RadioRob

Published by DPA Smoking in non-smoking places, illegal street hawking, improperly parked bikes and motorbikes, as well as large groups of people (banned during the lockdown) is what Singapore's new robocop is prowling for. HTX/dpa Wealthy Singapore has long been known as a tightly-run city-state where dissent and disobedience are rare. While authorities have only had to resort to one 6-week lockdown since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, rigorous testing and tracing as well as public caution has meant even as curbs have been relaxed, the renowned local blend of control and compliance has not. Even so, the government said on Sunday it would trial the use of robots, codenamed “Xavier,” which are to “patrol and survey a public area with high foot traffic to augment the work of public officers in enhancing public health and safety.” The 3-week test run has the robocops’ cameras and sensors “providing 360-degree video feed to the command and control centre,” while watching for smoking in “prohibited” places, illegal street hawking, improperly parked bikes and motorbikes mounting footpaths. There’s a pandemic link, of course, with the robots also to keep an eye out for congregations of more than five people, currently the limit under the ever-changing local pandemic restrictions Any rule-breaking and Xavier will get into scold mode and relay the “the appropriate message to educate the public and deter such behaviours,” according to the government’s Home Team Science and Technology Agency. During last year’s April-June lockdown, authorities deployed a robot dog to warn people in public parks to maintain so-called social distancing. View the full article

Published by DPA Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister of Spain and Secretary General of the PSOE, speaks during an interparliamentary meeting of the socialist parliamentary group pf the Spanish parliament. Óscar Cañas/EUROPA PRESS/dpa Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez promised tougher penalties to prevent hate crime on Wednesday, after a brutal homophobic attack at the weekend caused outrage throughout the nation. Speaking to lawmakers, Sanchez said the government would do everything in its power to prevent hate crimes. He called on parliament to move swiftly to pass a bill on equal treatment of minorities that was introduced earlier this year. His comments come as the nation reels from an incident on Sunday, in which eight hooded men attacked a homosexual man in Malasana, a Madrid neighbourhood popular for its nightlife. The victim was hospitalized with injuries that included the word “maricon” – slang for “gay” – carved into one of his buttocks, according to media reports. Those behind the attack have not yet been identified. There are also organized attacks targeting homosexuals and other minorities nationwide, say human rights groups. The Catalan Interior Ministry spoke of a “hunt” on Wednesday. There were 43 per cent more hate crimes targeting people for their sexual orientation throughout Spain in the first half of 2021 than in the whole of 2020. Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister of Spain and Secretary General of the PSOE, attends an interparliamentary meeting of the socialist parliamentary group pf the Spanish parliament. Óscar Cañas/EUROPA PRESS/dpa View the full article

Published by AFP The Department of Energy said solar power could account for almost half of US electricity supply by the middle of the century New York (AFP) – Solar power could account for nearly half of the United States’ electricity supply by the middle of the century, according to a government study released Wednesday. The report, released by the Department of Energy, said solar could account for much as 40 percent of the power supply by 2035 and 45 percent by 2050, up from its current level of just three percent. However reaching this level would require the United States to quadruple its annual solar capacity additions, the department said in a statement. This future also depends on extensive public investments, as well as policy changes to disincentivize carbon-based energy, the department added. “The study illuminates the fact that solar, our cheapest and fastest-growing source of clean energy, could produce enough electricity to power all of the homes in the US by 2035,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said. “Achieving this bright future requires a massive and equitable deployment of renewable energy and strong decarbonization polices –- exactly what is laid out in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda.” The report comes as President Joe Biden presses for aggressive action on climate change and renewable energy as Congress debates massive proposals to overhaul the country’s infrastructure and social services. Biden highlighted the need for action during a visit Tuesday to parts of New York and New Jersey ravaged by Hurricane Ida last week, saying the world faces a “code red” danger on climate. The report came as the Solar Energy Industry Association on Wednesday called for aggressive action to expand solar capacity, including a long-term extension of the solar investment tax credit and other policies promoting clean energy. View the full article

Published by Reuters HONG KONG (Reuters) -Hong Kong police on Wednesday arrested four members of a pro-democracy group that organises the annual June 4 rally to commemorate those who died in the bloody 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, in the latest blow to the opposition movement. Activist and barrister Chow Hang Tung of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China was arrested along with three others, the group said. “I want to tell Hong Kongers that we need to continue to resist, don’t surrender to the unreasonable power quickly and easily,” Chow told media on Tuesday when she went to police headquarters to tell officers she would not provide information they had requested. Police sent a letter to the alliance in August requesting information about its membership, finances and activities by Sept. 7, according to a copy the group sent to reporters. The letter accused the alliance of being “an agent of foreign forces”. Failure to provide the information by the deadline could result in a HK$100,000 fine and six months in jail, the letter said. The National Security Department said it had arrested three men and one woman, aged 36 to 57, for failing to comply with national security law requirements. It did not identify them. The department said investigations were ongoing and it did not rule out further arrests. The national security law punishes what authorities broadly refer to as secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. Chow’s arrest came hours before she was due to represent detained opposition politician Gwyneth Ho, who is charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under a Beijing-imposed national security law, at a bail hearing. Ho withdrew her bail application at the High Court after Judge Esther Toh declined her request to lift reporting restrictions for the hearing. Alliance leaders Albert Ho and Lee Cheuk-yan are already in jail over their roles in anti-government protests that roiled the city in 2019. The group said in July that it had laid off staff members to ensure their safety and that half of its committee members had resigned. (Reporting By Tyrone Siu and Jessie Pang, Writing by Anne Marie Roantree; Editing by Michael Perry) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Brendan O’Brien (Reuters) -A statue of Confederate commander Robert