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Published by BANG Showbiz English Michael K. Williams, Cecily Tyson, and Ed Asner were among those remembered during the Primetime Emmy Awards’ annual In Memoriam segment on Sunday (19.09.21). ‘In Treatment’ actress Uzo Aduba took to the stage at LA Live in Los Angeles to introduce the tribute, which recognises the TV stars and creators who have passed away over the last 12 months, towards the end of the ceremony. She said: “Over the past year, we have lost so many of our loved ones, but we treasure our memory of each of them, we honor their work, and we rejoice in having them in our lives.” Uzo then introduced Leon Bridges and Jon Batiste to the stage, where they delivered an emotional performance of Leon’s song ‘River’ while the montage played on screens behind them. Others recognised in the tribute included Dustin Diamond, Larry King, Markie Post, Charlie Robinson, Norm Macdonald, Olympia Dukakis, Christopher Plummer, Cloris Leachman, Jessica Walter, Alex Trebek, Charlie Robinson, Hal Holbrook, Norm Crosby, and Helen McCrory. Awards bosses acknowledged that due to time constraints, not everyone from the TV world who has died this year would feature in the tribute, but highlighted the fact they have an extensive In Memoriam section on their website. Earlier in the evening, Kerry Washington took the time to honour ‘The Wire’ actor Michael, who was found dead from an apparent overdose at the beginning of this month. Introducing the nominees for the Supporting Actor in a Drama Series gong – which ultimately went to ‘The Crown’ actor Tobias Menzies – she highlighted the fact Michael was on the shortlist for his work in ‘Lovecraft Country’ and promised his “excellence and artistry” will live on. She said: “The nominees for this next award astounded us with each of their uniquely memorable, remarkable performances this year. “But I would like to take a moment to mention one in particular Michael K Williams Michael was – it’s crazy to say was – Michael was a brilliantly talented actor and a generous human being who has left us far too soon. “Michael, I know you are here, you wouldn’t miss this, your excellence and artistry will endure. We love you.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English RuPaul has become the most Emmy-awarded Black person in history. The 60-year-old star scored his 11th career win at the ceremony on Sunday (19.09.21) when ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ beat off competition from ‘The Masked Singer’, ‘Nailed It!’, ‘Top Chef’, and ‘The Voice’ to take the award for Outstanding Competition Program. After thanking the Academy, the host dedicated the award to those who watch the show, as well as the “children” who compete. He said: ““Wow, thank you so much to the Academy and all of you gorgeous people here tonight. All of the people at World of Wonder and Viacom-CBS who have been so wonderful, but really thanks to all of our lovely children on our show from around the world. They are so gracious to tell their stories of courage and how to navigate this difficult life, even more difficult today. “This is for you and for you kids out there watching. You have a tribe that is waiting for you, we are waiting for you, baby. Come on to Mama Ru!” Ru had picked up two other Emmys this year at the Primetime Creative Arts ceremony earlier this month, scoring wins for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program and Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program. During his speech last week, he said, “I started in television 40 years ago on a public access station in Atlanta, Georgia. A little show called ‘The American Music Show.’ They were so kind to me to have me do my hard yards there years ago, and I want to thank them for being so kind to me and all the people in this business who’ve been kind. I’ve got to tell you, the sweetness and the kindness is what I appreciate the most today. “In fact, the sweetness and the kindness are at the top of my list of human virtues. After that would be a big fat ass. Thank you so much for this award.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Congress returns to session on Monday facing a massive agenda and a tight time crunch, with President Joe Biden’s Democrats hoping to pass sweeping domestic programs, fund the government, approve an infrastructure bill and raise the debt ceiling in a matter of weeks. They face several deadlines, including a scheduled Sept. 27 vote on a $1 trillion Senate-approved infrastructure bill and the Oct. 1 date when the federal government will run out of money to fund many of its operations if Congress doesn’t act. Later in October the country could breach its borrowing cap, risking default on U.S. payment obligations. The Democrats, who control Congress by the narrowest of margins, also want to maneuver a $3.5 trillion spending package – including proposals for childcare, education, housing and green energy – past a Republican roadblock. Progressives boast the plan is the largest expansion of social policy in decades but senior Democrats on Sunday acknowledged the bill may need to be trimmed to pass. “It may be $3.5 (trillion), it may be really close to that or maybe closer to something else,” Representative James Clyburn, the third-ranking House Democrat, told CNN on Sunday. Democrats also want to pass bills on voting on abortion rights, which face long odds, given strong Republican opposition and a Senate filibuster rule requiring a 60 of 100 senators to agree to advance most legislation. “Have they bitten off more than they can chew on? Well, yes, I think they have,” said William Hoagland, senior vice president at the Bipartisan Policy Center think-tank. INFRASTRUCTURE IMPASSE? House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised to take up the bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill just a week after her chamber returns from summer break. But progressives say they won’t vote for the infrastructure plan without first passing the $3.5 trillion social spending program, using a maneuver called “reconciliation,” which avoids the Senate requirement for a supermajority. One possible compromise would be to vote on the infrastructure bill on Sept. 27 but for Pelosi not to forward it to Biden to sign until the larger package passes. “She can hold on to that bill for a while. So there’s some flexibility in terms of how we mesh the two mandates,” Democratic House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth told “Fox News Sunday.” Democrats are still squabbling over key planks of the reconciliation package, including proposals to lower the cost of prescription drugs and change tax laws, as well as the total price tag. The plan is to be financed by tax hikes on wealthy Americans and corporations. Moderate Senate Democrats including Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema say $3.5 trillion is too much; Manchin suggests spending less than half that. Given their thin majorities, Democrats can spare just three House defectors and none in the Senate. No Republicans intend to vote for the plan, and may ask the parliamentarian https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senate-referee-spotlight-democrats-pursue-major-spending-2021-09-09 to rule on whether parts conform to the reconciliation process to qualify to be exempted from the filibuster rule. Democrats suffered a setback on Sunday when the parliamentarian ruled they cannot attach immigration reforms to the $3.5 trillion plan. