with the case and has immunity from possible prosecution, said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. SEVEN SPRINGS James’ probe was initially civil in nature, but in May her office said it was also investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity and had joined forces with Vance. While it was not immediately clear what the second grand jury was focusing on, James’ civil probe has been examining how the Trump organization assessed the value of Seven Springs, a 212-acre estate in New York City’s northern suburbs, and in particular a 2015 agreement not to develop a portion of the property. The attorney general’s office said in a court filing for the probe that an appraiser hired by Trump before the agreement set the property’s value at $56.6 million and the easement’s value at $21.1 million – the amount Trump claimed as an income tax deduction. James has said she is also investigating a Los Angeles golf club owned by the Trump Organization, which gave the company a tax deduction for a conservation easement in 2014, as well as buildings the company owns on Wall Street and in Chicago. She said she opened that investigation after Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, said that Trump’s financial statements were manipulated to obtain better loans or reduce real estate taxes. Vance, a Democrat, will step down at the end of the year. James, also a Democrat, has said she will run for governor of New York in 2022. (Reporting by Karen Freifeld; Writing by Luc Cohen; Editing by Noeleen Walder, Alistair Bell and Aurora Ellis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Stefica Nicol Bikes SYDNEY (Reuters) – A study released on Friday by an Australian university looking at multiple catastrophes hitting the Great Barrier Reef has found for the first time that only 2% of its area has escaped bleaching since 1998, then the world’s hottest year on record. If global warming is kept to 1.5 degrees, the maximum rise in average global temperature that was the focus of the COP26 United Nations climate conference, the mix of corals on the Barrier Reef will change but it could still thrive, said the study’s lead author Professor Terry Hughes, of the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. “If we can hold global warming to 1.5 degrees global average warming then I think we’ll still have a vibrant Great Barrier Reef,” he said. Bleaching is a stress response by overheated corals during heat waves, where they lose their colour and many struggle to survive. Eighty percent of the World Heritage-listed wonder has been bleached severely at least once since 2016, the study by James Cook University in Australia’s Queensland state found. “Even the most remote, most pristine parts of the Great Barrier Reef have now bleached severely at least once,” Hughes said. The study found the corals adapted to have a higher heat threshold if they had survived a previous bleaching event, but the gap between bleaching events has shrunk, giving the reefs less time to recover between each episode. Australia, which last week said it would not back a pledge led by the United States and the European Union to cut methane emissions, needs to do more to cut greenhouse gas emissions, Hughes said. “The government is still issuing permits for new coal mines and for new methane gas deals and it’s simply irresponsible in terms of Australia’s responsibilities to the Great Barrier Reef,” he said. The Great Barrier Reef is comprised of more than 3,000 individual reefs stretching for 2,300km (1,429 miles). The ecosystem supports 65,000 jobs in reef tourism. Globally, hundreds of millions of people depend on the survival of coral reefs for their livelihoods and food security. “If we go to 3, 4 degrees of global average warming which is tragically the trajectory we are currently on, then there won’t be much left of the Great Barrier Reef or any other coral reefs throughout the tropics,” Hughes told Reuters. (Reporting by Stefica Nicol Bikes in Sydney, Writing by Melanie Burton in Melbourne,; Editing by Karishma Singh) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have been cast in the big-screen adaptation of Broadway classic ‘Wicked’. Director Jon M. Chu surprised the ‘Thank U, Next’ hitmaker and the 34-year-old actress-and-singer on FaceTime with the news that they will portray Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, respectively, in the upcoming flick. The 28-year-old pop superstar and the Tony Award-winner sent each other flowers to celebrate the casting news. Ariana posted a screenshot of her reaction to the filmmaker’s announcement and a snap of the bouquet Cynthia sent with a note that read: “‘Pink goes good with green.’ Congratulations Miss A, the part was made for you. I look forward to sharing this musical journey with you.” The ‘Widows’ star shared a similar carousel on her page on the social media app and Ariana had written in her note: “Dear Cynthia, Honored doesn’t even begin to cover it. I cannot wait to hug you. See you in Oz. All my love, Ari (sic).” The director wrote: “These two witches!! The emotional moment I got to tell @cynthiaerivo and @arianagrande that they were our Elphaba and Galinda in the @WickedMovie for @unistudios wait until you see what they bring!! It is other worldly. Ahhhhh!!! (sic)” And Idina Menzel, the original Elphaba, has led congratulations to the pair. She wrote in the comments: “Congrats to two amazing women. May it change your lives for the better forever and ever as it has for us. So much love.” Original director Stephen Daldry stepped away from the project last fall. Universal had previously removed ‘Wicked’ from its release calendar as part of the COVID-19 pandemic after originally being slated for release on December 22 this year. Marc Platt is producing, while original Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz and musical book writer Winnie Holzman wrote the screenplay. ‘Wicked’ is based on Gregory Maguire’s unauthorized 1995 prequel novel to ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and follows the unlikely friendship between Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba, who would become the Wicked Witch of the West. The musical first debuted in San Francisco and Broadway in 2003 and has since become one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history, surpassing over $1 billion in total Broadway revenue. The show was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, including for stars Kristin Chenoweth and Idina, and is well known for iconic anthems like ‘Defying Gravity’. For Jon, the directorial role comes after he received critical acclaim for his 2018 movie ‘Crazy Rich Asians’, and ‘In the Heights’, a musical drama. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Cardi B has offered to officiate Kal Penn’s wedding. The ‘Designated Survivor’ actor – who recently came out and confirmed he is engaged to long-term partner Josh – spotted the ‘WAP’ hitmaker on a flight to Los Angeles and although they didn’t speak on the plane, after he took to Twitter and explained the dream his sighting had sparked, the 29-year-old rapper quickly suggested she oversee his upcoming nuptials. Kal tweeted: “Cardi B was on my flight to LA. I fell asleep and had a dream that she officiated our wedding on the plane and the three of us walked out of LAX holding hands.” Cardi replied: “First, why didn’t you say hi! Second, I’m licensed to do that sooo……..let me know.(sic)” The 44-year-old comic explained he didn’t want to be “disrespectful” and disturb his fellow passenger, but excitedly agreed to her wedding offer. He wrote: “You’re the best. Was gonna say hi but didn’t want to be disrespectful (your do not disturb light was on). But holy s*** let’s do it! We’re down if you’re down!(sic)” Cardi simply replied: “I’m down I’ll get my suit (sic)” The ‘Harold & Kumar’ star detailed his 11-year relationship with Josh in his new memoir, ‘You Can’t Be Serious’, but insisted he never made a conscious effort to conceal his sexuality, he was just aware that the important people in his life value their privacy. He said: “I’ve always been very public with everybody I’ve personally interacted with. Whether it’s somebody that I meet at a bar, if Josh and I are out or we’re talking to friends. “I’m really excited to share our relationship with readers. But Josh, my partner, my parents, and my brother, four people who I’m closest to in the family, are fairly quiet. “They don’t love attention and shy away from the limelight.” And while Kal is only coming out to the world now, he’d already told his Indian parents and close friends and insisted it was “super easy” telling his loved ones, having already dropped the acting career bombshell on them. He said: “I shared things with my parents and close friends first. “I know this sounds jokey, but it’s true: When you’ve already told your Indian parents and the South Asian community that you intend to be an actor for a living, really any conversations that come after that are super easy. “They’re just like, ‘Yeah, okay.’ I felt very supported by everyone. That’s a wonderful thing. I know everybody has different experiences with that and so I definitely feel very fortunate.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Tom Ford misses the time when celebrities didn’t have stylists because they took “bigger risks”. The 60-year-old fashion designer has admitted many A-listers these days have agents and stylists dictating what they should wear on the red carpet, and Ford admitted it’s all become “a little bit homogenised”. Speaking to GQ, he said: “Oh my god, my taste in celebrities? Well, I like celebrities in general because they’re unafraid of fashion. They need fashion. They need, when they walk down a red carpet, to get attention, so they’re not afraid. They’ll take much bigger risks. It’s great to see a celebrity wearing your clothes. Did you write down a question about stylists? To which the journalist replied: “Oh yes. The celebrity stylist is one of the most powerful people in Hollywood, at this point. I’m curious what you think about that phenomenon.” And the former Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent creative director responded: “I wish they were a little less powerful, I have to say. There was a time in the seventies, for example, if you look at old Oscar pictures, before celebrities had stylists, and my God, people took even more risks. There were great things going down the red carpet then. I think sometimes there becomes a little bit of homogenisation, because it isn’t even the stylist. Before these men and women hit a red carpet, their agents weigh in on what they’re doing, there’s a stylist who weighs in, and things can become a little bit homogenised. I guess, when you asked my favourite celebrity to dress—it’s the ones who really know themselves. And if they’re working with a stylist, they assert themselves, or the stylist is kind of running around finding things that they asked them to find. There are those celebrities who have their own sense of style.” Ford has dressed the biggest names in Hollywood from Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Anne Hathaway to Daniel Craig, Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp, and Ryan Gosling. