RadioRob

Published by Reuters By Kanishka Singh (Reuters) -A U.S. federal appeals court has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit by the Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia, that challenged the National Security Agency’s mass interception and searching of Americans’ international internet communications. In a divided ruling on Wednesday, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that the lawsuit must be dismissed after the government invoked the “state secrets privilege”, which meant that a full exploration of the issue in a court would damage national security. The Wikimedia Foundation had said in its lawsuit that the NSA’s “Upstream” surveillance program captures some of its international communications and is a violation of the U.S. constitution’s First Amendment free-speech rights and its Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure. “Although the district court erred in granting summary judgment to the government as to Wikimedia’s standing, we agree that the state secrets privilege requires the termination of this suit,” Judge Albert Diaz wrote in a majority opinion by the court. Judge Diana Gribbon Motz, who dissented in the court ruling, warned that the majority opinion “stands for a sweeping proposition: A suit may be dismissed under the state secrets doctrine, after minimal judicial review, even when the government premises its only defenses on far-fetched hypotheticals.” Upstream’s existence was revealed in leaks by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden in 2013 and the lawsuit was filed in the aftermath of those revelations. The Wikimedia Foundation said it disagreed with the ruling on Wednesday and is considering options for further review in the courts. “In the face of extensive public evidence about NSA surveillance, the court’s reasoning elevates extreme claims of secrecy over the rights of Internet users,” said James Buatti, senior legal manager at the Wikimedia Foundation https://bit.ly/2XwK14n. The lawsuit was first dismissed in 2015 after a U.S. District judge found lack of evidence that the NSA was conducting surveillance “at full throttle.” But the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals revived the case in 2017 https://reut.rs/2XuMRXx and sent it back to the lower court, which again dismissed it in 2019 https://bit.ly/3hVOepp. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Sam Holmes) View the full article

Published by InsideHook By Kayla Kibbe The Met Gala has always been a place for celebrities to compete for headlines in head-turning, often bizarre outfits usually representing questionable interpretations of the ever-elusive Met Gala theme. This year, however, the A-listers in attendance at Monday night’s event used their gala getups to make very literal, if arguably hypocritical, statements. While AOC’s controversial “Tax the Rich” gown stole the show, model and actress Cara Delevingne was making a sartorial statement of her own. That statement, emblazoned in red block letters across a white bulletproof vest: “Peg … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lil Nas X was convinced he was “going to die” when he got famous. The 22-year-old star went though a period of anxiety when he first started making music, which escalated when his single ‘Old Town Road’ became a global hit, but he credits his career for ultimately providing a distraction to allow his worst thoughts to subside. Speaking to Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, he said: “The entire time I was making music, I thought soon I was going to die for some reason. Worst anxiety period. “You know, I lost my grandmother and was the first person that was close to me that I had ever lost. I was like, ‘Oh my God, everything’s building up.’ And then especially when ‘Old Town Road blew up’. I was like, ‘Oh, I’m definitely dying soon.’ All of these artists that were coming into, or starting to pop into the music industry were passing away, I was like, ‘What the f*** is happening?’ “I guess I tried to ignore it until it went away. And then that’s when I found belief in the universe, for sure. And I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m really not alone in this.’ “That’s another thing music was for me though. It was something I love, but it was also a distraction from those thoughts. It’s like, oh, those thoughts, here’s the song guys.” Nas came out as gay publicly in June 2019 and he admitted he expected some people to be “shocked” by the admission. He said: “I knew some people would be shocked. Because a lot of people, when they hear a song, they maybe look up the artist and don’t think much don’t, don’t get too involved into your life or what they’re talking about, or their captions or what they’re posting on their story or whatnot. So then it’s just like, ‘Wait, what the.’ “Because there’s a lot of songs I like right now and I’ve seen the artist’s face, but I have no idea about them outside of that. So that’s how it was for… It was like, ‘Oh, this cowboy country? Wait, huh? How’s that possible?'” The ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’ hitmaker feels a sense of “responsibility” and wants to put in “even more effort” to push boundaries because of his sexuality. He added: “I feel responsibility. I don’t know if I want to say a lot, but it’s certain things that I see in the world that fuel me to go harder or put even more effort, or to make sure I’m getting across. “Because I feel like, I said this before in the past, when people come out as gay or whatnot, it becomes like, ‘OK, let’s sanitise the hell out of this. Let’s make sure it’s appropriate and super safe.” “And it’s like where they don’t do anything that’s considered too far, even the things that we see other artists doing. And even to defend ourselves… I feel like we still haven’t reached a place where I can do something right now that no straight person has done that’s considered too far. Because then, it’s really too far because no straight person has done it yet. You know what I’m saying?” Watch the interview in full on Apple Music at apple.co/_MONTEROInterview. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Ed Sheeran is planning to give Sam Smith a 6ft-tall marble penis. The ‘Bad Habits’ hitmaker has revealed he’s having the life-size phallic model made for the 29-year-old singer after the ‘Dancing With A Stranger’ saw the unusual decorative piece in the flame-haired hunk’s pub at his home in Suffolk, England, recently. Speaking to Zoe Ball on BBC’s Radio 2, the 30-year-old singer said: “I’m having a life-size one made for Sam Smith as well because Sam saw one of them in my pub at home and said, ‘Oh my God, I’d love one of them’. So I’m having one the size of them.” This isn’t the first time Ed has gifted a marble penis to a friend, as he also gave Elton John one for his birthday in March. Elton, 74, said previously: “For my birthday this year, he [Ed] gave me a giant marble penis. “I don’t know if that’s because I’ve always been a p***k or what. It’s really big, it’s beautifully made.” The iconic musician admitted his husband David Furnish wouldn’t let him put the X-rated statue in their garden because of their sons Zachary, 10, and eight-year-old Elijah. He laughed: “It’s hidden in an area in the house where they wouldn’t see it!” When it comes to raunchy gifts, Ed has a history after Courteney Cox previously revealed he’d sent her a “leather gimp mask”. Ed – who is close friends with the 57-year-old actress – revealed how he thought up an X-rated prank when she told him she could buy anything she wanted from her Alexa device. He explained: “So, she walks out the room, and I go, ‘Alexa, order me a leather gimp mask’. “Unbeknownst to me, Courteney’s assistant opened the post, and she finds this mask and instantly goes, ‘Oh, I don’t think I was meant to see that,’ and leaves it on Courteney’s bed.” The ‘Lego House’ hitmaker revealed the ‘Friends’ star found out about his joke, and he’s kept it up by ordering more and hiding them in unusual places. He added: “Anyway, she found out the story, and now every time I go back there, I order her another gimp mask. “And she has maybe 12, and I hide them in people’s bedrooms. So they’ll go in a drawer, and they’ll just find this leather S&M mask.” Marble on Towleroad Fashion Statements: The AOC Met Gala Dress Recalls 5 Times Fashion Helped Make Change. ‘I Really DO Care Don’t You?’ More Dan Levy Brings Met Gala 2021 Queer Love, in An Inspired Loewe, @cartier and Wojnarovicz Collab For the Fashion Benefit More New York begins work on LGBTQ+ museum set for 2024 opening More Many Relationships Won’t Make It Through The Pandemic Conflicts? Couples Boil Over OR Reconnect More U.S. Senate Democrats to seek quick passage of revised election reform plan More Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo clean up at MTV Video Music Awards More Pop princess Britney Spears engaged to boyfriend Sam Asghari; Good Sign the Conservatorship Horror Gets Better More Spectacular Suit-Dress Steals Show; Lil Nas X Turns Head, Wins the VH1 Red Carpet More Madonna wows MTV Video Music Awards with surprise performance More Lance Bass twin babies to arrive ‘any day now’; N’sync + Backstreet Boys Project Called ‘TRL: Total Relief Live’ Is Jan 2022 More Jodie Foster Says ‘Taxi Driver’ Transformed Cinema…I Was Very Proud’; Say ‘Bad Choices’ Gave Her Depth, Made Her Happy More Load More View the full article

… AOC Met Gala Fashion Statement NDZ/STAR MAX/IPx Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has ignited both controversy and celebration after wearing a gown to the Met Gala emblazoned in red graffiti text with the statement “Tax the Rich”. Appearing as a guest of the Metropolitan Museum of Art at the annual fund raiser, (for which tickets cost tens of thousand dollars), the left-wing politician wore a custom gown by fashion brand Brother Vellies, bringing with her the label’s founder, the young Black designer and activist Aurora James. Using fashion as a tool to address wider social concerns has, in fact, long been a strategy for people seeking to make change — including wearing these clothes in spaces of influence. From 19th century Suffragettes who pounded the streets in heels, ultra-feminine dress and large “picture” hats to refute claims that they were unwomanly, to patriot textiles in the second world war, to Indigenous Australian street clothes and accessories by a brand such as Dizzy Couture today, dress has historically conveyed political messages, creating “looks” for generations of change agents. Here are 5 clothing acts as provocations that changed history. 1. George Washington’s suit Houdon’s sculpture of Washington. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY The founders of the American Revolution wished to break with the old codes of European aristocracy. Much of the world still had “sumptuary laws”: legal edicts that regulated the types, materials and amounts of cloth, colours, jewellery and accessories permitted to various social groups. In North America, the formal clothing codes of the old regime were actively resisted: men were not expected to wear the expensive and colourful embroidered silks typically worn to European courts. Their imported fabrics were considered bad for local economies, and their elite air at odds with the idea that all men might now be (relatively) equal. President elect George Washington was sculpted by Houdon in the late 18th century with a button missing from his waistcoat. This was a deliberate gesture to show his actions were more important than his appearance. He also wore plain, home-spun American woollen cloth for his inauguration instead of the expected silk or velvet. This was a firm demonstration of North American independence and perhaps the first American “business casual”. 2. The Abolitionist handbag Abolitionist bag full of anti-slavery pamphlets. ©Victoria and Albert Museum, London, CC BY-NC Since the late 18th century, a range of objects from jewellery to printed dishes were produced to critique the Slave Trade. British Quakers had advocated for Abolition in 1783. The Female Society for Birmingham (originally the Ladies Society for the Relief of Negro Slaves, the first such group) mobilised their anti-slavery followers with handbags printed with images and slogans designed to gain support for the Abolitionist movement. The silk drawstring bags, made by women in sewing circles, were presented to prominent figures such as George IV and Princess Victoria. The bags contained newspaper articles and tracts supportive of Abolition. The Slavery Abolition Act, which provided for the immediate abolition of slavery in most of the British Empire was passed ten years later, in 1833. A similar Act was ratified in the USA only in 1865. 3. No feather hats Feather fan circa 1902. Te Papa, CC BY-NC-ND The ostrich and exotic bird industry was massive in the 19th century: as well as plumes, women wore whole bodies of birds as accessories, such as hummingbird earrings. The ostrich plume “double fluff” industry was centred on South Africa, where the feathers were worth more than gold. They were exported to rooms in London and New York where exhausted young girls finished and dyed them for retail. In 1914 a massive “feather crash” saw the raw material become close to worthless. Young women interested in the growing national park and conservation movements objected to the trade on ecological grounds. They simply stopped wearing the fashion, starting a global “anti-plumage” movement. The women involved with the Massachusetts Audubon Society were so successful that their lobbying led to the first US federal conservation legislation, The Lacey Act (1900). Taxidermied birds, feather boas and birds as earrings became largely unfashionable and were rarely seen again in women’s fashion. 4. The ACT UP T-shirt “Act Up Oral History Project”, CC BY-NC-SA The AIDS crisis of the 1980s-90s saw the mobilisation of a unique blend of activism born from the women’s, Hispanic, Black power and 1970s gay movements. ACT UP New York determined that only anger and civil disobedience would focus the attention of government and big pharma on the plight of mainly gay men’s health. A series of extraordinary “zaps” or site-specific protests, often theatrical, was engineered. ACT UP’s membership included skilled figures from advertising and design who created unified and stylish T-shirts, posters and banners. The designs were clean, slick and looked just like good advertising. As Sarah Schulman recently demonstrated in her 20 year history of ACT UP, the bold T-shirt designs both created optimum impact for ACT UP’s protests on the TV news and a new pro-gay identity. Worn with Doc Marten shoes, leather jackets, clean and tight jeans or denim shorts, ACT UP established the look of gay urban men for a generation. Government bodies and large drug companies were shamed by the public protests into adopting better and more rational health messaging, conducting better funded and more equitable drug trials and selling cheaper retrovirals. 5. When Katharine met Maggie In 1984, designer Katharine Hamnett wore a t-shirt that read, “58% DONT WANT PERSHING” (a reference to nuclear missiles) to a high profile fashion evening attended by conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Hamnett made her T-shirt the night before, recognising the opportunity she had, and hid it under her coat upon entry. Its graphic format owes a debt to both 1970s Punk and ACT UP. She later recalled of the widely photographed encounter with Thatcher: She looked down and said, “You seem to be wearing a rather strong message on your T-shirt”, then she bent down to read it and let out a squawk, like a chicken. Social change needs its visual forms. Fashion is one of them. Fashion is a brilliant communicator of new ideas. That we are reading about AOC’s clothing “controversy” shows she fully understands fashion’s power. Peter McNeil, Distinguished Professor of Design History, UTS, University of Technology Sydney This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. AOC Met Gala on Towleroad Dan Levy Brings Met Gala 2021 Queer Love, in An Inspired Loewe, @cartier and Wojnarovicz Collab For the Fashion Benefit More New York begins work on LGBTQ+ museum set for 2024 opening More Many Relationships Won’t Make It Through The Pandemic Conflicts? Couples Boil Over OR Reconnect More U.S. Senate Democrats to seek quick passage of revised election reform plan More Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo clean up at MTV Video Music Awards More Pop princess Britney Spears engaged to boyfriend Sam Asghari; Good Sign the Conservatorship Horror Gets Better More Spectacular Suit-Dress Steals