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said they would pursue alternatives. The legislation could be manipulated to allow moderate Democrats to declare victory while assuaging progressives, such as by shortening some programs’ duration, or beefing up tax collection to cover costs, said Norman Ornstein, senior fellow emeritus at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute think-tank. “Can you do that before Sept. 27? I doubt it, but it’s possible,” said Ornstein. DEBT CEILING While the Sept. 27 deadline is self-imposed, two more rigid ones come next. The first is Oct. 1, when funding for government operations runs out, which would force the stoppage of many federal functions as has happened three times in the past decade. In addition, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned that sometime in October the Treasury will exhaust its cash reserves and borrowing capacity under the $28.4 trillion federal debt limit, and be unable to pay all of its bills or service its debt without congressional action to raise the limit. A U.S. default would roil financial markets, lead to cuts in services and benefits and hit the nation’s credit rating. It could also plunge the economy back into recession. Such a scenario would be disastrous politically for Democrats, but Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and other top Republicans have warned they will not vote to boost the national debt limit, despite having done so repeatedly when Republican Donald Trump was president. McConnell called the Democratic spending inflationary. “They’ve been printing and wasting money like there’s no tomorrow,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat, said on Thursday that he believes Republicans and Democrats will resolve their political differences and avoid what called a self-inflicted, “Washington-baked crisis” over U.S. creditworthiness that the pandemic-stricken U.S. economy could ill afford. “That doesn’t mean we may not get up to the precipice on that,” Warner told reporters. “I’ve just got to believe that this will get resolved.” (Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Additional reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone and Sonya Hepinstall) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Billy Porter’s “wings” were clipped before the Emmy Awards on Sunday (19.09.21). The ‘Pose’ actor – who lost out to ‘The Crown’s Josh O’Connor for the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series prize – walked the red carpet at LA Live in an all-black outfit featuring long sleeves, gloves, trousers and dramatic ruffled wings on his arms, but admitted he’d originally planned for the outfit to look very different. Speaking on ‘Live From E!’, he said: “Interestingly enough, this was supposed to go all the way to the floor, this little piece, and it didn’t. I started just playing with shapes and stuff in the mirror and it was like, ‘Well, they feels like wings.’ “ But Billy – who teamed his outfit with Lorraine Schwarz jewellery, including a huge diamond and emerald necklace, two diamond bracelets and multiple rings and ear cuffs – felt the outfit was appropriate for his role in new movie musical ‘Cinderella’. He quipped: “You know I am the fairy godmother!” The 51-year-old star previously admitted he wants to send a “clear” message with his red carpet wear. He said: “You know, I am now working with Ty Hunter who is my new stylist, and we really, through quarantine, have been able to just get a handle on and get in the driver’s seat of the train that took off. “It just took off so quick that like, you know, I just wanted to make sure that what I’m saying as I walk onto these red carpets, into the events – as a walking piece of political art, that’s what I’m trying to be every time – that we’re clear.” The 51-year-old actor has gone viral with his bold ensembles at the Oscars, the Met Gala, and Tonys. And Billy previously said he puts outfits together by defining the event and creating a deeper meaning with his style. He explained: “We decide by first trying to define what the moment is. What the event is about and then we go from there. I’m a very story-oriented person coming from being an actor, so I always try to have a narrative for myself so that there is always a reason and there’s always a point. I want to be a walking piece of art – political art – whenever I can, any time I show up. I let other people say that [I’m a fashion icon]. You know, show business is hard because you borderline on confidence and arrogance, so I’m trying to be on the confidence side. I’m going to let other people call me a fashion icon at least for the next couple of years and then I’ll do it myself. But that’s what people are saying.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jennifer Coolidge “doesn’t know” what ‘Legally Blonde 3’ will be about. The 60-year-old actress – who portrays Paulette Bonafonte Parcelle in the franchise – was hoping to run into Mindy Kaling at the Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday (19.09.21) because the ‘Mindy Project’ star is co-writing the upcoming film and she thought she might share some hints. Jennifer told E! News: “I’m in a corner, I’ve never run into her. “I’m going to ask [Mindy] what’s happening with the ‘Legally Blonde’ script.” But the ‘White Lotus’ star has some ideas for the direction she’d like the movie to take. She said: “I hope Reese [Witherspoon] and I are running really fast for most of it, we’re running from something really fast. “I don’t know what it’ll be this time around, I just hope it’s some really fast-moving, caper-type [thing], that we get into trouble.” Mindy previously admitted she was keen to get started on the film this year and hoped audiences liked how she and co-writer Dan Goor had portrayed Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) now she’s much older. She said in January: “I can’t wait to see what people will think of the way we wrote Elle Woods. We wrote Elle Woods at 40, so how Elle is at 40 versus how she was at 21 has been really fun to imagine. “I don’t know when we’ll be able to shoot movies again but it would be great to, if Reese likes the script, shooting it this year would be awesome.” And she promised the film will reference iconic moments from previous installments, which were released in 2001 and 2003. She confirmed: “Bend and Snap is forever. We definitely have a lot of fan favorites from the original movie.” View the full article

