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Published by OK Magazine Donald Trump is no stranger to getting his share of boos from politically charged crowds, but on Saturday he was jeered and heckled by his own supporters. Thousands gathered in Cullman, Alabama — which had declared a COVID related state of emergency only days before — to attend the former president’s highly anticipated “Save America” rally. EX-PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TO SUE FACEBOOK’S MARK ZUCKERBERG, TWITTER’S JACK DORSEY FOLLOWING SOCIAL BAN: REPORT Though he touched on many of his usual topics including immigration concerns, rumors of Russian involvement in the election, and alleged dangers … Read More View the full article

Published by AFP An Afghan family at the Pakistan border Kabul (AFP) – The Taliban warned on Monday there would be “consequences” if the United States and its allies extend their presence in Afghanistan beyond next week, as chaos continued to overwhelm Kabul airport with tens of thousands of people still desperate to flee. To oversee a chaotic airlift of foreigners and Afghans desperate to escape the return of the hardline Islamic regime, thousands of troops have poured back into Afghanistan and pressure is growing on Washington to extend an August 31 withdrawal deadline. But the Taliban Monday showed no willingness to compromise, with spokesman Suhail Shaheen telling Sky News that staying beyond the agreed deadline would be “extending occupation”. “If the US or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations — the answer is no… there would be consequences,” he said. Two Taliban sources, meanwhile, told AFP the group would not announce the makeup of its government or cabinet until the last US soldier has left the country. Harrowing scenes The rush to leave Kabul has sparked harrowing scenes and killed at least eight people, some crushed to death and at least one person after falling off a plane. The German defence ministry said Monday an Afghan man was killed and three others injured in a dawn firefight between local guards and unknown assailants. German and American troops “participated in a further exchange of fire”, it said in a statement. The Taliban, infamous for an ultra-strict interpretation of sharia law during their initial 1996-2001 rule, have repeatedly claimed to be different this time and declared an amnesty for government forces and officials. But an intelligence document for the United Nations said militants were going door-to-door hunting former government officials and those who worked with US and NATO forces. ‘Pain and loss’ President Joe Biden has insisted he wants to end the US military presence and airlifts by the end of the month. But with the European Union and Britain saying it would be impossible to get everyone out by then, Biden is under pressure to extend the deadline. Germany said on Monday it was in talks with NATO allies and the Taliban to keep Kabul airport open for evacuations beyond August 31, while France voiced “concern” over the deadline, saying “additional time is needed to complete ongoing operations”. Speaking at the White House on Sunday, Biden said negotiations were under way to explore the possibility of extending the deadline. He also acknowledged the tragic scenes at the airport, which have included babies and children being passed to soldiers over razor-wire fences and men clinging to the outside of departing planes. He said, however, they were part of the cost of departure. “There is no way to evacuate this many people without pain and loss and heartbreaking images you see,” he said. The Pentagon on Monday said about 16,000 people were evacuated over the past 24 hours from Kabul airport, taking to 37,000 the number relocated since the intense airlift operations started on August 14. ‘Peace and calm’ In the capital, the Taliban have enforced some sense of calm in a city long marred by violent crime, with their armed forces patrolling the streets and manning checkpoints. Visually, they have also been looking to stamp their authority, ensuring the tri-coloured national flag is replaced with their white banner. At a roadside in Kabul on the weekend, young men sold Taliban flags, which bear in black text the Muslim proclamation of faith and the regime’s formal name: “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”. “Our goal is to spread the flag of the Islamic Emirate throughout Afghanistan,” said seller Ahmad Shakib, who studies economics at university. Resistance – Outside of Kabul, there have been flickers of resistance against the Taliban. Some ex-government troops have gathered in the Panjshir Valley, north of the capital — long known as an anti-Taliban bastion. The Taliban said Monday their fighters had surrounded resistance forces holed up in the valley, but were looking to negotiate rather than take the fight to them. Taliban fighters “are stationed near Panjshir”, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted, adding the group was trying to resolve this issue peacefully”. The announcement follows scattered reports of clashes overnight, with pro-Taliban social media accounts claiming gunmen were massing, and Afghanistan’s former vice president Amrullah Saleh saying resistance forces were holding strong. One of the leaders of the movement in Panjshir, named the National Resistance Front, is the son of famed anti-Taliban commander Ahmad Shah Massoud. The NRF is prepared for a “long-term conflict” but is also still seeking to negotiate with the Taliban about an inclusive government, its spokesman Ali Maisam Nazary told AFP in an interview on the weekend. With government offices still mostly closed, many Afghans are worried about being paid — but the Taliban announced the appointment of a central bank governor Monday to keep the wheels of finance moving. Civil servants were told at the weekend, however, that they wouldn’t get their salaries until a new government was formed. View the full article

Published by Reuters JERUSALEM (Reuters) – A third dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine has significantly improved protection from infection and serious illness among people aged 60 and older in Israel compared with those who received two shots, findings published by the Health Ministry showed on Sunday. The data were presented at a meeting of a ministry panel of vaccination experts on Thursday and uploaded to its website on Sunday, though the full details of the study were not released. The findings were on par with separate statistics reported last week by Israel’s Maccabi healthcare provider, one of several organisations administering booster shots to try to curb the Delta coronavirus variant. Breaking down statistics from Israel’s Gertner Institute and KI Institute, ministry officials said that among people aged 60 and over, the protection against infection provided from 10 days after a third dose was four times higher than after two doses. A third jab for over 60-year-olds offered five to six times greater protection after 10 days with regard to serious illness and hospitalisation. That age group is particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 and in Israel was the first to be inoculated when the vaccine drive began in late December. In recent weeks, the health ministry has said immunity has diminished over time for seniors and younger people as well. Most vaccinated people who fell severely ill in Israel were over 60 and with underlying health conditions. Israel started administering third jabs to over 60-year-olds on July 30. On Thursday it dropped the age of eligibility for a booster to 40, and included pregnant women, teachers and health care workers below that age. Third doses are given only to those who received their second shot at least five months ago. The United States has announced plans to offer booster shots to all Americans, citing data showing diminishing protection. Canada, France and Germany have announced booster campaigns. Fighting an outbreak of the Delta variant since June, Israel presently has one of the world’s highest infection rates per capita. Close to 1.5 million people out of the country’s 9.3 million population have taken a third jab. (Reporting by Jeffrey Heller and Maayan Lubell; Editing by Hugh Lawson) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Carl O’Donnell and Manas Mishra (Reuters) -The U.S. drug regulator on Monday granted full approval to the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE COVID-19 vaccine, making it the first to secure such Food and Drug Administration validation as health authorities struggle to win over vaccine skeptics during a relentless pandemic. The FDA, which gave the two-dose vaccine emergency-use authorization in December, went a step further based on updated data from the company’s clinical trial and fully approved it for use in people age 16 and older. Public health officials hope the action will convince unvaccinated Americans that Pfizer’s shot is safe and effective. There is entrenched vaccine skepticism among some Americans, particularly conservatives. COVID-19 cases, driven by the highly infectious Delta variant, have surged in parts of the United States with lower vaccination levels. “This FDA approval