Show; Lil Nas X Turns Head, Wins the VH1 Red Carpet More Madonna wows MTV Video Music Awards with surprise performance More Lance Bass twin babies to arrive ‘any day now’; N’sync + Backstreet Boys Project Called ‘TRL: Total Relief Live’ Is Jan 2022 More Jodie Foster Says ‘Taxi Driver’ Transformed Cinema…I Was Very Proud’; Say ‘Bad Choices’ Gave Her Depth, Made Her Happy More Prince Andrew served with papers in US sexual assault lawsuit More Load More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Dan Levy’s Met Gala 2021 ensemble celebrated “queer love and visibility”. The ‘Schitt’s Creek’ star wore a Loewe costume depicting two men kissing inspired by the late LGBTQIA+ activist and multimedia artist David Wojnarovicz’s art based on a homophobic cartoon at the fashion fundraiser at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday night (13.09.21). The 38-year-old actor, who was accessorised by Cartier, also revealed that Loewe made a donation to the charity Visual AIDS. Sharing the meaning behind the bold look, Dan explained on Instagram: “A big heartfelt thank you to @cartier for so generously welcoming and accessorizing me tonight. What I’ve so long admired about the Costume Institute is its commitment to educate and inspire people through fashion. “I was fortunate enough to also get to work with @jonathan.anderson and the incredible team of designers and craftspeople at @loewe on a look that meant something to all of us. With support from the estate of American multimedia artist and LGBTQIA+ activist, David Wojnarovicz (1954-1992), Jonathan and the design team built upon an image of two men kissing from Wojnarovicz’s work, F*** You F-t F*****, named after a homophobic cartoon the artist had come across. But rather than feed on the message of hate, we wanted to celebrate queer love and visibility – acknowledging how hard artists like Wojnarovicz had to fight, while also presenting the imagery in a way that offered a hopeful message. Tonight, we’re celebrating the resilience, the love, and the joy of the community while honoring a crucial American voice that was taken from us too soon. “To mark the collaboration, Loewe has made a donation to Visual AIDS, an organization Wojnorovicz supported, that continues to promote AIDS awareness and education (sic)” Dan came out as gay to his parents – actor Eugene Levy and screenwriter Deborah Divine – when he was 18. Met Gala 2021 on Towleroad New York begins work on LGBTQ+ museum set for 2024 opening More Many Relationships Won’t Make It Through The Pandemic Conflicts? Couples Boil Over OR Reconnect More U.S. Senate Democrats to seek quick passage of revised election reform plan More Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo clean up at MTV Video Music Awards More Pop princess Britney Spears engaged to boyfriend Sam Asghari; Good Sign the Conservatorship Horror Gets Better More Spectacular Suit-Dress Steals Show; Lil Nas X Turns Head, Wins the VH1 Red Carpet More Madonna wows MTV Video Music Awards with surprise performance More Lance Bass twin babies to arrive ‘any day now’; N’sync + Backstreet Boys Project Called ‘TRL: Total Relief Live’ Is Jan 2022 More Jodie Foster Says ‘Taxi Driver’ Transformed Cinema…I Was Very Proud’; Say ‘Bad Choices’ Gave Her Depth, Made Her Happy More Prince Andrew served with papers in US sexual assault lawsuit More Jessica Chastain Acquired ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ After Documentary Went Beyond SNL’s Crying, Crook Cartoon Image More Load More View the full article

Published by DPA Former tennis player Billie Jean King speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the LGBTQ+ Museum, scheduled to open in 2024. Christina Horsten/dpa Museum founders in New York have broken ground on a site set to become an LGBTQ+ museum opening in 2024. The museum is an expansion of the New-York Historical Society and will tell the stories of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, as well as others who feel they belong to this group. Founded in the early 19th century, the Historical Society is primarily dedicated to the history of metropolitan New York. “We are so happy that the museum has found a home,” former professional tennis player and activist Billie Jean King said at the Tuesday groundbreaking event. “It’s our time, for our American LGBTQ+ community, to tell our stories.” The whole world will take notice of this museum, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “People will come from literally every corner of the world to learn, to be educated, to be inspired, to remember that, yes, a change can come, and it did here in New York City.” The 1969 “Stonewall” riots in New York, when revellers resisted a police raid at the popular gay bar the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, are widely considered the birth of the movement. Every year, parades around the world celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and their resistance to discrimination. View the full article