With ‘runaway front runners’ in most races, Crown wins and expected to get it’s first “Best Drama Series” award. Published by Reuters By Jill Serjeant LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Lavish royal series “The Crown” is expected to reign at television’s second pandemic era Emmy Awards on Sunday on what could be a big night for British talent. Comedy “Ted Lasso,” about a lovable American coach played by Jason Sudeikis navigating the idiosyncrasies of English soccer and society, is also expected to take home multiple awards for its mostly British cast after winning hearts with its optimism and sugary treats. “We don’t just have front runners this year, we have runaway front runners in most of the races,” said Tom O’Neil, founder of awards website Goldderby.com. Hosted by Cedric the Entertainer and moved to an outdoor tent because of concerns over the Delta variant, the Emmys will be a scaled down gathering with vaccinations, testing and masks mandatory. The ceremony will be broadcast live on CBS television starting at 8 pm ET. “The Crown” is widely expected to clinch its first best drama series Emmy, as well as trophies for the actors who played Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Coleman), Prince Charles, (Josh O’Connor), a young Princess Diana (newcomer Emma Corrin) and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson). Corrin “really delivered and embodied everything that people love still to this day about Diana,” said Gerrad Hall, senior TV editor at Entertainment Weekly. A best drama series win for “The Crown” would mark a milestone for Netflix, while Apple TV+ would enter streaming’s big league with a comedy series win for “Ted Lasso.” Other leading best drama series contenders include dystopian saga “The Handmaid’s Tale,” sci-fi favorite “The Mandalorian” featuring the lovable Baby Yoda and period romance “Bridgerton.” [L1N2QJ1QW] The closest contest on Sunday is for limited series, which produced contenders ranging from harrowing British rape drama “I May Destroy You” to Kate Winslet’s downtrodden detective in “Mare of Easttown,” and innovative superhero dramedy “WandaVision” on Disney+. “Limited series is the most exciting race of the entire year,” said Hall. The Television Academy, whose members choose the winners, is known for pulling out surprises. Billy Porter and MJ Rodriguez of FX drama “Pose” won plaudits for their turns in the emotional final season of the series about New York’s underground drag culture in the 1980s that features a large cast of LGBTQ performers. “Pose” is also a best drama series nominee. If Rodriguez wins on Sunday she would become the first transgender woman to win a best actress Emmy. “It was a knockout performance by Billy Porter and it would be a historic moment for MJ Rodriguez,” said Hall. One of television’s most popular shows – 1990s comedy “Friends” – could make an Emmys comeback. The “Friends” reunion special that saw the six main actors reminisce earlier this year about their days playing 20Something New Yorkers is competing against the filmed version of Broadway musical “Hamilton” for best variety special. (Reporting by Jill Serjeant; editing by Richard Pullin) Crown Wins on Towleroad Thousands march for LGBTQ+ rights in Ukraine despite some opposition More Anderson Cooper misses his mom’s ‘ludicrous’ advice More Lava pours out of volcano on La Palma in Spain’s Canary Islands More Melania Knew About January 6 Capitol Riot Early and Refused To Condemn It, Says Former First Lady’s Chief of Staff More Coughs and Lethargy for Big Cats: Washington Zoo Say Their Tigers, Lions Catch Covid More North Carolina Voter Suppression Law Struck as Racist. Republican Voter ID Found to ‘Target African American Voters’ More Some U.S. hospitals forced to ration care amid staffing shortages, COVID-19 surge More Multimillionaire real estate heir Robert Durst is convicted of murder in L.A More Artist Christo’s Ultimate Dream Fulfilled As Arc de Triomphe Wrapped in Fabric More Emmy records, Emmy LGBTQ firsts and Omar: five things to watch More LGBTQ Hollywood Roundup: Bragman Establishes Coming Out Fund; Indya Moore Calls Out Met Gala; Dan Levy Signs Netflix Deal; JoJo Siwa Frustrated With Nickelodeon More Load More View the full article

Published by Reuters KYIV (Reuters) – Thousands of people including soldiers and diplomats marched peacefully through the Ukrainian capital on Sunday in an annual gay pride parade despite some opposition to an event called off last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Organisers said about 7,000 attended the Equality March this year, compared to 8,000 in 2019, which saw the biggest turnout since the event was initiated a decade ago despite opposition from religious and nationalist groups. Homophobia is widespread in Ukraine, according to a survey by the sociological group “Rating” published in August, which said 47% of respondents had a negative view of the LGBTQ+ community. The marchers were flanked by police as a few hundred anti-gay rights protesters gathered nearby, but there was no violence. “So fantastic to be out on the streets alongside my cool @UKinUkraine colleagues and friends supporting LGBTQ groups in Ukraine,” British Ambassador Melinda Simmons wrote on Twitter. She posted a picture of herself surrounded by dozens of young smiling people with rainbow flags, some wearing rainbow masks. “We want to protect the rights of LGBT people, because they first of all are humans,” student Olexandra told Reuters. Dressed in military uniform, Anastasia, a veteran of the war with Russian-backed separatists, said the army had issues with equal rights. “The service regulations do not allow you to reveal your (true) face,” she said. “This is the second time we have come to the pride (march) to openly say that in the army and other organisations not usually associated with the LGBT movement, there also are LGBT people.” The government has increased support for LGBTQ+ rights since Western-backed leaders came to power in 2014. Parliament passed legislation in 2015 to ban discrimination in the workplace, but it does not allow for same-sex marriage or adoption of children. “This is already the 10th pride, it was successful, it went calmly,” Leni Emson, director of the KyivPride non-government organization, told journalists. Ukraine ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova wrote on Facebook on Sunday that the constitution recognises all people “equal in their rights from birth, regardless of any characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender identity”. “I urge citizens to be tolerant to one another and refrain from manifestations of discrimination,” she said. (Reporting by Natalia Zinets and Sergiy Karazy; Editing by Nick Macfie) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Anderson Cooper misses his mom’s “ludicrous relationship advice”. The 54-year-old broadcaster lost his mom Gloria in June 2019, when she died of stomach cancer aged 95, and he admits that they enjoyed a “really unique relationship”. Anderson – who came out as gay in 2012 – tole People: “I miss the random phone calls with a crazy idea, or her asking me ludicrous relationship advice. “I’m certainly not anyone to give relationship advice, but I would give my mom feedback when she would go on dates, what I thought about the guys. Some of them I really didn’t think much of at all! We had a really