E. Lee was removed from its base in Richmond, Virginia’s capital, early on Wednesday after a yearlong legal battle over a monument that has been the focus of protests over racial injustice. As onlookers watched, crews secured the 21-foot (6.4-meter) bronze statue of the U.S. Civil War leader to a crane that hoisted it off its 40-foot (12.2-meter) granite pedestal and placed it on the ground. Since 1890, the towering memorial has stood at its location on Monument Avenue in Richmond, the former capital of the pro-slavery Confederacy, a group of Southern states that fought against Union forces in the 1861-65 Civil War. The Robert E. Lee statue is one of the largest still standing in the United States. Memorials that honor leaders of the Confederate side have become targets of protests against racism. Defenders of the statues say they are tributes to the bravery of those who fought to defend the South. Officials have said workers will move the statue of Lee, dressed in military attire and mounted on top of a horse, to a secure, state-owned storage site until a decision on its future is finalized. The hoisting of the statue was captured on the Twitter feed of Governor Ralph Northam, a Democrat, who announced plans to remove it in June 2020, 10 days after a white Minneapolis policeman killed George Floyd, who was Black, sparking nationwide protests. During the last six years, more than 300 symbols of the Confederacy and white supremacy have been taken down, while some 2,000 still stand, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Streets around the statue were closed on Tuesday evening as crews prepared a viewing area for the public to watch the statue’s removal. On Thursday, workers will remove plaques from the monument’s base and replace a time capsule believed to be at the site with a new one. The base will remain in place as the community reimagines Monument Avenue. Last Thursday, the Virginia Supreme Court unanimously ruled https://www.reuters.com/world/us/virginia-can-remove-statue-civil-war-general-lee-states-highest-court-rules-2021-09-02 in two cases that Northam could remove the statue. In summer 2020, the removal was challenged by nearby residents and a descendant of the family that transferred ownership of the statue to the state. (Reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Chicago and Peter Szekely in New York; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is reportedly funding new ant-aging technology which could extend the human lifespan by up to 50 years. Bezos – reputedly the world’s richest individual – is believed to be one of several billionaire investors in Altos Labs, a Silicon Valley tech firm working on experimental new life extension technologies. The company’s “reprogramming technology” has the goal to return normal cells to a ‘primitive’ stem cell state – which is how cells behave when someone is first born – in order to heal and regenerate. Altos Labs has hired some of the world’s top scientists in the field, including Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte from Spain, who is known for his controversial work on mixing human and monkey embryos. Belmonte has tested his cell work on live mice, with the rodents showing some signs of age reversal although some animals developed deadly tumours called teratomas. Since leaving his position as Amazon CEO, Bezos achieved his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut. The 57-year-old businessman and his crew landed safely back on Earth following a successful launch by his private spaceflight company Blue Origin from West Texas Bezos flew himself and his younger brother Mark, as well as 18-year-old Dutchman Oliver Daemen and 82-year-old aerospace pioneer Wally Funk – who became the youngest and oldest people to travel to space respectively – in the New Shepard rocket. Richest Man on Towleroad HRC Fires President Alphonso David Over Alleged Connections to Cuomo Sexual Harassment Scandal; David Promises Legal Action More BGI prenatal gene test under scrutiny for Chinese military links More U.S. Justice Dept. says will protect Texas abortion clinics that come under attack More ‘Silent crisis’ looms as US to end Covid aid for millions of jobless More Facebook labels black men ‘primates’ by mistake, Takes Feature off line until fixed. More U.S. companies lash out at Texas law changes, including abortion ban More Filibuster imperils Pelosi’s abortion bill in U.S. Senate – Klobuchar More ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ Season 6 Finale Makes a Memorable Entry to the Hall of Fame More Monica Lewinsky Now Relates To Britney; Says Only 1 Of Us ‘Made a Mistake’; Overall ‘Happy People Are Making Amends For Their Treatment Of Women’ More Emily Hampshire and Demi Lovato Age Gap Is The Reason They Didn’t ‘Kick it’; Lovato Slid A Direct Message Into Her DMs, Gets ‘Friend Zoned’ More Facebook to limit political content on News Feeds More Load More View the full article

Alphonso DavidCivil Rights attorney Alphonso David’s tenure as president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) came to an end Monday when organization chairs at HRC fired him amid an investigation into his connection to efforts to combat sexual harassment claims against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. David Fired HRC board chair Morgan Cox and HRC Foundation chair Jodie Patterson announced the decision late Monday evening, stating that David’s actions as outlined in New York attorney general Letitia James’ report “was in violation of HRC’s Conflict of Interest policy and the mission of HRC.” “This is a painful moment in our movement,” read the joint statement. ” While the Board’s decision is not the outcome we had ever envisioned or hoped for in terms of Mr. David’s tenure with HRC, his actions have put us in an untenable position by violating HRC’s core values, policies and mission.” According to the New York Times, multiple sources stated that the vote was unanimous, with two HRC Foundation board members abstaining. Journalist Katelyn Burns reported that HRC staff weren’t made aware of David’s ousting prior to media reports announcing the move. David called his termination “unjust” early Tuesday morning and appears ready to fight the decision in the courts. “As a Black, gay man who has spent his whole life fighting for civil and human rights, they cannot shut me up,” David said. “Expect a legal challenge.” Back And Forth Monday’s decision comes after a tumultuous 24 hours for David and HRC leadership. On Sunday, David stated that Cox and Patterson asked him to resign from his position despite the completed investigation, led by law firm Sidley Austin, finding “no indication of wrongdoing on my part.” An email from Cox and Patterson sent to HRC staffers on Monday disputed David’s statement. The email said that the Sidley Austin investigation wasn’t completed yet and called his claim it absolved him a mischaracterization. ” We were very surprised and disappointed by the inaccuracies in his portrayal of events,” the message read. The email also confirmed that Cox and Patterson did ask David to resign. A response from David quickly followed, claiming Cox and Patterson’s email was an “effort to confuse and distract us from the truth.” According to David, the board co-chairs told him Friday that the investigation was complete and “didn’t offer a shred of evidence of any wrongdoing on my part” despite repeated requests. David also stated that Cox and Patterson refused to provide a copy of the investigation’s findings to anyone, including himself. According to David, Cox and Patterson gave him a deadline of 8 AM