Published by DPA People generally don’t show their best side in a crisis like the pandemic. In times like these, unresolved conflicts become particularly clear. Christin Klose/dpa The coronavirus crisis has put a serious strain on many aspects of our lives. Many couples’ relationship has been sorely tested too. “Like a fire accelerant,” crises intensify unresolved conflicts, points out Dominik Borde, a relationship coach in Vienna. He’s not the only couples therapist expecting a wave of break-ups and divorces on the back of the Covid-19 pandemic. Berlin-based psychotherapist Holger Kuntze, for example, reports a veritable stampede for counselling by couples with relationship problems. The number has increased by more than a third, he says. This doesn’t surprise the therapists. For one thing, people who are fearful and in difficulties – as during a pandemic – typically don’t show themselves from their best side. And the crisis has shifted many people’s focus. Fulfilling long-held dreams has taken on new urgency. People are asking themselves how they really want to live, and with whom. Kuntze divides couples who were locked down together into two groups. For one group, the forced togetherness was hell: Long-simmering conflicts boiled over and many a partner decided that the relationship wasn’t worth continuing. In the other group, the partners made things cosy for themselves. “They reconnected and enjoyed the extended time together. But the normal daily routine is now back, they’ve got the same problems and are frustrated,” Kuntze says. “The extensive restrictions on our freedom have made many of us realize that life isn’t endless and we don’t have forever to fulfil lifelong dreams that we’ve always put off,” says Borde. The kinds of couples that are especially at risk of a break-up, in his view, are the ones prone to blaming each other for things that go wrong. The same goes for those who have never learned to manage their emotions and build relationships. But self-improvement is possible if they draw on their pandemic experiences, Borde says. Kuntze advises couples to discuss what each partner has learned during the coronavirus crisis. This could reveal common ground and facilitate compromise, he says, but adds they’ve got a problem if it turns out their takes are very different. “If one partner doesn’t want to resume the couple’s pre-lockdown lifestyle, while the other thinks it was just as it should be, there’s trouble ahead,” Kuntze remarks. To illustrate his point, he cites a couple that shared a love of cultural activities before the pandemic hit. One partner sorely missed not being able to go to the opera, theatre and exhibitions during the lockdown, while the other didn’t and discovered it was far more enjoyable to be outdoors surrounded by nature. “Something like this shakes up everything, of course,” says Kuntze. Ideally, couples use these differences to recalibrate their relationship, which he likens to the “moulting process” of animals that shed old feathers, hair, or skin to make way for new growth. If the couple fails to reconcile their differences and splits, one partner is usually the instigator and also gets over the break-up more easily. The decision is typically prompted not only by current problems, but with the past and future in mind too – ie the relationship may never have been particularly satisfying and/or its prospects may not be promising. Kuntze says the instigator should explain his or her motives and be sensitive to the rejected partner’s feelings. “You shouldn’t summarily brush aside your partner’s pain,” he says, “for example with the excruciating line, ‘Let’s stay friends.’ People want to be seen, heard and taken seriously.” Most couples can’t handle such a one-on-one talk though, according to Kuntze, who says one partner’s heartache or the other’s impatience are usually impediments. So he recommends that they go to a therapist. Borde, for his part, recommends seeing a therapist when you’re struggling to decide whether to continue or to end a relationship. A therapist, he says, can help you recognize your share of the responsibility for the problems and avoid repeating your mistakes – be it in your current relationship or any future ones. Pandemic Conflicts on Towleroad U.S. Senate Democrats to seek quick passage of revised election reform plan More Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo clean up at MTV Video Music Awards More Pop princess Britney Spears engaged to boyfriend Sam Asghari; Good Sign the Conservatorship Horror Gets Better More Spectacular Suit-Dress Steals Show; Lil Nas X Turns Head, Wins the VH1 Red Carpet More Madonna wows MTV Video Music Awards with surprise performance More Lance Bass twin babies to arrive ‘any day now’; N’sync + Backstreet Boys Project Called ‘TRL: Total Relief Live’ Is Jan 2022 More Jodie Foster Says ‘Taxi Driver’ Transformed Cinema…I Was Very Proud’; Say ‘Bad Choices’ Gave Her Depth, Made Her Happy More Prince Andrew served with papers in US sexual assault lawsuit More Jessica Chastain Acquired ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ After Documentary Went Beyond SNL’s Crying, Crook Cartoon Image More ‘By the people, for the people’… but who really runs America? More Facebook and Ray-Ban Debut ‘Smart’ Shade. Analysts Unsure on Built in Privacy Protections More Load More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a new version of an election reform bill that is a top priority of President Joe Biden, amid a wave of Republican state legislatures imposing restrictions on voting. Senator Amy Klobuchar and seven fellow Democrats, including moderates such as Joe Manchin, introduced the bill that would set national standards for states to follow as they administer elections. The Democratic senators said their bill, dubbed the “Freedom to Vote Act,” would ensure that all qualified voters can request mail-in ballots and have at least 15 days of early voting. The legislation also would allow people to register to vote as late as Election Day. “Following the 2020 elections in which more Americans voted than ever before, we have seen unprecedented attacks on our democracy in states across the