should give added confidence that this vaccine is safe and effective,” President Joe Biden, who has sought to increase vaccination levels, wrote on Twitter. Shortly after the FDA’s announcement, the Pentagon said it is preparing to make the vaccine mandatory for U.S. military personnel. U.S. health officials expect that the FDA’s full approval also will prompt more state and local governments, as well as private employers, to impose vaccine mandates. “While millions of people have already safely received COVID-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated,” said Janet Woodcock, the FDA’s acting commissioner. The approval also makes it easier for physicians to prescribe a third dose of Pfizer’s vaccine off-label for people who may benefit from additional protection against COVID-19. Pfizer shares were up nearly 4% and BioNTech shares were up nearly 10%. The FDA gave emergency-use authorization to the vaccine for people age 16 and older in December – making it the first shot to gain such backing in the United States – and then gave further emergency-use authorization for people age 12 and up in May. The FDA is awaiting additional data before deciding on fully approving Pfizer’s vaccine in children ages 12 to 15. Woodcock said the FDA was not recommending children below 12 years of age get the vaccine at this time, with more data needed to ensure it is safe for them. The two other COVID-19 vaccines given emergency-use authorization – made by Moderna Inc and Johnson & Johnson – have not yet received full FDA approval. More than 204 million people in the United States already have received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. U.S. HIT HARD The United States leads the world in reported COVID-19 cases and deaths. More than 625,000 Americans have died from the disease, including an average of more than 600 daily in recent weeks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 71% of Americans age 12 and older – the population eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines – have gotten at least one dose and 60.2% are fully vaccinated. For the entire population, including children up to age 11 for whom no vaccines are yet approved, 60.7% of Americans have received at least one dose and 51.5% of them are fully vaccinated. The FDA’s approval should signal that the vaccine is “safe, effective, and has been manufactured consistently,” said Dr. Paul Offit of the University of Pennsylvania, a member of the FDA’s vaccine advisory panel. “We’re going to move forward making that vaccine mandatory,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters, adding that the timetable was still being worked out. “We’re preparing the guidance to the force right now.” The FDA’s approval extends the shelf life of Pfizer shots from six months to nine months. It also confirms that the shot increases risk of heart inflammation, particularly among young men in the week following their second shot. In Pfizer’s clinical trial, approximately 12,000 recipients of the vaccine have been followed for at least six months. “Based on the longer-term follow-up data that we submitted, today’s approval for those aged 16 and over affirms the efficacy and safety profile of our vaccine at a time when it is urgently needed,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement. The vaccine will now be marketed under the name Comirnaty. The FDA on Aug. 13 authorized a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for people with compromised immune systems who are likely to have weaker protection from the two-dose regimens. Pfizer’s shot has not yet been authorized for more widespread use as a booster. A third dose of Pfizer’s vaccine has significantly improved protection from infection and serious illness among people age 60 and older in Israel compared with those who received two shots, a study published https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-finds-covid-19-vaccine-booster-significantly-lowers-infection-risk-2021-08-22 on Sunday showed. (Reporting by Carl O’Donnell in New York and Manas Mishra in Bangalore; Additional reporting by Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago and Michael Erman in New Jersey; Editing by Will Dunham and Sriraj Kalluvila) View the full article

Have a look at the Dave Grohl video and description and pick the word to best describe this stand by an ally. If you’re detecting some sarcasm and some seriousness it’s because we’re torn among the options. On the one hand we’d never want to discourage an ally, on the other hand an ally who has dabbled in HIV denialism in the past might turn out good or bad in the end. In any case let us know what you think in that poll. Published by BANG Showbiz English Dave Grohl has vowed to stay out of politics in the future. The 52-year-old star – who recently announced plans to return to the UK with the Foo Fighters in 2022 – has joked that he’s “the last person” who should be giving advice on political issues. He explained: “I never wanted to be seen as somebody political or someone who is always handing out opinions – but I get asked what I think about all sorts of stuff. “We’re not really a political band – we try to do what we think is right but we’re not preaching to people. Sometimes, though, it can seem as though I’m always talking about the big issues because when people ask me for an opinion I tend to give one. “But I am the very last person who should be telling anyone else what to do – I get things wrong all the time. There are way better people to turn to than me.” Earlier this month, the band appeared in a video teasing members of the Westboro Baptist Church who were seen picketing at a roadside with homophobic signs. However, Dave insisted the stunt was just a bit of “fun” on his part. He told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column: “I don’t think they were very happy about it – a group of guys telling them we love them is the last thing they want to hear. “For us, it’s just about having some fun and doing what we believe is right.” The band recently announced four UK stadium shows for summer 2022, and Dave insisted he already can’t wait to return. Speaking after the tour dates were confirmed, he said: “We can’t f****** wait to get back to the UK!” Dave Grohl on Towleroad Grohl Troll: Foo Fighter Dave Grohl and Buddies Play Gay; Try To Offend Westboro Baptists With Disco Music for ‘a bit of fun’ – VOTE WYT August 21, 2021 Read More OnlyFans Pornography Ban Could Endanger LGBTQ Sex Workers; New Policy Comes After Investigation of Moderation, Pressure From Financial Institutions August 21, 2021 Read More Exclusive-FBI finds scant evidence U.S. Capitol attack was coordinated-sources August 20, 2021 Read More ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ Season 6 “Game within a Game” Puts the Spotlight on Silky [RECAP] August 20, 2021 Read More LGBTQ Orgs Alarmed Their Afghanistan Gay Contacts Have Gone Dark; Call On Nations, World to Prioritize LGBTQ Safety As Likely Taliban Target August 19, 2021 Read More Patti LaBelle’s proudest achievement is her son August 19, 2021 Read More View the full article

OnlyFansContent-creation platform OnlyFans’ decision to ban “sexually explicit” content from the site sparked backlash from creators and audiences this week with many pointing to the move as further endangering sex workers, including many in the LGBTQ community. OnlyFans Bans Pornography OnlyFans announced the move Thursday, saying it would phase out pornographic and “sexually explicit” material that doesn’t adhere to its Acceptable Use policy starting on October 1. The policy prohibits users from posting content it deems defamatory, discriminatory, threatening or promotes violence. It also forbids the exploitation of minors through use of the platform. Its revised policy released Friday effectively bans depictions of sex and masturbation, both actual and simulated, depictions of “bodily fluids commonly secreted during sexual conduct” and any imagery of genitalia it deems “extreme or offensive.”The new policy also sets a Dec. 1 deadline for creators to remove any content containing or advertising “sexually explicit conduct” per the new definitions. The move could potentially deplatform a large amount of sex workers and others that utilized the platform to earn a living in relative safety. The site’s popularity grew substantially over the last 18 months due to its benefits to sex workers as the Covid-19 pandemic forced citizens into lockdowns. Financial Gain The site rode that wave of popularity, heavily fueled by sexual content, to billion-dollar revenues in 2020. The company is expected to exceed $4 billion in revenue in 2021 according to Bloomberg. Despite the financial boom, OnlyFans chose to pivot away from what built it after banks and financial transaction services pushed it to eliminate sexual content from the platform. “The adult industry is sadly used to companies cutting their teeth on the adult market and then abandoning them once they reach critical mass,” said Dominic Ford, founder of OnlyFans rival JustFor.fans. Senator Scott Wiener decried the decision as “terrible and puritanical,” saying, “Forcing sex work off of the internet doesn’t make it go away. But it does make it less