unique relationship.” Anderson admits his mom could be “frustrating and stressful” at times. However, he still misses her presence immensely. He said: “My mom was extraordinarily unique, and I miss that uniqueness in my life. “It was sometimes very frustrating and stressful, because she never had a plan for things. “She was incredibly creative, so things were always changing. I was always having to adapt to her new ideas and encourage some of those, and try to discourage her from things that didn’t make any sense.” Anderson announced the birth of his son Wyatt in April last year. The broadcaster had a baby with a surrogate mother and subsequently revealed that Wyatt was named after his dad – who died during open-heart surgery when the news anchor was just 10 years old – and his middle name, Morgan, stemmed from his mother’s side of the family. He said on social media at the time: “He is named after my father, who died when I was ten. I hope I can be as good a dad as he was. “My son’s middle name is Morgan. It’s a family name on my mom’s side. “I know my mom and dad liked the name morgan because I recently found a list they made 52 years ago when they were trying to think of names for me. Wyatt Morgan Cooper. My son. (sic)” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Borja Suarez LA PALMA, Spain (Reuters) -A volcano erupted on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma on Sunday, sending lava shooting into the air and streaming in rivers towards two villages from the Cumbre Vieja national park in the south of the island. Authorities had begun evacuating the infirm and some farm animals from nearby villages before the eruption at 3:15 p.m. (1415 GMT) on a wooded slope in the sparsely populated Cabeza de Vaca area, according to the islands’ government. Two hours later, with lava edging down the hillside from five fissures torn into the hillside, the municipality ordered the evacuation of four villages, including El Paso and Los Llanos de Aridane. After nightfall, video footage showed fountains of lava shooting hundreds of metres into the sky, and at least three incandescent orange rivers of molten rock pouring down the hill, tearing gashes into woods and farmland, and spreading as they reached lower ground. One stream, several hundred metres long and tens of metres wide, crossed a road and began engulfing scattered houses in El Paso. “When the volcano erupted today, I was scared. For journalists it is something spectacular. for us it is a tragedy. I think the lava has reached some relatives’ houses,” local resident Isabel Fuentes, 55, told Spanish television TVE. “I was 5 years old when the volcano last erupted (in 1971). You never get over a volcanic eruption,” added Fuentes, who said she had moved to another house on Sunday for her safety. ‘STAY IN YOUR HOUSES’ Spain’s Civil Guard said it was helping to evacuate between 5,000 and 10,000 people. Canary Islands President Angel Victor Torres told TVE public television that no injuries had been reported so far. “In no circumstances go near the lava flow,” the municipality warned residents. “If there is volcanic ash, stay in your houses.” Flights to and from the Canaries were continuing as normal, the airport operator Aena said. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrived in La Palma, the most northwesterly island of the archipelago, late on Sunday for talks with the islands’ government on managing the eruption. Stavros Meletlidis, a doctor of volcanology at the Spanish Geographical Institute, said the eruption had torn five holes in the hillside and that he could not be sure how long it would last. “We have to measure the lava every day and that will help us to work it out.” King Felipe spoke with Torres and was following developments, the royal household said. La Palma had been on high alert after more than 22,000 tremors were reported in the space of a week in Cumbre Vieja, a chain of volcanoes that last had a major eruption in 1971 and is one of the most active volcanic regions in the Canaries. In 1971, one man was killed as he was taking photographs near the lava flows, but no property was damaged. The earliest recorded eruption in La Palma was in 1430, according to the Spanish National Geographical Institute (ING). (Reporting by Graham Keeley and Borja Suarez; Writing by Toby Chopra and Kevin Liffey; Editing by Gareth Jones, David Clarke and Edmund Blair) View the full article

Melania knew a lot about this and many other matters. Published by Radar Online Former First Lady Melania Trump allegedly knew about the January 6th riot against the U.S. Capitol building earlier than previously believed. Donald’s wife also reportedly refused to make an official statement denouncing the insurrection minutes after her husband’s supporters broke into the Capitol. According to the Daily Mail, Melania Trump’s former Chief of Staff Stephanie Grisham is expected to release her tell-all bombshell book titled I’ll Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw in The Trump White House this October. The outlet reported Monday that the book alleges how Melania Trump was alerted to the riots unfolding at the Capitol on January 6th more than an hour before Former President Donald Trump tweeted encouragement to those rioting at the US Capitol. Grisham also reportedly wrote how she asked the former First Lady if she wanted to make a statement denouncing the violence at the Capitol, but Melania said she did not want to. mega “Do you want to tweet that peaceful protests are the right of every American, but there is no place for lawlessness and violence?” Grisham says she asked the then First Lady on the day of the rights. “No,” Melania reportedly replied to Grisham a minute later. But although, according to Grisham’s account of events, Melania did not denounce the violence on the Capitol that day, she did finally release a statement condemning the riots five days later. Stephanie GrishamMega “I implore people to stop the violence, never make assumptions based on the color of a person’s skin or use differing political ideologies as a basis for aggression and viciousness,” Melania wrote on January 11th. The fact that Melania may have known about the attacks to the U.S. Capitol earlier than thought is not the only bombshell piece of information expected to be included in Grisham’s upcoming book. A source has reportedly told the Daily Mail how Grisham “knows where all the skeletons” in the Trump White House are, and that many of those skeletons are going to revealed when the book is published on October 5th. “She is going for it, telling her truth, and letting the chips fall where they may,” the source close to Grisham’s book told the Daily Mail. “She knows all the skeletons that are in various closets and she’s opening doors. But she also has been warned that the Trumps are going to strike back hard.” Once Melania’s office found out about her former Chief of Staff’s upcoming book, and the contents therein, they reportedly reached out to make a statement against the former employee. “The intent behind this book is obvious. It is an attempt to redeem herself after a poor performance as