Saturday morning to decide whether he would voluntarily resign. “Their refusal to offer up the findings, even with the indication that they found wrongdoing, and yet still urge me to consider resigning during a holiday weekend to avoid media interest, does disservice to any persons or organizations involved in the fight for civil and human rights, David said.” AG Report Accusations According to the AG report, much of David’s involvement in efforts by Cuomo’s office to discredit sexual harassment survivors centered on former Cuomo aide Lindsey Boylan. The report alleges that David provided Boylan’s confidential personnel file at the request of Cuomo staffers after Boylan went public with her accusations against Cuomo. David did so while holding the position of HRC president, taking the position after working as Cuomo’s chief legal counsel. Information from the file provided by David was leaked to major media outlets in an effort to discredit Boylan, though it is unclear if David knew that would happen when asked for Boylan’s file. Boylan responded to David’s initial statement Sunday, highlighting inconsistencies in David’s claims. “Alphonso David questions the veracity of a report having never read it and yet is able to say it finds him innocent of any wrongdoing in helping to smear me when I spoke publicly about the abusive monster we both worked for over a period of years. What a time to be alive,” Boylan said. The AG report also claimed David helped advise the crafting of an unpublished letter disputing claims of sexual harassment against Cuomo. Involvement in that advisement process led to famed LGBTQ rights lawyer Roberta Kaplan’s resignation as co-chair of Time’s Up in August. Questions Remain Supporters of David have called into question the level of transparency in the distribution of the Sidley Austin investigation’s findings and how much David’s race impacted the HRC’s decision. David’s hiring in 2019 made him the first Black man to lead the organization and HRC’s work to address issues facing LGBTQ BIPOC communities has improved during his tenure. The board co-chairs decision to extend his contract by five years in August as his name emerged in the AG report supported such. J. Maurice McCants-Pearsall, HRC director of HIV and Health Equity, called for the release of the investigation’s findings while claiming that HRC has “struggled with addressing internal racism among staff” for decades. “It would be an affront for me, a Black gay man, to sit aside and watch while my brother in the struggle, Alphonso David, be railroaded and stripped of his dignity and livelihood,” McCants-Pearsall said Sunday. Sidley Austin’s role as an independent investigator in the matter was also criticized due to the firm having a previous relationship with HRC. The firm became a prominent legal partner of the organization in October 2019. Questions about the nature of how Sidley Austin’s report was delivered have also surfaced. A source told the New York Times that a written report outlining the firm’s findings was not produced. Instead, investigators communicated their conclusion in “oral presentations to the board.” This is likely why no copy of the report has been released publicly or privately. HRC Fire: Previously on Towleroad HRC Fires President Alphonso David Over Alleged Connections to Cuomo Sexual Harassment Scandal; David Promises Legal Action Brian Bell September 7, 2021 Read More Cuomo’s Downfall Spawns Tertiary, Fraught HRC Investigation of Its Leader Who Joined the Gay Rights Group From Governor’s Staff Brian Bell August 23, 2021 Read More The “Inner Circle” That Kept Andrew Cuomo Governor Faces Scrutiny: HRC Investigates Leader’s Involvement; Roberta Kaplan Resigns From ‘Time’s Up’ Brian Bell August 9, 2021 Read More NY AG Details HRC Leader Alphonso David’s Roles in Cuomo Scandal; Sparks Scrutiny By Staff, Partners, Press And Calls To Resign Brian Bell August 6, 2021 Read More Tennessee Trans Bathroom Bill Alleged to Violate Title IX. Human Rights Campaign Sues on behalf of the the affected children. Brian Bell August 4, 2021 Read More Biden Signs ‘Most Substantive, Wide-Ranging’ LGBTQ Rights Executive Order in U.S. History Andy Towle January 21, 2021 Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Clare Baldwin and Kirsty Needham (Reuters) – Health regulators in five countries are examining a prenatal test that collects the DNA of women and fetuses for research, while some doctors that promoted it and clinics that sell it say they were unaware the company that produces it also conducts research with the Chinese military. The test, made by Shenzhen-based BGI Group and marketed under the brand name NIFTY, is sold in at least 52 countries. It screens for Down syndrome and more than 80 other genetic conditions, and has been taken by 8.4 million women globally. The regulators’ concerns, raised in response to a Reuters report, highlight the challenges of regulatory oversight when genetic data is sent from one country to another. Canada’s privacy commissioner said the report raised important questions about “highly sensitive” information and it is looking into the matter. Two regulators in Europe – in Slovenia and in Germany – said they were examining the test in light of European Union data protection rules. The data privacy regulator in Slovenia, where one of BGI’s regional partners is based, said it was concerned by the exporting of data from the BGI tests and would examine data protection issues. But it added that Slovenia has not yet adopted the changes to its national laws to make Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) fully applicable, so it cannot issue fines in the event of GDPR breaches. Reuters reported in July that more than a dozen scientific studies – including clinical trials – showed BGI developed and improved the test in collaboration with People’s Liberation Army hospitals. BGI uses the pregnant women’s genetic data for research into the traits of populations. It also collaborates with the PLA in other areas of research. BGI rejects any suggestion that it developed the NIFTY test in collaboration with the military, and says working with military hospitals is not equivalent. It said it works with thousands of healthcare providers, that other prenatal test providers in China work with military hospitals, and that many companies worldwide work with militaries. It said it takes data privacy seriously, complies with applicable laws and regulations, and only 5% of its NIFTY tests have been conducted on women overseas. Consent forms signed by women outside China seek permission for their blood samples and genetic data to be sent abroad to BGI and used for research. The privacy policy on the test’s website also says data can be shared for national security purposes in China – though BGI says it has never been asked to do so. Regulators in Germany, Australia, Estonia and Canada called for transparency in BGI’s use of women’s genetic data, and said even if data was sent abroad, BGI’s local vendors are responsible for ensuring data privacy. The European Data Protection Supervisor said it was monitoring the situation. “It is vital that the patient is provided with clear information,” said Beverley Rowbotham, chairperson of Australia’s National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Council. A regulator in Ontario told Reuters it is now advising women to seek tests from providers in Canada, or places where data security is “comparable” to the protections mandated in Canada. The regulator in Quebec said prenatal tests – like consumer genetic tests – can result in people losing control over their