safe, as sex workers have no choice but to work on the streets, where they face increased risk of violence.” Others have pointed criticisms specifically toward how the news affects queer and trans creators currently utilizing OnlyFans for income. “OnlyFans banning sex is the tired pattern of social media platforms using sex and queer content to build their user base and make billions, then bailing when it takes too much thought, effort and courage to support us, ” said queer artist Leo Herrera. “Reading the tea leaves on the OnlyFans thing, I think it’s a good time to remind the LGBTQ community that as sex work goes, so go us. They are the canaries, but our *existence* is seen as sexual and therefore obscene,” tweeted queer writer Mari Brighe. Free Speech Coalition spokesperson Mike Stabile highlighted similar concerns while calling out the financial institutions that seemingly spurred OnlyFans’ decision. “While many will blame OnlyFans for sacrificing sex workers in pursuit of investment capital and mainstream recognition, we need to be frank about where the true fault lies: with the banks and credit card companies like Mastercard, who have refused to stand up to a misguided and ill-intentioned evangelical War on Porn,” Stabile said in a statement. “Banks and credit card companies are risk-averse institutions, easily scared by potential bad publicity. Religious groups know this, and have made no secret of targeting them in their quest to eliminate sex workers altogether. In doing so, companies like Mastercard have become enablers of these anti-porn, anti-LGBTQ, misogynist groups,” Stabile added. ‘Money Is The Priority’ But the impetus for the pornography ban could also be a BBC investigation into OnlyFans that alleged the company knowingly allowed creators that published illegal content on the site to continue operating without strong response. According to the BBC report, OnlyFans moderators referred to a “compliance manual” that dictated moderators to issue three warnings to creators found in violation of the Accepted Use Policy rather than banning accounts outright. The manual also advised moderators to issue additional warnings to “accounts with higher numbers of subscribers” rather than taking stronger action. The report also claims that creators with higher subscriber counts are handled by an entirely different moderation team than others with smaller customer bases. The company said the “compliance manual” wasn’t “official guidance,” but OnlyFans COO Tom Stokely is listed as an editor of the manual in question. “It shows money is the priority,” an OnlyFans moderator told the BBC. A previous BBC report highlighted multiple instances of minors being able to post sexually explicit content on the platform, subverting OnlyFans’ monitoring structures in various ways to do so. Whether the catalyst is OnlyFans’ alleged practices in moderating its platform or pressure from financial institutions as its statement claims, the end product of the ban threatens the safety of many sex workers, LGBTQ or otherwise. “For people who made a living off studio porn previously, the move to OnlyFans has meant significantly more control over safety, partner choice and representation – particularly important for performers of color and trans people,” Heather Berg, assistant professor of women, gender and sexuality studies at Washington University in St Louis, told The Guardian. “Whenever de-banking or deplatforming occurs, the workers who are most vulnerable are the ones to bear the brunt of the harm,” added online sex worker and Adult Industry Laborers and Artists Association co-chair Mary Moody. “Make no mistake, this change will kill sex workers.” OnlyFans: Previously on Towleroad OnlyFans Pornography Ban Could Endanger LGBTQ Sex Workers; New Policy Comes After Investigation of Moderation, Pressure From Financial Institutions Brian Bell August 21, 2021 Read More Twitter Tips: New ‘Tip Jar’ Opens Platform to Info-Commerce, Including Key Parts of OnlyFans Towleroad May 10, 2021 Read More Gay Internet Can’t Stop With Tyler Posey, ‘Teen Wolf’ with Only Fans. Our Roundup of Recent Coverage and the Moments that Got Us Here. Towleroad March 11, 2021 Read More With His Fox News Show Bleeding Advertisers, Tucker Carlson Attacks Porn Sites Like OnlyFans: WATCH John Wright June 12, 2020 Read More How NYC Go-Go Stud Matthew Camp Cashed in on OnlyFans Towleroad February 12, 2019 Read More Meet Dave Marshall, a Gay Wrestling Beast Putting His OnlyFans Account to Good Use Towleroad December 4, 2018 Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Mark Hosenball and Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The FBI has found scant evidence that the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was the result of an organized plot to overturn the presidential election result, according to four current and former law enforcement officials. Though federal officials have arrested more than 570 alleged participants, the FBI at this point believes the violence was not centrally coordinated by far-right groups or prominent supporters of then-President Donald Trump, according to the sources, who have been either directly involved in or briefed regularly on the wide-ranging investigations. “Ninety to ninety-five percent of these are one-off cases,” said a former senior law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation. “Then you have five percent, maybe, of these militia groups that were more closely organized. But there was no grand scheme with Roger Stone and Alex Jones and all of these people to storm the Capitol and take hostages.” Stone, a veteran Republican operative and self-described “dirty trickster”, and Jones, founder of a conspiracy-driven radio show and webcast, are both allies of Trump and had been involved in pro-Trump events in Washington on Jan. 5, the day before the riot. FBI investigators did find that cells of protesters, including followers of the far-right Oath Keepers and Proud Boys groups, had aimed to break into the Capitol. But they found no evidence that the groups had serious plans about what to do if they made it inside, the sources said. Prosecutors have filed conspiracy charges against 40 of those defendants, alleging that they engaged in some degree of planning before the attack. They alleged that one Proud Boy leader recruited members and urged them to stockpile bulletproof vests and other military-style equipment in the weeks before the attack and on Jan. 6 sent members forward with a plan to split into groups and make multiple entries to the Capitol. But so far prosecutors have steered clear of more serious, politically-loaded charges that the sources said had been initially discussed by prosecutors, such as seditious conspiracy or racketeering. The FBI’s assessment could prove relevant for a congressional investigation that also aims to determine how that day’s events were organized and by whom. Senior lawmakers have been briefed in detail on the results of the FBI’s investigation so far and find them credible, a Democratic congressional source said. The chaos on Jan. 6 erupted as the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives met to certify Joe Biden’s victory in November’s presidential election. It was the most violent attack on the Capitol since the War of 1812, forcing lawmakers and Trump’s own vice president, Mike Pence, to scramble for safety. Four people died and another died the following day, and more than 100 police officers were injured. TRUMP’S SPEECH Trump made an incendiary speech at a nearby rally shortly before the riot, repeating false claims that the 2020 election was stolen and urging supporters to march on the Capitol to pressure lawmakers to reject Biden’s victory. In public comments last month to the Democratic-led congressional committee formed to investigate the violence, police officers injured in the mayhem urged lawmakers to determine whether Trump helped instigate it. Some Democrats have said they want him to testify. But the FBI has so far found no evidence that he or people directly around him were involved in organizing the violence, according to the four current and former law enforcement officials. More than 170 people have been charged so far with assaulting or impeding a police officer, according to the Justice Department. That carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. But one source said there has been little, if any, recent discussion by senior Justice Department officials of filing charges such as “seditious conspiracy” to accuse defendants of trying to overthrow the government. They have also opted not to bring racketeering charges, often used against organized criminal gangs. Senior officials had discussed filing such charges in the weeks after the attack, the sources said. Prosecutors have also not brought any charges alleging that any individual or group played a central role in organizing or leading the riot. Law-enforcement sources told Reuters no such charges appeared to be pending. Conspiracy charges that have been filed allege that defendants discussed their plans in the weeks before the attack and worked together on the day itself. But prosecutors have not alleged that this activity was part of a broader plot. Some federal judges and legal experts have questioned whether the Justice Department is letting defendants off too lightly. Judge Beryl Howell in July asked prosecutors to explain why one defendant was allowed to plead to a misdemeanor charge carrying a maximum sentence of six months, rather than a more serious felony charge. Spokespeople for the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s office in Washington, which is leading the Jan. 6 prosecutions, declined to comment. The congressional committee investigating the attack will talk with the FBI and other agencies as part of its probe. (Reporting By Mark Hosenball; Editing by Andy Sullivan, Kieran Murray and Daniel Wallis) View the full article