press secretary, failed personal relationships, and unprofessional behavior in the White House,” Melania’s office wrote in the statement. “Through mistruth and betrayal, she seeks to gain relevance and money at the expense of Mrs. Trump.” mega Lions Catch Covid on Towleroad Coughs and Lethargy for Big Cats: Washington Zoo Say Their Tigers, Lions Catch Covid More North Carolina Voter Suppression Law Struck as Racist. Republican Voter ID Found to ‘Target African American Voters’ More Some U.S. hospitals forced to ration care amid staffing shortages, COVID-19 surge More Multimillionaire real estate heir Robert Durst is convicted of murder in L.A More Artist Christo’s dream fulfilled as Arc de Triomphe wrapped in fabric More Emmy records, Emmy LGBTQ firsts and Omar: five things to watch More LGBTQ Hollywood Roundup: Bragman Establishes Coming Out Fund; Indya Moore Calls Out Met Gala; Dan Levy Signs Netflix Deal; JoJo Siwa Frustrated With Nickelodeon More Max Harwood had little drag experience before Everybody’s Talking About Jamie role More US reality show ‘The Activist’ backtracks after uproar More Giant sequoias wrapped in foil to protect from US forest fires More Gay war veteran speaks out for equal rights in Ukraine’s military More Load More View the full article

Published by AFP Two lions at the Washington zoo on July 24, 2020 Washington (AFP) – Six lions and three tigers at the National Zoo in Washington have tested positive for Covid-19 and are undergoing treatment after falling unwell, the zoo said Friday. “Last weekend, animal keepers observed decreased appetites, coughing, sneezing and lethargy” in six African lions, a Sumatran tiger and two tigers from Siberia, who all tested positive for Covid in preliminary tests, the zoo said in a statement. Results of tests to confirm the diagnosis are expected in a few days. The sick cats are being treated with anti-inflammatories and anti-nausea medication, as well as antibiotics to ward off pneumonia. People who visit the zoo are not at risk because of the distance between them and the felines, and no other animals have shown signs of infection, the zoo said. The bout of sickness comes as several US zoos including the one in Washington announced Tuesday the launch of a vaccination campaign for animals susceptible to Covid-19. Primates in several zoos have become infected. Several gorillas at the zoo in Atlanta tested positive last week. To protect them from Covid, animals at the Washington zoo will be injected with a product developed by Zoetis, a drug company that makes vaccines and medicine for pets and livestock. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Daniel Trotta (Reuters) – A North Carolina court on Friday struck down a voter photo identification law passed by Republicans in 2018, finding it intentionally discriminated against Black voters likely to vote Democratic. The ruling marks the second consecutive Republican-backed voting law from North Carolina to be overturned by the courts. A U.S. appeals court in 2016 found a previous law targeted African Americans “with almost surgical precision.” In Friday’s ruling, a 2-1 majority of the Wake County Superior Court wrote that the 2018 law “was motivated at least in part by an unconstitutional intent to target African American voters.” Other states with Republican majority legislatures have passed similar laws in recent years, some with renewed purpose after President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election and falsely claimed the election was stolen for President Joe Biden. Georgia and Texas passed voter laws this year that triggered a national backlash from civil rights advocates. The North Carolina ruling did not find that supporters of Senate Bill 824 were racist, but that targeting Black voters because of their propensity to vote for Democrats was discriminatory. The ruling quoted from the 2016 federal appeals court ruling that overturned the previous law, known as House Bill 589. “We do not find that any member of the General Assembly who voted in favor of S.B. 824 harbors any racial animus or hatred towards African American voters, but rather …that the Republican majority ‘target(ed) voters who, based on race, were unlikely to vote for the majority party. Even if done for partisan ends, that constitute(s) racial discrimination,'” the majority said. That Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling stood after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal. The Southern Coalition for Social Justice, a North Carolina-based civil rights group that helped bring the suit, applauded the decision and vowed to fight any appeal. “(We) hope it sends a strong message that racial discrimination will not be tolerated,” Allison Riggs, the coalition’s chief counsel for voting rights, said in a statement. Sam Hayes, a lawyer the Republican North Carolina House speaker Tim Moore, declared, “This fight is far from over.” He referred to the November 2018 election, when voters approved a ballot measure supporting a constitutional amendment requiring photo identification to vote. “Once again, liberal judges have defied the will of North Carolinians on election integrity,” Hayes said. (Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Leslie Adler and David Gregorio) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Julia Harte and Sharon Bernstein (Reuters) – Surges in coronavirus cases in several U.S. states this week, along with staffing and equipment shortages, are exacting a mounting toll on hospitals and their workers even as the number of new admissions nationwide ebbs, leading to warnings at some facilities that care would be rationed. Montana, Alaska, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Kentucky experienced the biggest rises in new COVID-19 hospitalizations during the week ending Sept. 10 compared with the previous week, with Montana’s new hospitalizations rising by 26%, according to the latest report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sept. 14. In Alaska, the influx is so heavy that the state’s largest hospital is no longer able to provide life-saving care to every patient who needs it due to the influx of COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to an open letter from the medical executive committee of Providence Alaska Medical Center this week. “If you or your loved one need specialty care at Providence, such as a cardiologist, trauma surgeon, or a neurosurgeon, we sadly may not have room now,” the letter read. “There are no more staffed beds left.” Some hospital workers have become so overwhelmed by the fresh wave of COVID-19 cases — a year and half after the pandemic first reached the United States — that they have left for jobs at retailing and other non-medical fields, Nancy Foster, vice president of quality and patient safety the American Hospital Association, told Reuters. At the same time, distribution and other issues are leaving some hospitals short of oxygen supplies desperately needed to help patients struggling to breathe, Foster said. On Friday, the hospital association held a webinar for its members on how to conserve oxygen, an