genetic information. Canadian privacy and genetic disclosure laws can impose maximum fines of C$250,000 to C$1 million for breaches, and set strict conditions for exemptions for scientific research. “Genetic information is not only valuable to marketers and data brokers, but also to foreign states and cybercriminals as well,” the Office of the Information and Privacy Commission of Ontario told Reuters. Fertility Partners, a clinic network in Canada, said it had no prior knowledge of BGI’s work with the PLA, and had stopped selling NIFTY through its clinics in April for unrelated reasons. Reuters has previously reported that BGI’s joint research with PLA medical institutes is wide ranging, from efforts to protect soldiers from altitude sickness to mass testing for pathogens. U.S. government advisers warned in March that a vast bank of genomic data that BGI is amassing and analyzing with artificial intelligence could give China a path to economic and military advantage. The same military hospital that ran clinical trials for NIFTY also collaborated with BGI to send pathogens into space under a military equipment research program, according to 12 scientific papers, which has not previously been reported. BGI did not respond to a request for more information about that research program. In the United Kingdom, where NIFTY tests are only sold through private clinics, the government said BGI would need to register its test before Sept. 1 to continue selling them. BGI told Reuters it submitted a voluntary registration to the UK medical regulator in August. The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) told Reuters it had received BGI’s registration but said the application had not yet had data validation and scrutiny by the regulator’s registration and software team. NIFTY tests are sold overseas through three business models: local clinics collect blood samples to send to BGI in Hong Kong; labs sequence the DNA from blood samples locally and share the data with BGI in Hong Kong where it is stored for five years; or labs complete the entire process locally using BGI technology. Labs in Spain and Slovenia each told Reuters the genetic data of a client had been used by BGI in mainland China for research, with informed consent. Slovenia-based GenePlanet, which says it sells NIFTY tests across Europe and also offers its own-branded test using BGI’s technology, said the Slovenia customer gave consent for a “research test.” GenePlanet says it operates according to EU regulations and has an agreement with BGI that “none of the GenePlanet patient data generated from (the) NIFTY process is going to mainland China.” The Slovenian and Spanish women’s data was among that of 542 women stored in China’s National GeneBank, which BGI also runs. BGI said the data of the 542 women has not been used for other purposes, and its “scientific research only uses anonymised data.” Eluthia GmbH, a laboratory in Germany which sells BGI’s test, said its transfer of women’s blood and patient data to BGI had been suspended by the data protection regulator for the Hesse region while it investigates whether the rules had been violated. Eluthia said it did not know when it could resume sending tests to BGI. Its Chief Executive Ramon Enriquez Schaefer said doctors had called the suspension “excessive” since patients had “expressly consented to the shipment to Hong Kong.” He also said Eluthia hasn’t been able to make “concrete progress” on the regulator’s concerns about BGI’s military collaboration. BGI told Reuters it is providing information to Eluthia and relevant government authorities to demonstrate it complies with data protection laws. DOCTORS’ VIEWS One UK doctor who promoted BGI’s test in an online video when it first became available said he would now advise women not to take the BGI test, due to privacy concerns. “My personal view now would be to advise anybody not to use the BGI NIFTY test – not from a clinical point of view – but because the data from it might be misappropriated or used for reasons that neither the clinician nor the patient would ever have imagined,” said Bryan Beattie, a fetal medicine consultant. Reuters contacted Beattie and two other UK doctors who also promoted the test on BGI’s YouTube channels in 2014 for their reactions. The doctors said they were unaware of BGI’s military links. BGI said the doctors were not paid to participate and it had told them the videos were for educational and marketing purposes. The NIFTY test captures more genetic information about the mother and the fetus than the results patients see, said Beattie, which has previously been reported by Reuters and BGI has confirmed. “If you were able to link that to large numbers of patients in a foreign country, you would have a fairly good idea of their health profile over the next sort of 20 or 30 years,” said Beattie. Beattie said he had supported the relatively new technology because it was an improvement on previous methods, but his clinic had switched to a different supplier for reasons unrelated to privacy. An Estonian scientist who turned down an offer from BGI in 2020 to replace a test developed by his lab with NIFTY said he was concerned European health services, whom he declined to name, were choosing BGI’s test because of its cheaper cost and not considering data security. “It is a stupidly easy way to earn money for taking a blood sample,” said Kaarel Krjutskov, who runs the Estonian lab. BGI declined to sell his lab a DNA sequencer unless it also began selling NIFTY, email correspondence seen by Reuters showed. BGI’s marketing material promotes its sequencing of genes as the lowest cost in the industry. BGI told Reuters it was “always striving to make our NIFTY pricing even more affordable,” without providing further details. (Reporting by Clare Baldwin in Hong Kong and Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Additional reporting by Allison Martell in Toronto, Allison Lampert in Montreal, Douglas Busvine in Berlin, Tarmo Virki in Tallinn, Alistair Smout and Tom Bergin in London, Krisztina Than in Budapest, Robert Muller and Jan Lopatka in Prague, Radu Marinas in Bucharest, Nathan Allen in Madrid, Joanna Plucinska and Alicja Ptak in Warsaw, Ludwig Berger in Frankfurt, Foo Yun Chee in Brussels, Michael Martina in Washington and Antoni Slodkowski in Tokyo; Editing by Sara Ledwith, Kevin Krolicki and Bill Rigby) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jan Wolfe WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department on Monday said it would not tolerate attacks against people seeking or providing abortions in Texas, as the agency explores ways of challenging the state’s recently enacted law https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-supreme-court-declines-block-texas-abortion-ban-2021-09-02 that imposed a near-total ban on abortion. The law, known as SB8, leaves enforcement up to individual citizens, enabling them to sue anyone who provides or “aids or abets” an abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement the department would “protect those seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services” through a 1994 law known as the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act). The FACE Act prohibits the use of force and physical obstruction to interfere with a person obtaining or providing reproductive health services. Former President Bill Clinton backed the legislation in response to violence by anti-abortion activists in the 1980s and 90s. “The department will provide support from federal law enforcement when an abortion clinic or reproductive health center is under attack,” Garland said, adding that he would “not tolerate violence against those seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services.” Garland said the Justice Department would enforce the FACE Act while it “urgently explores all options to challenge Texas SB8 in order to protect the constitutional rights of women and other persons.” Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The law took effect early on Wednesday in Texas after the U.S. Supreme Court did not act on abortion rights groups’ request to block it. That suggests Supreme Court justices are closer than ever https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-supreme-courts-rightward-lurch-put-roe-v-wade-brink-2021-09-03 to overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision under which abortion rights have been protected. (This story corrects to add ‘General’ in third paragraph) (Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Sonya Hepinstall) View the full article