The current RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars final four can only watch the action unfold. Well, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season six really done did it. After weeks of teasing a “game within a game” — and a lifetime of reality-TV conditioning — it felt nearly certain the eventual reveal would disappoint. Instead, we got one of the most truly exciting, emotional episodes in the show’s run. Everyone loves a lip sync, and there’s something inherently exciting about watching this, essentially, non-contact sport. It’s combative, offensive and defensive, and beautiful art. Most folks assumed the game within the game would yield a lip-sync heavy episode, that was never in doubt. It’s the stakes that left some fans feeling flazéda. As they say, “previously eliminated queens rarely make herstory,” or something. So, even though the prospect of some kind of lip-sync round robin sounds entertaining, the top four feels fairly locked. But, sure, we’ll go along for the ride. In fact, one could argue, the fans prefer it this way. Why should some queen come sashaying back down that runway without having to spill her guts on Pink Table Talk or designing Drag Tots? It just doesn’t seem fair. That’s where this Drag Race All Stars season’s twist comes into play. Instead of merely winning a round or two of syncs, the eliminated queens have been battling week after week. The earlier they were eliminated, the more gals they have to beat. The structure acknowledges it’s not just about returning to the game, but earning a spot in the Top Five. It’s a subtle distinction, but an important one. (I could see future iterations that also have them walking off in previous runway categories or mini versions of maxi challenges.) There’s also the great visual of seeing Ru in her past lewks and the previous guest judges. It lends a really nice reminder that this game has been playing out under our noses. In terms of this here recap, I have to say: Lip syncs are a visual medium, mama, so I’ll spare you the full blow-by-blow, but you should make time to watch them all. Anyway, all I want to talk about is Silky. Here’s a queen pilloried by the fandom. Someone whose big, confident personality might not have exactly matched her skillset, but generated such nuclear heat on social media, it even played out in the comments here. But after tonight? How could you not be a fan? The elusive Ru-demption of Drag Race All Stars is the reason we’re watching. I didn’t expect to see any queen plow through six lip syncs, let alone so many iconic moments. Silky made her return in the second sync of the evening (after a rather “fine” face-off between Serena ChaCha and Jiggly). Silky smartly takes her first win from Jiggly, using the bouncy, easy tune of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” to prepare a full cocktails — glass, ice, all — made only using supplies hidden in her chest. It’s a classic Silky move, but more complex than the milk and cookies we’ve seen. That slight play with expectations elevates the bit even more, and it secures Silky her first win. With Yara up next, it feels like this will just be a progression of one-offs as the queens move forward basically in order of elimination with maybe a twist or two along the way. The song is “Point of No Return” by Nu Shooz, an underrated bop if there ever was one. It’s cheesy and campy, but sexy with a good beat. My money is on Yara, but I soon regret it. Silky reveals a pair of pants that alone are worthy of the win. They’ve got these massive stripes of fringe running down the outside of the legs. They’re stupendous. But, Silky also cranks up the energy, shimmying those sparkles like her actual life is on the line. It’s another notch for Silky. I mean, Silky probably doesn’t need to bring it as hard as she does against Scarlet in the next round to Cher’s “Song for the Lonely.” Scarlet’s performance is the least hungry of all the comeback queens, but Silky continues to give enough for two. This time, she’s got a big, ol’ color guard flag to wave dramatically at just the right moment. Another one bites the dust, and Silky presses on. At this point, it’s tough not to root for Silky. She’s clearly working her ass off out there. Now, she’s built some real momentum. Now, there’s tension. How much longer can she keep it up? Who will be the one to stop her? Not, A’Keria, sadly. It’s the first twist in a one-two punch, showing A’Keria refusing Ru’s invitation to the game. It really did feel like A’Keria was drained by the time she went home, so I get not wanting to do yet another incredibly difficult thing when you’re already low. (I mean, after the last year, who can’t relate?) If that wasn’t a gag enough, when Ru breaks the news to Silky that she gets by to the next round, Silky instead asks to perform her lip sync anyway, solo. Y’all. I’m losing it. Fully screaming, hands waving in the air like Kermit, three snaps in a Z-formation, all of it. I’m sweating Astroglide. It is a great, gay moment only made all the sweeter by the absolutely bonkers performance it is! First off, the track is Aqua’s “Barbie Girl.” Already good. Silky serves season seven split-gender realness, painting half herself as a slinky showgirl and the other as a tracksuit-wearing f***boi. She performs the dialogue like a TikTok filter come to life. I’m howling, the judges are howling, the entire queer community is howling in some shared consciousness 101 Dalmatians Twilight Bark. A legendary performance. An absolute KWEEN move to demand to perform anyway. Someone put this in the Library of Congress. OK, you may be thinking, how long can this run last? Jan is up next, and you know she is coming with lethal peppiness. We get Goth Jan, which is my favorite Jan, because it’s so obviously incongruous with her personality. She risks it all (including spinal slippage) putting everything into a passionate performance of Pat Benatar’s “Heartbreaker,” another excellent lip sync choice. It’s still no match for Silky once the good doctor somehow procures a mostly full-scale guitar prop that she uses for a solo that would make Pete Townsend himself tuck a sweaty $20 bill in her bra if this were in a bar. She ends it perfectly with a Phoebe Bridgers-esque guitar smash that seals the deal. If you thought the stakes were high before, I’m starting to get lightheaded thinking there’s just two more girls for Silky to beat. She already beat four. Is she really going to pull this off? Next up is Pandora, and it’s to an Ariana Grande song, so not exactly something she could sink her teeth into (like, I don’t know, Dolly Parton’s “Me and Little Andy”). Still, she does better than I would have guessed, successfully selling sexy while still leaving some room for funny faces. Silks gives us a more direct Ariana interpretation and hits one of her signature back bumps that always look like they MUST hurt, right? It’s a solid outing for both, and Silky, again, moves forward. JUST ONE DOLL LEFT. It’s Eureka. And the track is “Since U Been Gone,” maybe one of the most universally beloved, definitive pop songs of the 21st Century? Do you know anyone who would, like, CHANGE THE STATION if it came on? Moms, ironic hipsters, cheugy PR account managers, former frat bros … it’s irresistible. And it’s tailor-made for iconic performances. Eureka is coming in hot, giving it her all. She’s even wearing her late mother’s LifeAlert for inspiration. Ticking all the boxes here for a well-earned win. Silky is prepared, too. Maybe too prepared. She’s telling a story about her mother’s weightloss. (I mean, is this the time?) It involves a sort of Missy Elliot trash bag suit, some light calisthenics and then a reveal to a sexy little number underneath. Unfortunately, the reveal snags, she’s stuck in the bodysuit, and the whole triumphant run sort of crumbles. At least that’s how it seems. You know Mama Ru isn’t letting us all off the hook that easily. We won’t learn the winner until nexy week. Yes, that’s cheap (and very expected), but I don’t mind it here. It feels as if Eureka is going to take this win, and a week removed from watching Silky’s thrilling lip sync dominance will take the sting out of it, a bit. I also think it’s within the realm of possibility they bring back both Eureka and Silky for the next challenge, but two girls will be sent home. According to (my) All Stars Rules, rankings are suspended for the week, but since I am a completionist: Silky.What did you think of the episode? Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments! Catch up on our RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars coverage. 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Afghan Refugees fleeing the countryThe safety of Afghanistan Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Trans people was immediately in serious question with the rapid return of Taliban control of Afghanistan. International LGBT organizations report their contacts in Afghanistan have gone dark or have become unreachable, and many organizations around the world are calling for governments and international bodies to provide for their protection and to offer asylum. Taliban Have Been and Remain Mortal Threat to All Gay Afghanistan Residents President Joe Biden’s announcement of complete troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by Aug. 31 sparked fears that the nation’s democratic government would fall back into the hands of the Taliban, unseated by the U.S. and its allies when the war began 20 years ago. Those fears came true with unexpected speed in recent days, and though the initial words from the Taliban is that they will respect the rights of women, this is not how it has gone in the regional cities they have taken over on the way. Most commentators expect the militant organization will reinstate Sharia Law, an expectation behind the many Afghanis trying to leave the country as soon as possible by any route available. Under the now-deposed government of President Ashraf Ghani LGBTQ Afghans enjoyed more, but still severely limited protections. The threat to LGBTQ lives under the Taliban has been made clear. The surprise would be if they was any change. Gul Rahim, who claims to be a Taliban judge, detailed last month that LGBTQ Afghans will be executed under Taliban rule. “There are only two penalties for gays: Either stoning or he has to stand behind a wall that falls on him. The wall must be 2.5 to 3 meters high,” Rahim told German newspaper Bild. “There are only two penalties for gays: Either stoning or he has to stand behind a wall that falls on him. The wall must be 2.5 to 3 meters high,” Judge Gul Rahim told German newspaper Bild last monthWe have found no reports specifically about LGBTQ plans or attempts to get out of the county and how they have fared, in general leaving is now a chaotic and dangerous proposition for almost all Afghans. Images of Afghans surrounding American planes on the tarmac of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul have given way to the stream of individual stories from those who get out anywhere, all of which end saying most of those in danger remain in Afghanistan without a clear path to getting out. On the first day of flights out, some died trying to get on flights, including some who reported clinged to aircrafts as they lifted off the ground. Taliban forces have begun blocking citizens from accessing the airport, breaking a promise made to the Biden administration. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman stated Wednesday that U.S. military forces in Kabul and Qatar were “engaging directly with the Taliban to make clear that we expect them to allow all American citizens, all third-country nationals and all Afghans who wish to leave, to do so safely and without harassment.” At the moment, Sherman could only confirm that the Taliban wasn’t impeding Americans from leaving, though she couldn’t confirm that the status of every American currently in Afghanistan was known. President Biden has rushed thousands more soldiers and government employees to help protect and defend the Kabul airport, saying their capacity to process American Partners will double by early next week and flights will ramp up to hourly all day and night. Taking responsibility, Biden acknowledged “the buck” stops with him, the president said he and the military shared the same surprise as everyone else at the speed with which the Taliban took the country, highlighting that even after 20 years of training, a trillion-dollar investment, and extraordinary supply of American arms (now in Taliban hands) the Afghani military still would not defend itself even minimally. While surprised by the speed and expressing concern about the current chaos, the Biden position is that there was going to be chaos no matter what, placing blame on Trump “negotiations” that led to the release of top Taliban leadership who were then in Pakistan prisons. One of those Trump-released leaders arrived to take lead in the Taliban government Thursday. With plenty of blame to go around and decades of books and writing. to assign it, most worked to focus on getting Americans, allies and local partners through the impossible and dangerous process of getting out of the country. The Washington Blade reported Sunday that transgender U.S. State Department contractor Josie Thomas was among a collection of people trapped in a diplomatic support facility near the Kabul airport. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul stated that it could no longer “ensure safe passage” to the airport. Refugee Crisis Looms Those who are able to get out face a real possibility of ending up stateless with. the small numbers of refugees most nations are stepping up to accept. While Canada has promised to grant 20,000 displaced Afghans asylum and Biden pledged to expand refuge access to Afghans that worked with U.S. organizations in Afghanistan and others “who otherwise are at great risk”, other nations have been more cagey about housing Afghan refugees. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and other top European officials announced a strategy to keep Afghan refugees in “transit countries” such as Iran, Pakistan and Turkey. Iran and Pakistan, countries with large Afghan refugee populations, and all without real protections for LGBTQ people. Advocacy groups called on European nations to offer asylum to refugees from Afghanistan gay populations.. “As Afghanistan falls to the Taliban, members of the LGBTIQ community are among those at greatest risk of suffering under Taliban rule. The international community must act quickly and decisively to aid all those fleeing persecution,” said the Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration. In the UK, Stonewall UK urged the government to allow Afghan refugees as well. “LGBTQ+ Afghans have endured routine discrimination, abuse & persecution, including by the state. With the Taliban in power we expect this situation to deteriorate further, including the potential for a return to active enforcement of the laws that prohibit same-sex relationships,” read a statement from the organization. “The U.K. government must step up now to put in place a rapid response humanitarian evacuation program and help resettle Afghan people, as well as take action to protect those who have already sought asylum here in the U.K.,” said Stonewall UK CEO Nancy Kelley. “This is a time for showing leadership in upholding the UN Refugee Convention, and helping LGBTQ+ Afghan refugees to survive, resettle and thrive.” Going Dark Speaking to the Washington Blade, Charbel Maydaa, founder of Lebanese advocacy organization MOSIAC, said she has lost contact with many in the nation since the Taliban’s resurgence. “We don’t know what’s happening. They’re not online or they are really afraid to talk on Facebook,” Maydaa said. Maydaa stated that LGBTQ advocacy group ILGA Asia, of which Maydaa serves as alternate co-chair, is working to establish shelters for LGBTQ Afghans that are still in the country as they wait for a chance to leave the country. The organization is also pleading with governments internationally to “literally rescue them.” “LGBT+ Afghans really don’t have any options. They can either await a slow death or a quick one. Whatever little joy they had will evaporate knowing that the Taliban can take their life at any moment,” gay Afghan author and activist Nemat Sadat told PinkNews. “As bad as life was for LGBT under the regimes of Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani, there is no telling how severe it can get under the Taliban … It’s not hyperbolic to say that the Taliban will do what Nazis did to homosexuals: weed them out and exterminated them from Afghan society.” Afghanistan Gay: Previously on Towleroad LGBTQ Orgs Alarmed Their Afghanistan Gay Contacts Have Gone Dark; Call On Nations, World to Prioritize LGBTQ Safety As Likely Taliban Target Brian Bell August 19, 2021 Read More Taliban return to power as president and diplomats flee Kabul Towleroad August 15, 2021 Read More Trump Says He Never Brought Up Russian Bounties for Scalps of U.S. Troops in Calls with Putin: WATCH Andy Towle July 29, 2020 Read More Large Financial Transfers Back Up Reports About Russian Bounties for Scalps of U.S. Troops Andy Towle July 1, 2020 Read More Trump Knew Russia Was Paying Taliban Bounties for the Scalps of American Troops in March 2019, a Year Earlier Than Previously Thought Andy Towle June 30, 2020 Read More ‘He Can’t Spin This Out’ — Trump Knew About Russian Bounties on U.S. Troops as Early as January: WATCH Andy Towle June 29, 2020 Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Patti LaBelle’s greatest achievement in life is her son. The 77-year-old soul legend and her ex-husband, Temptations singer Otis Williams, had one child together, Zuri Kye Edwards, and she admits regardless all of all her hits and music success having him was the best thing she’s ever done. In an interview with America’s Closer magazine, she said: “The memory of having my son was amazing. I was the oldest lady in the maternity ward! the girls were teenagers and I was 29. I said, ‘Lord, will I ever walk again?’ It was a scary moment, giving birth, but such a wonderful outcome.” Zuri now works as Patti’s manager and she admits he can be difficult to work for, but despite their fights she knows that he always has her best interested at heart because they are family. The ‘Lady Marmalade’ hitmaker said: “Sometimes he hurts me because he’s so honest and we fight – but that’s healthy. “At the end of the day, I realise he gives me the best advice ever. He is so honest, and he is never going to lead me wrong because he is my baby.” Although she is approaching her 80th birthday, Patti has no intention of retiring because she still loves performing and making music. She said: “Why would people lie and say they want to retire? Never would I want to retire!” And the ‘You Are My Friend’ singer still has an interest in modern pop, and is a big fan of Billie Eilish and Pink, although Jennifer Hudson is her favourite artist. When asked which singers she likes now, she answered: “Jennifer Hudson. She is doing it now with the Aretha [Franklin] movie. I love Pink. Billie Eilish.” View the full article

Published by AFP Mat Wooller, director of the Alaska Stable Isotope Facility, kneels among mammoth tusks at the University of Alaska Museum of the North Washington (AFP) – Walking the equivalent of twice around the world during a life lasting 28 years, one wooly mammoth whose steps have been traced by researchers has proven the huge beast was a long-distance wanderer. The findings, published Thursday in the prestigious journal Science, could shed light on theories about why the mammoth, whose teeth were bigger than the human fist, became extinct. “In all popular culture — for example if you watch (the cartoon) ‘Ice Age’ — there are always mammoths who move around a lot,” said Clement Bataille, assistant professor at the University of Ottawa and one of the lead authors of the study. But there is no clear reason why mammoths should have trekked great distances “because it is such an enormous animal that moving around uses a lot of energy,” he told AFP. The researchers were amazed by the results: the mammoth they studied probably walked around 70,000 kilometers (43,500 miles), and did not stay just on the plains of Alaska as they expected. “We see that it traveled throughout Alaska, so an immense territory,” said Bataille. “It was really a surprise.” Readings on a tusk For their study, the researchers selected the tusks of a male woolly mammoth who lived at the end of the last ice age. The animal — named “Kik” after a local river — lived relatively close to the time of the extinction of the species, around 13,000 years ago. One of the two tusks was cut in half to take readings of strontium isotope ratios. Strontium is a chemical element similar to limestone and is present in soil. It is transmitted to vegetation and, when eaten, is deposited in bones, teeth… or tusks. The tusks grow throughout a mammal’s life, with the tip reflecting the first years of life, and the base representing the final years. Isotope ratios are different depending on geology, and Bataille developed an isotopic map of the region. By comparing it with the data from the tusks, it was possible to track when and where the mammoth had been. At the time, glaciers covered all of the Brooks Range of mountains in the north and the Alaska Range in the south, with the plain of the Yukon River in the center. The animal returned regularly to some areas, where it could stay for several years. But his movements also changed greatly depending on his age, before he eventually died of hunger. During the first two years of his life, researchers were even able to observe signs of breastfeeding. “What was really surprising was that after the teenage years, the isotopic variations start to be much more important,” said Bataille. The mammoth has “three or four times in its life, made an immense journey of 500, 600 even 700 kilometers, in a few months.” Scientists say the male may have been solitary, and moving from herd to herd to reproduce. Or he could have been facing a drought or a harsh winter, forcing him to seek a new area where food was more plentiful. Lessons for today? Whether for genetic diversity, or due to scarce resources, it is “clear that this species needed an extremely large area” to live,” said Bataille. But, at the time of the transition from the ice age to the interglacial period — when they were extinct — “the area shrank because more forests grew” and “humans put quite a lot of pressure on southern Alaska, where mammoths probably moved much less.” Understanding factors that led to the disappearance of mammoths may help protect other threatened megafauna species, such as caribou or elephants. With today’s climate changing, and humans often restricting big species to parks and reserves, Bataille said, “do we want our children 1,000 years from now to view elephants the same way we view mammoths today?” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States spent more than $8 billion over 15 years on efforts to deprive the Taliban of their profits from Afghanistan’s opium and heroin trade, from poppy eradication to airstrikes and raids on suspected labs. That strategy failed. As the United States wraps up its longest war, Afghanistan remains the world’s biggest illicit opiate supplier and looks certain to remain so as the Taliban is on the brink of taking power in Kabul, said current and former U.S. and U.N. officials and experts. Widespread destruction during the war, millions uprooted from their homes, foreign aid cuts, and losses of local spending by departed U.S.-led foreign troops are fueling an economic and humanitarian crisis that is likely to leave many destitute Afghans dependent on the narcotics trade for survival. That dependence threatens to bring more instability as the Taliban, other armed groups, ethnic warlords, and corrupt public officials vie for drug profits and power. Some U.N. and U.S. officials worry Afghanistan’s slide into chaos is creating conditions for even higher illicit opiate production, a potential boon to the Taliban. “The Taliban have counted on the Afghan opium trade as one of their main sources of income,” Cesar Gudes, the head of the Kabul office of the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), told Reuters. “More production brings drugs with a cheaper and more attractive price, and therefore a wider accessibility.” With the insurgents entering Kabul on Sunday, “these are the best moments in which these illicit groups tend to position themselves” to expand their business, Gudes said. The Taliban banned poppy growing in 2000 as they sought international legitimacy, but faced a popular backlash and later mostly changed their stance, according to experts. Despite the threats posed by Afghanistan’s illicit drug business, experts noted, the United States and other nations rarely mention in public the need to address the trade – estimated by the UNODC at more than 80% of global opium and heroin supplies. “We’ve stood by on the sidelines and, unfortunately, allowed the Taliban to become probably the largest funded non-designated terrorist organization on the globe,” said a U.S. official with knowledge of Afghanistan’s drug trade. “The U.S. and international partners have continued to pull out and not addressed poppy cultivation,” the official said on condition of anonymity. “What you’re going to find is that it has exploded.” Asked for comment, a State Department official said the United States would continue to support the Afghan people, “including our ongoing counternarcotics efforts,” but declined to say how aid would continue should U.S. assistance stop if the Taliban seize power. POPPY CULTIVATION SOARS Afghan farmers weigh myriad factors in deciding how much poppy to plant. These range from annual precipitation and the price of wheat, the main alternative crop to poppy, to world opium and heroin prices. Yet even during droughts and wheat shortages, when wheat prices rocket, Afghan farmers have grown poppy and extracted opium gum that is refined into morphine and heroin. In recent years, many have installed Chinese-made solar panels to power deep water wells. Three of the last four years have seen some of Afghanistan’s highest levels of opium production, according to the UNODC. Even as the COVID-19 pandemic raged, poppy cultivation soared 37% last year, it reported in May. Illicit narcotics are “the country’s largest industry except for war,” said Barnett Rubin, a former State Department adviser on Afghanistan. The estimated all-time high for opium production was set in 2017 at 9,900 tons worth some $1.4 billion in sales by farmers or roughly 7% of Afghanistan’s GDP, the UNODC reported. When the value of drugs for export and local consumption are taken into account, along with imported precursor chemicals, the UNODC estimated the country’s overall illicit opiate economy that