effort to address a 200% jump in demand at many hospitals, she said. “There is a shortage of drivers with the qualifications to transport oxygen, and a shortage of the tanks needed to transport it,” Foster added. While there are some breakthrough cases among the vaccinated, Foster said most of the hospitalizations were among the unvaccinated. A SURGE ‘LIKE NEVER BEFORE’ On Sept. 16, 1,855 Americans died of COVID-19 and 144,844 new cases were reported, according to a Reuters analysis of state and county data. Both trendlines have been increasing in the United States overall since hitting their lows this summer in July and June, respectively. New hospital admissions are still surging in several mostly rural and Midwestern states, even as the number of COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals daily in the entire United States slipped to about 10,685 on Sept. 14 after cresting around 13,028 in late August, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. “Despite our hospital being ground zero in Kentucky for the onset of the pandemic 18 months ago, this week we are being hit with a COVID surge like never before since the onset of the pandemic,” said Dr. Stephen Toadvine, chief executive officer at Harrison Memorial Hospital, in a statement posted on the Kentucky state website. He added that patients seeking emergency care in Kentucky hospitals and being treated for COVID-19 are at an all-time highs. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said on Thursday that the commonwealth would soon run out of a key treatment for COVID-19 – the use of monoclonal antibodies – and the federal government also recently announced a national shortage. Since May, the number of COVID-19 cases at hospitals run by the University of Wisconsin’s UW Health system has quadrupled, Dr. Jeff Pothof said in an interview. Emergency rooms are so full that doctors are having to seek rooms for their patients in other facilities, he said, a trend seen in other states, including Florida. “For the first time in my career we’re at the point where not every patient in need will get the care we might wish we could give,” Dr Shelly Harkins, chief medical officer and president of St. Peter’s Health in Helena, Montana said in a video announcement Thursday. In West Virginia, COVID-19 hospitalizations this week have far outstripped their previous peak of 815, rising from 852 on Monday to 922 on Friday, said Jim Kaufman, the president and CEO of the West Virginia Hospital Association. The state’s hospitals are also facing severe staffing shortages, resulting in fewer patients treated and delays in non-emergency care. Smaller hospitals are sending patients to larger ones that can accommodate them, Kaufman said. In Oklahoma, new hospitalizations declined by 11% during the week ending Sept. 10 compared with the previous week, but 35% of hospitals in the state report staffing shortages, according to the CDC. (Reporting by Julia Harte in New York, Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, Calif., Maria Caspani in New York and Deena Beasley in Los Angeles. Additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New Jersey and Anurag Maan in Bengaluru; Editing by Aurora Ellis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Daniel Trotta (Reuters) -A California jury on Friday found multimillionaire real estate heir Robert Durst guilty of murdering his best friend Susan Berman in 2000, the first homicide conviction for a man suspected of killing three people in three states over the past 39 years. Durst, 78 and frail, will likely die in prison as the jury also found him guilty of the special circumstances of lying in wait and killing a witness, which carry a mandatory life sentence. Superior Court Judge Mark Windham, who oversaw the trial, set a sentencing hearing for Oct. 18. The trial came six years after Durst’s apparent confession was aired in the HBO television documentary series “The Jinx,” in which Durst was caught on a hot microphone in the bathroom saying to himself, “What the hell did I do? … Killed them all, of course.” The nine-woman, three-man jury had deliberated for seven and a half hours over three days. Durst, who has been in jail for the duration of the trial, was not present for the reading of the verdict because he was in isolation after having been exposed to somebody with COVID-19. Windham decided to have the verdict read in Durst’s absence. Speaking to attorneys for both sides later, he called the case “the most extraordinary trial that I’ve ever seen or even heard about.” Lead prosecutor John Lewin, who had pursued Durst for years, credited “The Jinx” filmmakers Andrew Jarecki and Marc Smerling for their revealing interviews with Durst, telling reporters after the verdict: “Without them having conducted the interviews, we wouldn’t be where we are.” In closing arguments, Lewin called Durst a “narcissistic psychopath” who killed Berman in an attempt to cover up the disappearance of his wife, Kathleen McCormack Durst, in New York in 1982. Durst was only on trial for killing Berman in California, but prosecutors argued he murdered three people: his missing wife, Berman and a neighbor in Texas who discovered his identity when Durst was hiding from the law. Despite long being a suspect in the disappearance of his wife, a 29-year-old medical student, Durst was never charged. Prosecutors said he killed her, then decided to kill Berman 18 years later because she had told others that she helped Durst cover up the crime. Berman, 55, was shot in the back of her head inside her Beverly Hills home. Shortly after the verdict, the McCormack family issued a statement urging prosecutors in Westchester County, New York, to prosecute Durst. “The justice system in Los Angeles has finally served the Berman family. It is now time for Westchester to do the same for the McCormack family,” the statement said. Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah reopened the case in May, shortly after taking office. Her office issued a statement on Friday commending those involved in securing the conviction, but a spokesperson said the Westchester investigation “remains ongoing and we will have no further comment at this time.” Defense lawyers portrayed Durst, a cancer survivor who testified from a wheelchair wearing a baggy jail uniform, as a “sick old man.” But he withstood 15 days as a witness, nine of them under cross examination. During a 58-day trial spread over a year and a half, including a one-year delay due to the coronavirus pandemic, Durst testified that he discovered Berman’s murdered body when he went to visit her but did not call police. The prosecution also delved into the 2001 death and dismemberment of Morris Black, who was Durst’s neighbor in Galveston, Texas. A Galveston jury acquitted Durst of murder, even though Durst admitted he chopped up Black’s body and dumped it in Galveston Bay. Durst said Black pulled a gun on him and was shot accidentally when the two men wrestled over the firearm. Black’s death marked the second time Durst had a dead body at his feet, according to his own testimony. In both cases, Durst said he at first tried to call the 911 emergency number but later decided against it, fearing nobody would believe he was not guilty. Besides “The Jinx” audio, two other pieces of evidence appeared to damage Durst’s defense. One was the recorded 2017 testimony of Nick Chavin, a mutual friend who said Durst admitted to him in 2014 that he had killed Berman. “It was her or me. I had no choice,” Chavin recounted Durst telling him. Durst also admitted he authored a handwritten letter to Beverly Hills police with the word “cadaver” and Berman’s address, directing them to her undiscovered body. Durst had denied writing the note for 20 years. Durst is the grandson of the founder of The Durst Organization, one of New York City’s premier real estate companies. He long ago left the company, now run by his estranged brother Douglas Durst, who testified at trial and said of his sibling: “He’d like to murder me.” (Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Sonya Hepinstall) View the full article