Published by AFP The expanded American unemployment safety net is ending, but some jobless people fear they won't be able to return to work Washington (AFP) – Spending less on food. Drawing down on retirement savings. Dropping out of the workforce altogether. Last year, the United States massively expanded unemployment aid as Covid-19 broke out. But in the coming days those benefits will end, forcing millions of jobless Americans — some of whom haven’t worked for the entire pandemic — to make hard choices about how they will get by in an economy newly menaced by the Delta variant. “I have no idea how we would survive, just on my daughter’s income,” said Deborah Lee, an unemployed phlebotomist in Arizona who is recovering from a Covid outbreak that affected her daughter and two of her three granddaughters. The government-funded programs that increased weekly payments and gave aid to the long-term unemployed and freelancers were credited with keeping the United States from an even worse economic collapse last year. In recent months they have become controversial, with some states ending them early and arguing they encouraged people not to return to jobs that Covid-19 vaccines made safe, though studies have disputed that contention. From September 6 they will end nationwide, and while economists don’t expect them to meaningfully dent the US economy’s recovery from its 2020 debacle, they’ll undoubtedly up the pressure on the unemployed. “I think it’s going to be an underappreciated event in the economy,” said Andrew Stettner of progressive think tank The Century Foundation, predicting that 7.5 million people will be relying on the programs when they end. “It’ll be kind of a silent crisis.” ‘Screwed over’ The expansion of the unemployment safety net occurred in March 2020, when Congress rushed to blunt the emerging pandemic with $2.2 trillion in spending through the CARES Act rescue package. While never meant to be permanent, the benefits were reauthorized twice, most recently in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan enacted by President Joe Biden and his Democratic allies in Congress last March. While many in the Republican Party at first backed the programs, by this year their lawmakers were arguing against them, and 26 states, most with Republican governors, moved to end them early in whole or in part. A study published last month by researchers from American and Canadian universities found only modest improvements in hiring and earnings in some of those states that ended the aid early, while spending fell 20 percent. Meanwhile the economy is far from healed, with 5.3 million jobs lost to the pandemic yet to be restored and employers adding a mere 235,000 positions in August, according to government data released Friday. In Delaware, Ohio, Karen Coldwell says she sends out about 10 job applications weekly but has yet to be hired. All other openings she sees are for low-wage work, the kind of jobs she held when she was younger. At age 64 she is not yet ready to retire, but worries she’ll have to start dipping into her retirement savings once the long-term unemployment program ends. “There’s just nothing out there. There’s jobs, but the money’s not there anymore,” Coldwell said. Others can’t return to the workforce, even though they know the benefits that make up their only income are ending. Brooke Ganieany of The Dalles, Oregon, said she has no one to care for her toddler son if she were to find employment. “I feel kind of screwed over,” the 21-year-old told AFP. “I feel like they’re doing this to make us have a plan and get back to reality, which is not exactly the slogan they should be using.” Unequal damage Those eligible will continue to receive benefits under states’ regular unemployment programs — but the end of a $300 extra weekly supplement means their checks are about to shrink. “It’s going to affect it so much. I’m going to have to cut back on food,” said 58-year-old Karen Williams, an unemployed graphic designer in Pennsylvania. Gregory Daco of Oxford Economics predicted the cut off in benefits would lower household income by $4.2 billion per week in September, or about $210 billion annualized for the month. “It’s not going to be the type of shock that puts the US economy into reverse,” he said in an interview, but predicted that “lower-income families and minorities are more likely to be negatively impacted.” Fearful of further coronavirus variants and with her daughter missing badly needed pay from the family’s battle with Covid-19, Lee said she is waiting to hear whether the government will grant her disability aid for a hand injury, conceding her days of employment are likely behind her, at least for now. “I don’t even know what the answer is,” she said. View the full article

Published by AFP Facial recognition software has been blasted by civil rights advocates who point out problems with accuracy, particularly it comes to people who are not white San Francisco (AFP) – Facebook on Friday said it disabled its topic recommendation feature after it mistook Black men for “primates” in video at the social network. A Facebook spokesperson called it a “clearly unacceptable error” and said the recommendation software involve was taken offline. “We apologize to anyone who may have seen these offensive recommendations,” Facebook said in response to an AFP inquiry. “We disabled the entire topic recommendation feature as soon as we realized this was happening so we could investigate the cause and prevent this from happening again.” Facial recognition software has been blasted by civil rights advocates who point out problems with accuracy, particularly it comes to people who are not white. Facebook users in recent days who watched a British tabloid video featuring Black men were show an auto-generated prompt asking if they would like to “keep seeing videos about Primates,” according to the New York Times. The June 2020 video in question, posted by the Daily Mail, is titled “White man calls cops on black men at marina.” While humans are among the many species in the primate family, the video had nothing to do with monkeys, chimpanzees or gorillas. A screen capture of the recommendation was shared on Twitter by former Facebook content design manager Darci Groves. “This ‘keep seeing’ prompt is unacceptable,” Groves tweeted, aiming the message at former colleagues at Facebook. “This is egregious.