year at as much as $6.6 billion. The Taliban and public officials have long been involved in the narcotics trade, experts said, although some dispute the extent of the insurgents’ role and profits. The United Nations and Washington contend the Taliban are involved in all facets, from poppy planting, opium extraction, and trafficking to exacting “taxes” from cultivators and drug labs to charging smugglers fees for shipments bound for Africa, Europe, Canada, Russia, the Middle East, and other parts of Asia. Some of those shipments are hurled across the heavily patrolled border to traffickers in Iran with rudimentary catapults, reported David Mansfield, a leading researcher into Afghanistan’s illicit drug trade. U.N. officials reported that the Taliban likely earned more than $400 million between 2018 and 2019 from the drug trade. A May 2021 U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan (SIGAR) report quoted a U.S. official as estimating they derive up to 60% of their annual revenue from illicit narcotics. Some experts dispute that data. Mansfield says his field studies show the most the Taliban can earn from illicit opiates is about $40 million annually, predominantly from levies on opium production, heroin labs and drug shipments. The insurgents, he said, make more money exacting fees on legal imports and exports at roadside checkpoints. Washington spent an estimated $8.6 billion between 2002 and 2017 to throttle Afghanistan’s drug trade in order to deny the Taliban funds, according to a 2018 SIGAR report. Apart from poppy eradication, the United States and allies backed interdiction raids and alternative crop programs, airstrikes on suspected heroin labs and other measures. Those efforts “didn’t really have much success,” retired U.S. Army General Joseph Votel, who commanded U.S. Central Command from 2016-2019, told Reuters. Instead, experts said, they stoked anger against the government in Kabul and its foreign backers – and sympathy for the Taliban – among farmers and laborers who depend on opium production to feed their families. The Taliban learned that lesson from their ban on poppy growing in 2000, said Brookings Institution scholar Vanda Felbab-Brown. Despite a steep decline in production, the ban ignited “a huge political storm against the Taliban and it was one reason why there were such dramatic defections after the U.S. invasion,” she said. Therefore, experts said, it is unlikely the Taliban will prohibit poppy cultivation should they gain power. “A future government,” said Mansfield, “will need to tread carefully to avoid alienating its rural constituency and provoking resistance and violent rebellion.” (Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Editing by Arshad Mohammed, Mary Milliken and Daniel Wallis) Taliban Poppy on Towleroad ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ Season 6 “Game within a Game” Puts the Spotlight on Silky [RECAP] August 20, 2021 Read More LGBTQ Orgs Alarmed Their Afghanistan Gay Contacts Have Gone Dark; Call On Nations, World to Prioritize LGBTQ Safety As Likely Taliban Target August 19, 2021 Read More Patti LaBelle’s proudest achievement is her son August 19, 2021 Read More In the footsteps of a woolly mammoth, 17,000 years ago August 19, 2021 Read More Profits and Taliban poppy: Afghanistan’s illegal drug trade a boon for Taliban August 19, 2021 Read More Sinéad O’Connor’s open letter to Prince Harry August 19, 2021 Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sinéad O’Connor has written an open letter to Prince Harry. The 54-year-old singer was moved by Harry’s recent Apple TV documentary on mental health, ‘The Me You Can’t See’, with Oprah Winfrey and believes his late mother, Princess Diana, would be very proud of him. Writing in Ireland’s Sunday Independent newspaper, Sinéad said: “As someone who has trauma-related mental health struggles, I wanted to let you know how bowled over I am by your Apple TV series. You’re slammin’ it, to use a musical term. You just keep shining on through.” Sinéad revealed that she identifies with Harry’s grief over the death of his mother Princess Diana in a car crash in 1997 when he was just 12, as she lost her own mother in similar circumstances when she was 18. She explained: “I’m writing this because you and I have something in common Harry. I also lost my mother in a car crash… I do know something of the grief you’ve been brave enough to share in the public arena. It’s a shock that takes years to come out of, when someone dies so violently and suddenly. It’s a lifetime’s recovery. “I really identified with you when you shared the rage and anger you felt at the time of your mother’s passing. I was the same. I’m sure we all were, any of us who ever lost someone in that sudden way. Transcending that grief as you’ve done by sharing it, cuts through a lot of garbage. And a lot of us appreciate what you’re doing.” And Sinéad went on to tell Harry, 36, that his mother would be very proud of him. She wrote: “When so many of us see the work you’re doing for people who experience mental health struggles, we see you stomping on stigma. And we’re all delighted for you. Most importantly, we know how proud your mama is of the incredible young man you are.” Sinead O’Connor on Towleroad Sinéad O’Connor’s open letter to Prince Harry August 19, 2021 Read More Police surround man with possible explosives near U.S. Capitol August 19, 2021 Read More Possible HIV Treatment OK’d To expand Phase 1 Human Trials After Stopping HIV in Lab; August 18, 2021 Read More Britney Spears Topless Photos Are Being Posted By the Singer Herself. She Says It’s Strong, Not Sleazy and Reveals Rationale August 18, 2021 Read More Buttigieg Baby On Board: Pete and Chasten ‘Overjoyed….Have Wanted to Grow Our Family’; Announce First Child August 17, 2021 Read More Andy Cohen Dates: Now, An Endgame “Are You Going To Be a Good Stepfather?’; Curious How His Exes Would Score Him… August 17, 2021 Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Julio-Cesar Chavez and Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Law enforcement officials surrounded a man with possible explosives sitting in a vehicle near the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, as nearby buildings were evacuated and emergency vehicles rushed to the scene about a mile from the White House. “This is an active bomb threat investigation,” the U.S. Capitol Police said on Twitter. The man was in a vehicle outside the Library of Congress, across the street from the Capitol, a U.S. law enforcement source said. The law enforcement source said the presence of explosives had not been confirmed. But people in Congress were notified that the vehicle’s occupant had said that he possessed a bomb and that authorities were crafting their responses with that threat in mind, an official told Reuters. Several nearby buildings were evacuated, including the U.S. Supreme Court. People in the Madison office building were told to bar themselves in their offices. A nearby subway station was closed. Police blocked off roads surrounding the Capitol complex as fire and rescue trucks headed to the area. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it was sending a bomb technician to support police. The Federal Bureau of Investigation also responded. The ordinarily crowded Capitol Hill area was relatively deserted, with the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate out of session. “The USCP is responding to a suspicious vehicle near the Library of Congress,” the Capitol Police wrote on Twitter. “Please stay away from this area.” (Reporting by Lisa Lambert, Lawrence Hurley, Sarah N. Lynch, Mark Hosenball and Julio-Cesar ChavezWriting by David Morgan Editing by Andy Sullivan, Chizu Nomiyama and Sonya Hepinstall) View the full article

Marche de FiertesAs multiple HIV vaccines begin human trials, a Maryland biotech company’s work on an HIV treatment moves forward as well with the FDA OK to expand human trials beyond one patient. Rockville, MD’s American Gene Technologies (AGT) announced earlier this month that it received unanimous approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Data and Safety Monitoring Board to continue human trials of its HIV/AIDS treatment, AGT103-T. The news comes as AGT revealed that the first patient to receive the AGT103-T treatment encoutered “no adverse side effects.” AGT is now free to add more participants as it continues to test the efficacy and safety of the company’s treatment in protecting human bodies from HIV infection. Trials have shown the therapy to be successful in stopping HIV infection in human cells in laboratory settings. According to the Washington Blade, AGT CEO Jeff Galvin stated that six more patients are scheduled to be added to the trials over the next weeks and months. “If this works, they will be permanently immune from HIV,” Galvin said during a July 29 presentation at AGT headquarters. “Just think what this can do with the epidemic. We all have something to be excited about … keep your fingers crossed. Let’s all keep hoping and praying.” According to the company, AGT103-T treats HIV/AIDS by inducing “durable viral suppression” to HIV through “delivering therapeutic genes to the recipient’s immune cells” that will