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Deena Beasley (Reuters) -A trial of Pfizer Inc’s experimental antiviral pill for COVID-19 was stopped early after the drug was shown to cut by 89% the chances of hospitalization or death for adults at risk of developing severe disease, the company said on Friday. The results appear to surpass those seen with Merck & Co Inc’s pill, molnupiravir, which was shown last month to halve the likelihood of dying or being hospitalized for COVID-19 patients also at high risk of serious illness. Full trial data is not yet available from either company. Pfizer shares surged 11% to $48.55, while those of Merck fell 8.5% to $82.80. Shares of vaccine makers also took a hit, with Moderna Inc, Pfizer’s German partner BioNTech SE and Novavax all down nearly 7%. Pfizer said it plans to submit interim trial results for its pill, which is given in combination with an older antiviral called ritonavir, to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as part of the emergency use application it opened in October. That filing is expected to be submitted before Thanksgiving, Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla said in an interview with CNBC. The combination treatment, which will have the brand name Paxlovid, consists of three pills given twice daily. The planned analysis of 1,219 patients in Pfizer’s study looked at hospitalizations or deaths among people diagnosed with mild to moderate COVID-19 with at least one risk factor for developing severe disease, such as obesity or older age. It found that 0.8% of those given Pfizer’s drug within three days of symptom onset were hospitalized and none had died by 28 days after treatment. That compared with a hospitalization rate of 7% for placebo patients. There were also seven deaths in the placebo group. Rates were similar for patients treated within five days of symptoms – 1% of the treatment group was hospitalized, compared with 6.7% for the placebo group, which included 10 deaths. Bourla said that works out to being 85% effective. The data compared favorably to Merck’s oral antiviral in a similar patient population, Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Louise Chen said in a note. With the virus still circulating widely and current therapeutic options requiring access to a healthcare facility, antiviral treatments that can be taken at home to keep people with COVID-19 out of the hospital are critically needed, Chen said. Antivirals need to be given as early as possible, before an infection takes hold, in order to be most effective. Merck tested its drug within five days of symptom onset. “We saw that we did have high efficacy, even if it was five days after a patient has been treated … people might wait a couple of days before getting a test or something, and this means that we have time to treat people and really provide a benefit from a public health perspective,” Annaliesa Anderson, head of the Pfizer program, told Reuters. The company did not detail side effects of the treatment, but said adverse events happened in about 20% of both treatment and placebo patients. Ritonavir’s possible side effects include nausea and diarrhea. “These data suggest that our oral antiviral candidate, if approved by regulatory authorities, has the potential to save patients’ lives, reduce the severity of COVID-19 infections, and eliminate up to nine out of ten hospitalizations,” Bourla said in a statement. Pfizer said it was currently expecting to produce more than 180,000 packs by the end of 2021 and at least 50 million packs by the end of 2022, of which 21 million would be produced in the first half. Infectious disease experts stress that preventing COVID-19 through wide use of vaccines remains the best way to control the pandemic, but only 58% of Americans are fully vaccinated and access in many parts of the world is limited. Pfizer’s drug, part of a class known as protease inhibitors, is designed to block an enzyme the coronavirus needs in order to multiply. Merck’s molnupiravir has a different mechanism of action designed to introduce errors into the genetic code of the virus. Merck has already sold millions of courses of the treatment, which was approved this week by U.K. regulators, to the United States, the U.K. and others. Britain said earlier this month it had secured 250,000 courses of Pfizer’s antiviral. Pfizer is also studying whether its pill could be used by people without risk factors for serious COVID-19 as well as to prevent coronavirus infection in people exposed to the virus. (Reporting By Deena Beasley, additional reporting by Ankur Banerjee in Bengaluru; editing by Grant McCool and Anil D’Silva) View the full article