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Tina Bellon and Jessica DiNapoli AUSTIN, Texas/NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. companies including Lyft Inc, American Airlines Group Inc and Silicon Laboratories Inc voiced their displeasure on Friday at new Texas laws on abortion, handguns, and voting limitations, a fresh sign of increased efforts by some firms to signal their commitment to social responsibility. Lyft and Uber Technologies Inc said they will cover all legal fees for the ride-hail companies’ drivers sued under a law that puts in place a near-total ban on abortion. Lyft will also donate $1 million to women’s health provider Planned Parenthood, chief executive Logan Green said on Twitter https://twitter.com/logangreen/status/1433872421254098945?s=20. “This is an attack on women’s access to healthcare and on their right to choose,” Green said of the new Texas law. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi tweeted https://twitter.com/dkhos/status/1433894081487273987?s=20 in response to Green’s announcement that his company would cover drivers’ legal fees in the same way, thanking Green for taking the initiative. The ban https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-supreme-court-declines-block-texas-abortion-ban-2021-09-02, which took effect Wednesday, leaves enforcement up to individual citizens, enabling them to sue anyone who provides or “aids or abets” an abortion after six weeks. This potentially includes drivers who unknowingly take women to clinics for abortion procedures. On Wednesday, Tinder-owner Match Group’s CEO and rival dating platform Bumble Inc said they were setting up funds to help Texas-based employees seeking abortion care outside the state. Website hosting service GoDaddy Inc on Friday, meanwhile, shut down a Texas anti-abortion website that allowed people to report suspected abortions. The reaction to the law change in Texas comes at a time when many companies are seeking to burnish their corporate and environmental governance credentials with consumers. Companies also reacted to the Texas legislature this week passing the final version of a bill that outlaws drive-through and 24-hour voting locations and gives poll watchers more power, widely seen as restricting voting access. “We hoped for a different outcome for this legislation, and we’re disappointed by this result,” an American Airlines spokesperson said in an email. A spokesperson for Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co, based in Texas, said, “As a global company of 60,000 team members, HPE encourages our team members to engage in the political process where they live and work and make their voices heard through advocacy and at the voting booth.” Meanwhile, a law allowing people to carry concealed handguns without any permit went into effect in Texas on Wednesday. “Looking at the abortion law, or the gun law, or the voting law, it’s a form of vigilante justice, where you’re empowering individuals to enforce the law,” said Tyson Tuttle, the CEO of Austin-based Silicon Laboratories. “It’s been a rough week in Texas and a harbinger of what’s to come across the country.” (Reporting by Tina Bellon in Austin, Texas and Jessica DiNapoli in New York; Editing by Richard Chang and Rosalba O’Brien) View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate’s filibuster rule likely imperils a bill intended to protect abortion rights that Democrats are readying following the Supreme Court’s decision not to block a strict new Texas ban, a leading Democratic senator said on Sunday. Senator Amy Klobuchar told CNN’s “State of the Union” that some Senate Republicans support abortion rights but not enough to overcome the chamber’s rule requiring 60 of its 100 members to agree on most legislation. The nation’s 6-3 conservative top court this week allowed Texas’ six-week abortion ban to go into effect, which observers said showed the justices may be ready to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a national right to abortion. That decision led House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to declare that the Democratic-controlled chamber will soon debate and vote on legislation aimed at stopping similar state anti-abortion regulations. But Klobuchar said that bill faces little to no chance of passing the Senate. “My solution to this … I believe we should abolish the filibuster,” Klobuchar, chair of the Senate Rules Committee, told CNN. “I do not believe an archaic rule should be used to allow us to put our heads in the sand … and not take action on these important issues … We just will get nowhere if we keep this filibuster in place.” Progressive Democrats have repeatedly over the past year suggested doing away with the filibuster to allow other Democratic priorities to pass, including a voting rights bill intended to counteract a wave of new voting restrictions passed by Republican-governed states. Senate moderates, including Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, have rejected that idea, however. Klobuchar said one way to discourage the frequency of filibusters would be to make senators who object to ending debate actually stay on the floor debating. This “talking filibuster” was the tradition until the 1970s. She said another approach would be a “carveout” that would only change the filibuster for legislation directly tied to one subject, such as abortion rights. (Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall) View the full article

It’s lucky for someone like me — whose own prognostications are often incorrect — that I love to be surprised. Of course, I was delighted by the finale to RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season six. From disappointed grumbles when the cast was first announced all the way through the rollercoaster “game-within-a-game” and down to our fabulous final four, this season of All Stars may go down as the purest distillation of the form. Yes, Drag Race All Stars is all about landing a spot in the Drag Race Hall of Fame, but this isn’t actually supposed to be a battle of ultimate supremacy. All-Stardom isn’t only about out-performing, it’s about out-evolving. Lordt knows folks like Madonna (and Ru) aren’t the best vocalists in the gay pantheon, but their abilities to transform themselves (and their narratives) is remarkable. That’s the real rubric here. I’m sorry, “Ru-bric.” This season, the Drag Race discourse unfolding over Twitter, TikTok and your most active group text initially reacted with griping about the quality of the cast, only to steadily be surprised and delighted by one of the strongest collections of queens to ever werk the runway. They all have come light years from where we last left them, and it has been positively thrilling to see. Does it sound like hyperbole? Maybe. But going into this season’s finale, I found myself fighting the urge to wish for a four-way tie. None of these final four ever were top of my lists during their respective seasons. (And, in my case, there are actual lists to check.) However, by the time we got into the final challenge, I was firmly #TeamEv’rybody. The RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season 6 final four.I didn’t even mind the typical finale episode filler — the endlessly misleading teasers telegraphing tense moments and turmoil that never really materializes. There are probing, but mostly pleasant convos with Ru and Michelle. Judges bend over backward (insert Carson Kressley joke here … and then cue a Ross joke about Carson getting inserted) to make the case it’s a neck-and-neck race and keep critiques to a minimum. It all unfolds against the backdrop of a great finale challenge, one of the better RuPaul tracks and a thrilling lip sync, all leading up to a gorgeous crowning moment that had me literally screaming alone at my laptop. Reader, I’ll be honest. I shed some