Published by DPA Visitors take pictures of the wrapped Arc de Triomph, while workers are busy in arranging the wrapper hanging on the triomph. Arc de triomphe was wrapped on 12th September to pay tribute to the late Artist Christo, who wished to wrap the arc in a wrap before his death. Abhijeet Gurjar/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa After two months of work, the wrapping of Paris’ iconic Arc de Triomphe is now complete, thus fulfilling a life-long dream of late Bulgarian-French conceptual artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Until October 3, the historic monument will be adorned with 25,000 square metres of silvery-blue fabric and 3,000 metres of red rope. The long-awaited project of the duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude – neither of whom lived to see its completion – the adornment of the famous arch in 25,000 square metres of silvery-blue fabric and 3,000 metres of red rope, can be seen until October 3. Jeanne-Claude died in 2009, and Christo died in 2020, after a long career in which the couple wrapped iconic buildings around the world including the Reichstag in Berlin and the Pont Neuf in Paris. Before his death, Christo had already completed the plans for the Arc de Triomphe, which was originally scheduled to take place in the autumn of 2020. But following the artist’s death at the age of 84 and due to the coronavirus pandemic, the project had to be postponed. The costs for the wrapping, around 14 million euros (16.4 milion dollars), were financed by Christo himself – among other things through the sale of sketches, collages and plans. More than 1,000 workers, engineers and climbers worked on the project, the idea for which dates back to the 1960s. A general view of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, which was wrapped in silver-blue fabric based on a design by the late artist Christo. The 50-meter-high Arc de Triomphe was wrapped on 12th September to pay tribute to the late Artist Christo, who wished to wrap the arc in a wrap before his death. -/AFP/dpa View the full article

Published by AFP The red carpet area is readied for the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles Los Angeles (AFP) – The Emmys honoring the best in television return Sunday for the first in-person ceremony since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to the return of a (small, socially distanced) audience, there are plenty of potential records and historic firsts to look out for: Posthumous win? Michael K. Williams, forever remembered as Baltimore stick-up man Omar Little in seminal HBO crime drama “The Wire,” died earlier this month. His tragic passing will not influence voting — the suspected drug overdose in New York occurred after Emmys voting had closed. But Williams is the favorite to win the award for best supporting actor in a drama for supernatural horror series “Lovecraft Country.” He was nominated four times in the past but never won a statuette. Many viewers will hope for a victory for Williams, which would make him part of an elite group of posthumous acting winners at the Emmys — one that includes Ingrid Bergman. Transgender first? FX’s “Pose” — about New York’s 1980s underground ballroom culture — has already done much to advance LGBTQ representation. Two years ago, its star Billy Porter became the first openly gay black man to win the best drama actor prize. On Sunday, another cast member has a chance to make history. “Mj Rodriguez has a shot at being the first trans winner in lead actress,” Los Angeles Times journalist Michael Ordona told AFP. “But she’s got a tough row to hoe, because I think there’s a lot of goodwill toward Emma Corrin for her portrayal of Princess Diana,” in “The Crown,” he added. Biggest loser? “The Handmaid’s Tale” was the first ever streaming show to win best drama at the Emmys. Hulu’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel strongly resonated with voters back in 2017. Since then, the Elisabeth Moss-starring series offering a bleak portrait of an authoritarian America has seen diminishing returns — in terms of both critical response and awards tallies. Still nominated for a whopping 21 statuettes this year, it has won zero in the technical categories handed out so far — meaning it will become the “biggest loser” in a single year of Emmys history if it fails to convert at all on Sunday. Netflix record? Netflix needs 10 wins Sunday to tie the all-time record for most Emmys wins in a year — 44, set by CBS network way back in 1974 when shows like “MAS*H” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” ruled the airwaves. Such an impressive haul is not necessarily beyond the streamer. Chess-themed “The Queen’s Gambit” has already bagged nine awards in fields from costumes to cinematography, and should contend for more awards Sunday including best limited series, directing, and actress for Anya Taylor-Joy. British royals drama “The Crown” is tipped for the night’s top prize — best drama — and has frontrunners across the acting categories including Emma Corrin, Josh O’Connor and Gillian Anderson as Princess Diana, Prince Charles and Margaret Thatcher, respectively. ‘Short straw’ After last year’s pandemic-mandated virtual event, the nominees are to be welcomed back in-person at the Emmys — but only a lucky few of them. Each nomination will earn a maximum three invitations to the socially distanced 500-person outdoor venue (the ceremony typically has an audience of 4,000-6,000). This has caused a scramble among those up for best drama, best comedy and best limited series, as each show usually has a large number of producers listed as nominees and eligible to attend. “Can you imagine the defining moment in your career — you’re nominated for an Emmy, and you just drew the short straw and you can’t go to the ceremony?” said Variety awards editor Clayton Davis. “That’s going to happen to a lot of people.” View the full article