country,” the senators said in a statement. But with Republicans accusing Democrats of a “power grab” that would rob states of their ability to fashion voting rules, the legislation faces a tough battle in the Senate, which is divided 50-50 between the two parties. In June, all 50 Senate Republicans banded together to block a more ambitious bill, leaving Democrats 10 votes short of the minimum needed for it to advance. Under the Senate’s “filibuster” rule, at least 60 votes in the 100-member chamber are needed for most legislation to advance. On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said a vote by the full Senate on the retooled bill could come as early as next week. The bill also would reduce the ability of states to fashion congressional districts in a partisan way and would aim to lift a veil of secrecy over some campaign contributions. Democrats accused Republican-controlled states of imposing new voting rules to suppress Election Day turnout, especially among Black, Hispanic and young voters, many of whom lean Democratic. Those Republican efforts expanded significantly after November’s U.S. presidential election in which defeated ex-President Donald Trump falsely claimed he was the victim of widespread voter fraud – an allegation that was rejected multiple times by courts and by his own Justice Department. In mid-term elections set for Nov. 8, 2022, voters will decide whether control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives should remain in Democratic hands or be turned over to Republicans. Democrats hold the narrowest of majorities in Congress. Last week, Texas joined the list of states enacting new election restrictions, which Biden called an “all-out assault” on American democracy. The state’s new rules would make it harder for Texans to cast mail-in ballots and would add identification requirements for such voting. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the law would make it “harder for people to cheat at the ballot box.” If Republicans again refuse to provide the support needed in the Senate for the bill to clear the 60-vote threshold, some Democrats are expected to urge Schumer to carve out an exception to the filibuster rule so that only a simple majority of the 100-seat Senate is required for passage. (Reporting by Richard Cowan. Editing by Gerry Doyle) View the full article

Published by The Bangkok Post Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo clean up at MTV Video Music Awardspublished : 13 Sep 2021 at 11:45 NEW YORK – A stacked slate of artists lit up MTV’s 40th annual Video Music Awards on Sunday, returning in full force to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center after last year’s scaled-back pandemic show. The 2021 VMAs — a show known more for ostentatious performances, made-for-Twitter moments and wild costumes than the actual awards — was back with its signature elaborate performances before a masked full audience after a 2020 show that saw many celebrities accept prizes via video stream. The show opened with a pr… Read More View the full article

Published by AFP Britney Spears’ high energy pop burst onto the global stage in the late 1990s Los Angeles (AFP) – Pop princess Britney Spears on Sunday announced her engagement to her boyfriend Sam Asghari via social media. Spears, 39, showed off a diamond ring in an Instagram micro-video post and wrote “I can’t f***ng believe it!!!!!!!” By her side in the video is her boyfriend — now fiance — Sam Asghari, whom she turns to and kisses on the cheek. “Look at that — you like it?” Asghari, 27, asks. “Yeah!” Spears squeals in delight. Congratulations poured in and over 1.6 million people had liked the post by Sunday night. “Congratulations love!! So happy for you! Welcome to the club!” said celebrity heiress Paris Hilton in a comment on the video. Asghari’s Instagram page has a simple picture of him kissing Spears as she lifts her hand — and ring finger — to show off her new bling. Spears and Asghari met in 2016 when they co-starred in a music video for her single “Slumber Party.” Spears has two children with former husband rapper Kevin Federline, and had a brief Las Vegas marriage to childhood friend Jason Alexander that was annulled after just 55 hours. The star rocketed to fame in her teens with hits like “…Baby One More Time,” but suffered a highly public 2007 breakdown, attacking a paparazzo’s car at a gas station. That led to her being placed under a court-ordered conservatorship largely governed by her father, Jamie Spears. She swiftly returned to performing, released three albums, appeared on various television shows and even took up a Las Vegas residency. But in January 2019, she abruptly announced she was suspending her performances until further notice, and became increasingly vocal about the conservatorship. In July she launched a bid to remove her father from the 13-year guardianship that she said amounted to “abuse,” and in early September Jamie Spears filed a petition to end the conservatorship. Britney Spears Engaged on Towleroad Spectacular Suit-Dress Steals Show; Lil Nas X Turns Head, Wins the VH1 Red Carpet More Madonna wows MTV Video Music Awards with surprise performance More Lance Bass twin babies to arrive ‘any day now’; N’sync + Backstreet Boys Project Called ‘TRL: Total Relief Live’ Is Jan 2022 More Jodie Foster Says ‘Taxi Driver’ Transformed Cinema…I Was Very Proud’; Say ‘Bad Choices’ Gave Her Depth, Made Her Happy More Prince Andrew served with papers in US sexual assault lawsuit More Jessica Chastain Acquired ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ After Documentary Went Beyond SNL’s Crying, Crook Cartoon Image More ‘By the people, for the people’… but who really runs America? More Facebook and Ray-Ban debut ‘smart’ shades More Judge blocks enforcement of Florida’s ‘anti-riot’ law More Biden’s COVID vaccine mandate angers Republicans, libertarians More Gayle King proud to be Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham’s third wheel More Load More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lil Nas X stole the show on the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) red carpet with his lavender suit-dress hybrid. The 22-year-old singer – who went on to win the prestigious Video of the Year accolade for ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’, as well as Best Visual Effects and Best Direction at Sunday’s (12.09.21) ceremony – arrived at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn wearing a show-stopping Atelier Versace creation which sparkled with hundreds of gemstones and sequins. The luxury label noted on Instagram: “The asymmetrical off-the-shoulder design features a lace-up back detail that cascades to long train and is enriched with hand-applied crystal embroidery.” The ‘Old Town Road’ hitmaker’s stylist, Hodo Musa, accessorised the creation with matching boots, butterfly earrings and long tumbling locks. And fashion fans will be looking forward to seeing what Nas wears at the Met Gala on Monday (13.09.21) evening as he promised it will be worth the wait. He told ‘Entertainment Tonight’: “We finna give y’all something! It’s gonna be a week. This is not a moment, this is a week, baby!” Nas’ stylist previously admitted he felt he was “destined” to meet the singer and he thinks they’ll have a very long working relationship. Hoda said last year: “I really feel like I was destined to meet Lil Nas X. It might sound silly or crazy, but I instantly knew our collaboration was going to be fruitful and long. He gives you the freedom that’s needed in order to do your job well, cause he has faith in the people around him. And he doesn’t have an ego. His ego is dead, just like mine.” Suit-Dress Lil Nas X On Towleroad Madonna wows MTV Video Music Awards with surprise performance More Lance Bass’s twin babies will arrive “any day now” More Jodie Foster Says ‘Taxi Driver’ Transformed Cinema…I Was Very Proud’; Say ‘Bad Choices’ Gave Her Depth, Made Her Happy More Prince Andrew served with papers in US sexual assault lawsuit More Jessica Chastain Acquired ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ After Documentary Went Beyond SNL’s Crying, Crook Cartoon Image More ‘By the people, for the people’… but who really runs America? More Facebook and Ray-Ban debut ‘smart’ shades More Judge blocks enforcement of Florida’s ‘anti-riot’ law More Biden’s COVID vaccine mandate angers Republicans, libertarians More Gayle King proud to be Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham’s third wheel More Gay man in alleged homophobic attack in Spain says he made it up More Load More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Madonna was a surprise performer at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night (12.09.21). The 63-year-old star shocked the crowd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City, as she kicked off the latest VMAs in a dominatrix-style outfit. Madonna – who opened the first VMAs in 1984 with her hit ‘Like a Virgin’ – arrived at the ceremony in a New York-style yellow taxi. Before she appeared on stage, her voice could be heard in the ceremony recounting her early years in the city and her love of MTV. She said: “I came to New York City with nothing but $35 and a pair of dance shoes. I was 19 and terrified. “Forty years ago, another underdog arrived in New York City hoping to create something revolutionary. “An all-music channel premiered in the middle of the night and called itself MTV. “We found each other and from then on changed my life, changed music and created a new art form. That’s why there’s only one place to be tonight.” Madonna – who has won 20 of the VMAs’ Moon Person trophies over the years – walked on stage to her 1990 song ‘Vogue’, and stripped off her trench coat to reveal a BDSM-inspired PVC outfit. Shortly before she departed the stage, the star – who famously shared a smooch with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera at the 2003 VMAs – told the crowd: “They said we wouldn’t last, but were still here motherf******. “Happy 40th MTV. Welcome to the 2021 MTV VMAs.” Other surprise appearances on the night came from Cyndi Lauper, 37 years after she won the Best Female Video at the first-ever VMAs. Cyndi – who presented the Best Pop Award – said: “I won a Moon Person at the very first VMAs in 1984. Things are a little different now. “Yeah, girls wanna have fun. But we also want to have funds. Equal pay! Control over our bodies! You know, fundamental rights!” Other performers at the spectacle included Justin Bieber, who took to the stage with The Kid Laroi to sing their tune ‘Stay’. Camila Cabello wowed with a version of her latest song ‘Don’t Go Yet’, and her boyfriend Shawn Mendes – who also took to the stage to perform – was spotted dancing to her music. Doja Cat – who hosted the ceremony – had a break from her evening duties to perform her songs ‘Been Like This’ and ‘You Right’. Kacey Musgraves, Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo, and Twenty One Pilots also performed at the ceremony. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lance Bass has revealed that his twin babies are due to arrive “any day now”. The former N*Sync star, 42, announced in June that he and his husband, artist Michael Turchin, 34, were to be parents via surrogacy. He said: “I got twins on the way. They could come any day which I’m kind of really scared about.” He made the exciting announcement at 2021 VMAs, which he joked would be his last appearance at the ceremony for quite a while. He told ‘Entertainment Tonight’: “I won’t be at the VMAs for the next 18 years!” The couple – who have been married since 2014 – confirmed to People in a Q&A that they are expecting a boy and a girl, and Lance is thrilled that they will be here in time for Halloween. He said: “They have no choice but to love Halloween because I’m obsessed and they’re going to be obsessed!” Happiness follows heartbreak for the couple, after going through several failed IVF attempts and sadly losing a baby boy at eight weeks in 2020. At the time, he said: “You try to trick yourself into not getting excited because you know anything can happen at any time, especially in those first few weeks when there’s a huge possibility that the (embryos) won’t stick.” News of the twins’ impending arrival comes as 98 Degrees frontman Nick Lachey spoke of an upcoming benefit concert, in which his band will unite with Bass’s band ‘N*Sync’, as well as other 90s favourites the Backstreet Boys next year. He said: “We’re working on a little something together for January 2022, called ‘TRL,’ Total Relief Live, and it’s a benefit concert benefiting feeding America. If you’re going to call something ‘TRL,’ you gotta bring out the heavy hitters of TRL.” AJ McLean of the ‘Backstreet Boys’ also teased that this may not be the only time the boybands collaborate. He said: “I mean, look. We get the best of the best in the same studio in the same booth. Magic is definitely happening. I mean. Who knows. We’ll see.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jodie Foster’s mother never wanted her to go to college. The 58-year-old actress-and-director began her career in the 1960s when she was just three years old with appearances in adverts and television shows, and in the next decade she established as a major young talent with her acclaimed performances in Martin Scorsese’s ‘Taxi Driver’ and the hit children’s musical ‘Bugsy Malone’. However, in 1980 she took a break from Hollywood to study African-American literature at Yale University, something which her mother Evelyn tried to dissuade her from her from as she though it would ruin her acting career. And Jodie’s mom also didn’t want her to step behind the cameras and become a director. Discussing some of the biggest risks she’s taken in her career, she shared: “Well, there are a number of them. The first one was to go to university instead of staying in the cinema. I studied at Yale for five years. Everyone was telling me, ‘Your career will be finished!’ But my education was so useful for what I did later. I learnt how to read deeply at university and this helped in my work as an actress. “And then I became a director just after the Oscar and the same person, [whispers] my mother, told me that it was a very bad idea to be a director since I was at the height of my acting career and it was the moment when I could make the most money. So it was a very bad choice, according to her. I did not listen and am very happy.” Jodie has won two Best Actress Academy Awards; the first for her performance as a rape survivor in powerful 1988 drama ‘The Accused’ – which was directed by Jonathan Kaplan – and the second for playing serial killer chasing FBI trainee Clarice Starling in 1991 horror film ‘The Silence of the Lambs in which she starred opposite Best Actor winner Sir Anthony Hopkins as cannibal murderer Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Foster believes that her journey to those accolades started when she played an underage prostitute in ‘Taxi Driver’ opposite Robert De Niro. In an interview with the UK issue of OK! magazine, she said: “It’s a difficult path. I have this sort of faith in things and when the waves are difficult, it gives me depth. That’s the way I view it as a writer, an actor, a director and a producer. “For me, ‘Taxi Driver’ is a film which was a kind of transformation in the cinema. “It was the golden age of American films, it was an arthouse film and I was very proud to be in it. It was destiny, it was fate and I was very lucky. I’d already made a film with [Martin] Scorsese and that’s why he knew me. People thought I was too young to play the part of a prostitute and people – lawyers that is – in the government of California, wanted to make sure I was psychologically ready. I had to do some tests.” Jodie Foster Previously on Towleroad Prince Andrew served with papers in US sexual assault lawsuit More Jessica Chastain Acquired ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ After Documentary Went Beyond SNL’s Crying, Crook Cartoon Image More ‘By the people, for the people’… but who really runs America? More Facebook and Ray-Ban debut ‘smart’ shades More Judge blocks enforcement of Florida’s ‘anti-riot’ law More Biden’s COVID vaccine mandate angers Republicans, libertarians More Gayle King proud to be Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham’s third wheel More Gay man in alleged homophobic attack in Spain says he made it up More Explainer – Beyond Delta, scientists are watching new coronavirus variants More Singapore robocops patrol for smokers and pandemic rule-breakers More Spanish leader to crack down on hate crimes after homophobic attack More Load More View the full article