real tears. But if you’re looking for a blow-by-blow of the tender, weepy exchanges with Mama Ru, et al (a weepcap?), you’ll have to pony up the 3.99 for Paramount+. We’ve heard more than enough about each queen’s STORY and their STRUGGLE this season, and not that it’s not moving and important, but recapping it yet again feels like a sort of kaleidoscope of Pinterest aphorisms and teardrops on rhinestoned bodysuits. Suffice to say, each queen deftly presented their platform, shared their personal journey and deeffffffinitely did a lot of RuPaul ring-kissing. (Not that kind of ring-kissing, get your head out of the gutter.) All-Stardom isn’t only about out-performing, it’s about out-evolving. The real meat of the episode is prepping for a sexy performance to RuPaul’s latest track titled “This Is Our Country,” which really feels like more of an exasperated question these days than a declarative statement. It’s already a pretty exciting prospect, considering contemporary country icons like Kacey Musgraves, Orville Peck and Lil Nas X are ushering in a new generation of queer country fans. (And, of course we can’t forget pioneering queer country artists like Steve Grand, k.d. lang, Chely Wright and so many more.) I was excited to see Tanya Tucker show up here to meet the gals virtually and add her legendary vocals to the song. A longtime favorite of gay country fans, her presence on the track instantly elevates it and adds a ton of legitimacy to what would otherwise feel like nothing more than a discarded track from “Ru-Ba: The Reba McEntire Rusical.” Instead, this song sort of slaps. Yes, there’s Tanya’s touch, but the queens bring so much to it. Eureka (somewhat confusingly) does a whole Marie Antoinette-inspired verse and lewk that is gorgeous, fun, coherent and has a solidly socially-conscious message. It doesn’t scream “country,” (unless the country in question is, uh, France?) but still! She for sure fulfills the assignment, and, love her or hate her (how can y’all still hate on any of these queens?), Eureka always puts on a show. As we’ve come to expect, Ginger comes prepared, and, perhaps this challenge more than any other, feels deeply in her wheelhouse. Vocally, it’s excellent. Ginger knows this genre, clearly, and has the chops to cut a kickin’ country verse. She looks great, and she’s clearly in her element. Next up, Ra’Jah takes a different approach to great success. Instead of faking a country croon, Ra’Jah raps. It’s such a smart choice, and it elevates the entire final product. On top of the musical choices, Ra’Jah’s message feels the most immediately resonant, conjuring the harrowing images and language that fueled the Black Lives Matter movement. It may sound like the kind of thing that could really harsh the vibe, but, first, it’d be much more jarring to hear some rah-rah America jingoist nonsense (especially this week), and, second, Ra’Jah’s charisma carries it all so captivatingly. She looks great, too, in a red gingham bodysuit with oversized blue, fuzzy epaulettes that feel like someone threw Dorothy Gale, Sasha Fierce-era Beyonce, an American Flag and a Muppet in a blender, but, also, fashion! And then there’s Kylie. Wow. This is Kylie’s element. She’s described earlier in the episode as being very “Roadhouse,” and it’s just what the doctor ordered for this challenge. Kylie pops in the performance, bringing all her Southern charm, sleek sexuality and showgirl mentality to a stunning finale performance. It all just works. Even though she was my least favorite in the country performance, Eureka opens our last runway (for this season) in absolutely stunning fashion. Hands down, this is her best Drag Race look ever. It’s a big, showy number, with a massive headpiece and dropped waistline detailing that adds new dimension to her figure. She’s always got a good beat, but the makeup here is also sensational. It’s not just a 10, it’s a 20. Ginger is less successful here. I appreciate her stepping out of her comfort zone with a dress that shows off her legs, but all it did was serve as a reminder why she so infrequently shows them. (It’s not an issue with her legs! Her actual legs are gorgeous!) This just isn’t a flattering silhouette with so much bulk kind of flopping around on top. Eh. Kylie looks lovely in a star-spangled number that shimmers from tip to toes. It doesn’t pop on TV the way I imagine it might on stage, which makes it feel a little underwhelming at first glance. The judges’ praise helps zero in on the subtler touches. Ra’Jah, of course, gives us another serve, in her signature color (as Big Freedia might say: “HUE ALREADY KNOW”) purple This time, it’s a gown with a lovely, almost petal-like neckline and slit all the way up to her hip. She looks incredible, she always shines in her runway performance, and I adore the hair here. The fact Ra’Jah made all her outfits is remarkable considering how well they stood side-by-side with what I’m sure are very expensive garments on the other gals. There’s obviously one last order of bidness before Ru hands down her decree. (DecRu? Ok, I’ll stop.) All four queens will lip sync individually to — GASP! — “Rain On Me.” Talk about a crowd-pleaser! Everyone is great. Full stop. We’re getting sexy, we’re getting high N-R-G, we’re getting comedy and facials (expressions!). It’s a smorgasbord of sass and sex and star power. But the moment — and I mean THE MOMENT — occurs during Kylie’s lip sync. Having doffed part of her garment, Kylie pulls a Farrah Moan and slips during the lip sync. And you know those editors did us dirty and slow-mo’d that snagged stiletto as I felt my heart actually start to make its way up my throat. But! Then! In one of the most iconic moments in Drag Race herstory (maybe human herstory?) Kylie executes a perfect parkour-style tumble and doesn’t miss a beat. I’m honestly getting misty just imagining it. Wow. I mean, yes, the talent and skill that takes to execute, but the METAPHOR, MAMA. First, I’m reminded of Kylie’s quip earlier this season: “I am a showgirl; I know how to rig up the gig.” Don’t believe her? Behold, bitch. That’s the kind of confidence I want to bring to my everyday life. Then, there’s the poetic bookending of Kylie’s journey, from early elimination fodder — taken out by an impression of LADY GAGA, NO LESS — to a triumphant display of guts, talent and skill to a LADY GAGA SONG. It’s undeniable. Ru has no choice but to award her the crown, which feels at once shocking, but also like there would be a gay uprising if the results went any other way. That’s absolutely no knock on the other three queens. Each one fully transformed their reputation, character and career before successfully reintroducing themselves to the famously venomous Drag Race fandom. Eureka already has a platform on HBO’s fantastic We’re Here, but I feel like this run has cemented her artistry beyond her personality. If there’s any justice in this world, Ginger will be booked and blessed on stages and screens across the globe for as long as she wants. Ra’Jah, too, likely has legions of new fans chomping at the bit to see her do what she does SO well. But, my heart belongs to Kylie. It’s almost too perfect of a Drag Race narrative as to potentially feel forced or disingenuous. A show all about transformation, self-expression and authenticity presents a queen who struggled in the game while struggling internally, but, once they learned to love themselves, comes back to conquer. Yeah, it’s a satisfying narrative arc, and I’m sure one that had producers positively salivating in the story meetings, but reducing Kylie’s win to heavy-handed production does such a