Howard BragmanHollywood’s Coming Out PR Go-To Establishes University Coming Out Fund Public relations giant Howard Bragman, known widely for helping LGBTQ Hollywood stars and athletes embrace their identities publicly, is giving back to a major university in his home state of Michigan. Bragman and the University of Michigan announced the creation of a $1 million Coming Out Fund last week. The fund will aid the university’s LGBTQ center, known as the Spectrum Center, with providing emergency financial assistance to students in multiple fashions, including health services, mental health care, housing and tuition. Bragman, who grew up in Flint, MI and attended the Ann Arbor-based university, sees the fund as an important support structure for students on their respective LGBTQ journeys. “Coming out is this most personal of journeys and it’s a challenging journey,” Bragman said. “It’s so important for students to know they are not alone and that the Spectrum Center is there for them. I want to assure that other people get that same access that I had; life-changing, life-saving access. I can’t imagine what would have happened if I hadn’t had the resources that the university had provided.” The fund’s establishment comes as the Spectrum Center, the first known LGBTQ resource center established on a university campus, celebrates it’s 50th anniversary. Bragman’s list of stars he helped guide through the coming out process includes former football player Michael Sam, former NBA veteran John Amaechi and actress Meredeth Baxter. “Pose” Star Indya Moore Calls Out “Cognitive Dissonance” At Met Gala While much of the public celebrated the looks following this year’s Met Gala, “Pose” star Indya Moore indicated that 2021 is likely the last year she attends the event. In an Instagram post Wednesday, Moore highlighted the “cognitive dissonance” of the event, highlighting the protests and treatment of protestors by the NYPD that occurred outside of the event earlier this week. “Nickelodeon told me today that I’m not allowed to perform/ad any of the songs from the film into my show. These are my songs, my voice, my wirting. Does this seem fair,” Siwa said. “There is no reason that this music should not be included. Working for a company as a real human being treated as only a brand is fun until it’s not. Siwa has worked with the network since 2017, becoming a very popular figure for LGBTQ youth in the process. Nickelodeon hasn’t commented publicly regarding Siwa’s complaints. LGBTQ Hollywood: Previously on Towleroad LGBTQ Hollywood Roundup: Bragman Establishes Coming Out Fund; Indya Moore Calls Out Met Gala; Dan Levy Signs Netflix Deal; JoJo Siwa Frustrated With Nickelodeon Brian Bell September 17, 2021 Read More Billy Eichner ‘s ‘Big, Gay Divorce Comedy’ ‘Ex-Husbands’ Headed To Amazon; ‘It’s the Gay ‘War Of The Roses’ You’ve Been Waiting For!’ Brian Bell August 4, 2021 Read More Hollywood Skin Doc–and Home Flipper–Alex Khadavi Threatens to Kill Gay Couple In Homophobic Screed Caught on A Lobby Cam; Acquired by TMZ: WATCH Brian Bell July 22, 2021 Read More A ‘Pose’ Is Not Enough. Hollywood Writers Guild’s LGBTQ Group Calls Out Discrimination On and Off Screen In Open Letter Brian Bell June 14, 2021 Read More Kevin Spacey News: Judge Ruled Accuser Had To Go Public For Sexual Assault Case To Proceed. He Refused; Case Likely to be Dismissed. Towleroad May 15, 2021 Read More Reese Reveals Secret Hollywood Power Play Led By Shonda Rhimes; Tells Where Elle Woods Would Be Today; And Contrasts her image to Britney’s Towleroad April 29, 2021 Read More Photos courtesy of DVSROSS/Creative Commons and La Brea Media View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Max Harwood had limited experience of drag before starring in ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’. The 24-year-old actor plays the lead role in the film adaptation of the hit stage musical of the same name as teenager Jamie New, who becomes the drag queen Mimi Me, and was excited about being transformed into a drag artist. Asked if he had attempted to drag before taking on the part, Max said: “Not really. I dressed up as a kid; my sister and I would perform ‘Grease’ for the family, and I would swap roles so I could play Rizzo. “But I’m a huge fan of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’. I was incredibly excited to have a makeup artist put me in drag.” Max revealed that he studied YouTube videos so he can perfect his costume for the movie, which also features Richard E. Grant and Sharon Horgan. He told Variety: “I followed YouTube videos when you learn things like how to glue down your eyebrows. Honestly, some of the things I put on my face were really questionable and awful. But I’ve gotten better. I can actually do an OK drag face for myself, so I’m super proud of that.” Max explained that it was very difficult to learn how to walk in high heels and how the technique required hours spent practicing with a coach. He said: “It was really hard! And I’d done ballet, so my feet were quite strong. I worked with an amazing heels coach named Shawn Niles, and we spent hours in the dance studio just walking around, playing Whitney Houston, learning about hip placement and strengthening ankles and things like that.” View the full article

Published by AFP Indian actress Priyanka Chopra, who had been one of the hosts of Washington (AFP) – Creators of a new reality show pitting activists promoting charitable causes against each other were forced to change course following a massive backlash, with a top star apologizing Thursday for her participation. “The Activist,” whose launch was announced this week, was to be broadcast on American network CBS in October and co-produced by non-governmental organization Global Citizen, with celebrity hosts such as the singer Usher, actress Priyanka Chopra and dancer Julianne Hough. But no sooner had they unveiled plans for the “groundbreaking” programming they insisted would inspire real change, the producers announced they were dramatically reformatting the show, jettisoning the competitive activism-themed contests and switching to a one-time documentary rather than a multi-episode series. “We got it wrong,” Global Citizen said in an online apology. “Global activism centers on collaboration and cooperation, not competition.” CBS had said the audience of the original show would follow the adventures of “six activists from around the world working to bring meaningful change to one of three urgent universal causes: health, education and the environment.” The finale was to take place at the Group of 20 summit of world leaders in Rome in late October. But CBS said they recognized that format “distracts from the vital work these incredible activists do in their communities every day,” and that the concept would be reimagined into a non-competitive prime-time special. “I have been moved by the power of your voices over the past week,” Chopra told her 27 million Twitter followers Thursday. “The show got it wrong, and I’m sorry that my participation in it disappointed many of you.” Hough, posting on Instagram, said she recognized that for some the show idea “felt like the Oppression Olympics” and disrespected activists who have faced abuse — or even have been killed — fighting for their causes. “The judging aspect of the show missed the mark,” she said. View the full article