disservice to the incredible work she’s put in. She may not have won the most challenges throughout the season, but she had lots of strong performances. I thought her Steve Tyler impression was woefully under-celebrated. Her Snatch Game performance — the challenge that cut her first Drag Race run short — deserved at least a shared win, but, and I’m not just saying this as a Dolly superfan, I think she outperformed Ginger. Then, of course, there’s the fact we have our first trans winner. Again, her win is well-deserved solely on the merits of her talents, but we’re so fortunate to also have a winner who will truly inspire so many young Drag Race fans out there who need this much more than most of us bitter, old queens. Now, everybody say Love. Catch up on our RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars coverage. Monica Lewinsky Now Relates To Britney; Says Only 1 Of Us ‘Made a Mistake’; Overall ‘Happy People Are Making Amends For Their Treatment Of Women’ More Emily Hampshire and Demi Lovato Age Gap Is The Reason They Didn’t ‘Kick it’; Lovato Slid A Direct Message Into Her DMs, Gets ‘Friend Zoned’ More Facebook to limit political content on News Feeds More Bachelor Boyfriend: Colton Underwood Mystery Boyfriend Has Been Identified; The Two Spotted Locking Lips More California law seeks ‘gender neutral’ toy aisles More Waiting For The Lady Gaga Chromatica Remix Album? No More: LISTEN to Dawn of Chromatica More Elton John feels ‘lucky’ to have escaped 80s AIDs crisis More Black AIDS Groups Meet With DaBaby, Praise Rapper for Participation, While Founder Makes Unrelated Calls for Black AIDS Board to Resign More Miami Master Class: Deco and Design; Eat Out, Get Outside; Little Havana to Art Basel; Everglades to South Beach; Big Events, With Kids, or Adults Only. LGBTQ+ Edition More First of R. Kelly Male Victims Testifies; Was 17 When Singer Asked What He ‘Was Willing to do for Music’; Filmed Acts; Told To Call Him ‘Daddy’ More First Transgender History Month Established in San Francisco; Compton’s Cafeteria Riots Memorialized More Load More View the full article

On the eve of ‘American Crime Story’ about the Bill Clinton affair, it’s time to look at Monica Lewinsky now and see how she looks back, sees history and her own evolution. Published by BANG Showbiz English Monica Lewinsky is pleased to see people apologising for the way women like Britney Spears were treated in the past. The 47-year-old activist and television personality has admitted she relates to the ‘Toxic’ hitmaker because they were both treated negatively by the public in the past due to the way they were perceived in the spotlight. But Monica has said her own situation – which saw her slammed for having an affair with former American President Bill Clinton between 1995 and 1996 while she worked as a White House intern, which ultimately led to Clinton’s impeachment – is very different from Britney’s because she “made a mistake”, whereas Britney didn’t. Despite their differences, the ‘Impeachment: American Crime Story’ producer is still pleased to see people apologising for the way women like herself and Britney have been treated. She said: “I think it’s long overdue and wonderful to see it happening for different women in different arenas and scenarios. I made a mistake. Britney didn’t. There were other young women this happened to, and there’s an enormous amount of collateral damage. “So I think it’s not just an apology to a person; it’s an apology to how you’ve affected a culture. What is sexual agency? What does it mean? It’s not surprising that this de-objectifying of women is happening alongside the #MeToo movement. They braid together in a way that makes sense.” Monica also recalled the time she met Britney, 39, in the early 2000s. She added: “She was with Justin Timberlake, and she was going into Henri Bendel just as I was leaving. I had my handbag company at the time, and she said she thought the bags were cute. I was beside myself, so I got her some. “But at that time I wasn’t able to have the perspective to recognise, ‘Oh, this is happening to other women.’ When the fat-shaming happened to Jessica Simpson [in 2009], I thought, ‘Oh, OK. This didn’t just happen to me. This is happening now to other people too.’ Not that that’s a good thing.” And the star admitted there is something beautiful about having resilience. She told InStyle magazine: “When you have made a colossal mistake like I did so early in your life, and lost so much because of it, the idea of making a mistake is catastrophic. And yet in order to move forward, I have to take risks. I have to try things. I have to continue to define who I am.” Monica Lewinsky Now on Towleroad Emily Hampshire and Demi Lovato Age Gap Is The Reason They Didn’t ‘Kick it’; Lovato Slid A Direct Message Into Her DMs, Gets ‘Friend Zoned’ More Facebook to limit political content on News Feeds More Bachelor Boyfriend: Colton Underwood Mystery Boyfriend Has Been Identified; The Two Spotted Locking Lips More California law seeks ‘gender neutral’ toy aisles More Waiting For The Lady Gaga Chromatica Remix Album? No More: LISTEN to Dawn of Chromatica More Elton John feels ‘lucky’ to have escaped 80s AIDs crisis More Black AIDS Groups Meet With DaBaby, Praise Rapper for Participation, While Founder Makes Unrelated Calls for Black AIDS Board to Resign More Miami Master Class: Deco and Design; Eat Out, Get Outside; Little Havana to Art Basel; Everglades to South Beach; Big Events, With Kids, or Adults Only. LGBTQ+ Edition More First of R. Kelly Male Victims Testifies; Was 17 When Singer Asked What He ‘Was Willing to do for Music’; Filmed Acts; Told To Call Him ‘Daddy’ More First Transgender History Month Established in San Francisco; Compton’s Cafeteria Riots Memorialized More Restrictive Texas Abortion Law Takes Effect, Bans After 6 Weeks; Provides Bounties For Those Not Abiding. Blame the Supreme Court More Load More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Demi Lovato once made a move on Emily Hampshire. The 29-year-old singer has admitted they find the ‘Schitt’s Creek’ star “attractive”, and once slid into her DMs to ask her out on a date. Speaking to Emily on their ‘4D with Demi Lovato’ podcast, they said: “I did, I slid in those DMs.” And Emily gave further details, adding: “You slid in my DMs and you said, ‘Hey, I like you on the show. We should kick it sometime.’ And then you said, below it, ‘And by kick it, I mean go on a date. I find you attractive.’ You made it clear it was a date. And I loved that because sometimes that’s confusing. I’m decades older than you, so ‘kick it,’ I was looking it up.” However, the ‘Sober’ singer was turned down by Emily because the 40-year-old actress was concerned they wouldn’t have enough in common because of their 11-year age gap. Emily explained: “You also said, ‘Think of Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor.’ And then right after you were like, ‘I don’t mean you’re the Holland Taylor!’ I thought it was the funniest thing in the whole world because I was a Holland Taylor in that situation. Proud to be.” And although their romance didn’t work out, Demi is “happy” to have made a friend in Emily because of their flirty exchange. They said: “A non-binary person can dream. And they, she — I was a ‘she’ at the time — she was dreaming big. I was like, ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ And I made a really good friend. You’re a dope friend, and I’m happy we became friends.” Emily also hinted the pair could have explored a relationship if it wasn’t for their age gap, as she replied: “Me too. I wish you weren’t 29!” View the full article