help cells “survive attack by HIV and durably suppress the virus at undetectable levels.” If the treatment works as intended, it will usher in a new era of HIV/AIDS treatment that doesn’t require the use of lifelong antiretroviral drugs. “Since the late 1980s, antiretroviral drugs have prevented AIDS, HIV transmission, and mortality in persons living with HIV and, in some cases, have been used prophylactically to prevent new infections,” AGT said in a statement. “However, no approved treatments can cure HIV. AGT is committed to addressing this unmet medical need.” The news comes as mRNA biotech research firm and Covid-19 vaccine developer Moderna prepares human trials of its mRNA HIV Vaccine. The University of Oxford is also enveloped in testing a separate HIV vaccine, HIVconsvX, in multiple European and African nations. HIV Cure: Previously on Towleroad Possible HIV Treatment OK’d To expand Phase 1 Human Trials After Stopping HIV in Lab; Brian Bell August 18, 2021 Read More Moderna HIV Vaccine Phase 1 Human Trials to Start as Early as Next Week. Hope to Build on mRNA Learnings Brian Bell August 13, 2021 Read More Covid Booster Shots Likely Offered Soon To People With Compromised Immune Systems — Fauci ; Priority Include People With HIV Towleroad August 5, 2021 Read More AIDS Groups Release Open Letter to DaBaby; Denver Cancels Festival He Was to Headline; IHeartRadio, Austin City Limits Also Drop; WednesDababy Update Brian Bell August 4, 2021 Read More Grounded by Festivals, DaBaby Apologizes; Blames Victims For Not Just Taking His Abuse While He Explained How Much Harder It is Being DaBaby Brian Bell August 2, 2021 Read More DaBaby Homophobia Week Spirals : Madonna, Questlove, Lovato Call Out Rapper. U.K. Festival Removes Him From Lineup Brian Bell July 30, 2021 Read More Photo courtesy of TarValanion/Creative Commons View the full article

Britney Spears topless photos have been coming fast and furiously lately and from a kind of surprising source, the singer herself. Joking that they are NOT her response to the ‘FREE BRITNEY’ campaign she reveals what’s going on and why she’s opting in to going topless Britney Spears topless photos Published by BANG Showbiz English Britney Spears has fired back at critics of her topless photos and revealed she’s feeling more body confident. The 39-year-old star – who joked food is the cause of her bigger bust rather than a “boob job” or being pregnant – has opened up on the number of racy pictures she’s been sharing on social media lately. She wrote on Instagram: “No guys … I didn’t get a boob job in just a week … nor am I pregnant … I have boobs in these pics cause I devoured food!!!! “Before I show you more pics of my body … I want you to understand my thoughts on exposing my skin !!!! In my opinion it’s quite twisted the immediate response of when any woman is hot and they want to shed a layer … no … I’m not talking in a strip club or a performance … just on a practical scale of being in your car and realizing you’re wearing a stupid long sleeve shirt in the summer !!!! “The immediate reaction to any woman who does this after shedding a layer is DAMN I FEEL BETTER … therefore you think you look better !!! (sic)” In a lengthy post – which was shared alongside a number of new topless snaps – Britney admitted in the past she had moments on stage where she felt she “didn’t look so great” and finds it “embarrassing as f***”. She continued: “I mean I don’t want anybody to see the big dimple on my ass but I feel like performing made me too self conscious about my body and that’s not attractive ….. “Anyways I bet you’re wondering why I’d expose my body NOW … well it’s because I was born into this world naked and I honestly feel like the weight of the would has been on my shoulders and it’s made me view myself that way !!!! “I wanted to see myself in a lighter way … naked … like the way I was born and to me looking back at my pictures when I shoot it’s insane the psychology in seeing myself in my purest form gives evidence that pain … hurt … tears … and heavy burdens aren’t who I am. I am a woman …. a beautiful … sensitive woman who needs to look at myself in my purest form !!! (sic)” Meanwhile, the ‘Toxic’ hitmaker – whose father Jamie will step down as her conservator after a legal battle – admitted she couldn’t help but laugh when people responded to her revealing pictures with jokes about the “Free Britney” movement. She added: “No … I’m not going to do topless pics f or the rest of my life cause that would get boring but it sure as hell helps when you need to be enlightened!!!! “And I will admit the FREE BRITNEY comments after I took my shirt off were actually really f****** funny !!! (sic)” Britney Spears Topless Photos on Towleroad Britney Spears Topless Photos Are Being Posted By the Singer Herself. She Says It’s Strong, Not Sleazy and Reveals Rationale August 18, 2021 Read More Buttigieg Baby On Board: Pete and Chasten ‘Overjoyed….Have Wanted to Grow Our Family’; Announce First Child August 17, 2021 Read More Andy Cohen Dates: Now, An Endgame “Are You Going To Be a Good Stepfather?’; Curious How His Exes Would Score Him… August 17, 2021 Read More ‘The Owl House’ Star Mae Whitman Comes Out as Pansexual, Celebrates Her ‘Bi-Furious’ Identity August 17, 2021 Read More ‘We need food’: heavy rains lash Haiti quake survivors August 17, 2021 Read More ‘It’s just a preference’: How Some Gay Men Justify Sorting, Selecting on Grindr by Race. New Research August 17, 2021 Read More View the full article

Chasten and Pete ButtigiegButtigieg Baby On Board At least one American can now call Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg “daddy” after he and his husband, Chasten, announced the arrival of their first child. The news came from Buttigieg’s personal Twitter account on Tuesday, with both he and Chasten celebrating the news online. “For some time, Chasten and I have wanted to grow our family,” Buttigieg said. “We’re overjoyed to share that we’ve become parents! The process isn’t done yet and we’re thankful for the love, support, and respect for our privacy that has been offered to us. We can’t wait to share more soon.” According to CNN, the Buttigiegs had been trying to adopt a child for more than a month. The family addition marks another landmark for LGBTQ representation within the halls of the U.S. government. Buttigieg became the first out gay cabinet secretary when he took over the Department of Transportation earlier this year. Buttigieg Baby: Previously on Towleroad Buttigieg Baby On Board: Pete and Chasten ‘Overjoyed….Have Wanted to Grow Our Family’; Announce First Child Brian Bell August 17, 2021 Read More Trump Administration Calls on Supreme Court to Allow Adoption Agencies to Turn Away Gay Couples John Wright June 4, 2020 Read More Tennessee Governor Signs Anti-LGBTQ Adoption Bill, 1st to Become Law in 2020 John Wright January 24, 2020 Read More Tennessee Passes Bill Allowing Adoption Agencies to Deny Gay Couples; Governor Says He’ll Sign It Andy Towle January 15, 2020 Read More Mike Pence Tells Cheering Crowd He ‘Couldn’t Be More Proud’ of New Rule Allowing Adoption Agencies to Reject Gay Couples: WATCH Andy Towle November 14, 2019 Read More Georgia Senate Panel Approves Bill Allowing Adoption Agencies to Deny Gay Couples Michael Fitzgerald February 21, 2018 Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Andy Cohen looks for “good stepfather” qualities in anyone he dates. The 53-year-old radio and television host became a father to two-year-old son Benjamin Allen in 2019, and has said being a dad has completely changed the way he views dating, as he now wants to make sure his future partner has the right qualities to be a stepfather to his son. He explained: “Now there’s an endgame. Are you going to be a good stepfather? It’s changed everything.” And when the ‘Watch What Happens Live’ host does find his special someone, he wants them to be “independent” and have their own interests. He added: “I like very independent people who have their own things going with their own lives, who are very strong in their belief systems. That’s very attractive to me.” Andy is currently the host of Peacock’s new series ‘Ex-Rated’, in which contestants face candid feedback from their former partners. And while the TV star is still on the hunt for “the one”, he would be curious to know what his exes would score him in the different relationship categories. He told People magazine: “You get to hear straight from contestants’ exes, and they use the information to make themselves better at dating – and in bed. I love how sex-positive the show is. You can’t turn away! “I’m dying for my exes to fill out the survey to see how I scored! The show makes you want to put yourself in other people’s positions and say, ‘What would people say about me?’ It’s really made me wonder how I would be rated in certain categories.” Meanwhile, Andy previously revealed having a son has encouraged him to travel the world, as he wants to take his tot “everywhere”. He said: “I’m excited to take him to theme parks and to take him to London when that is meaningful for him. I’m kind of excited to take him everywhere, frankly. I’m building a house on Long Island, [and] I’m excited to live there with him. “I used to not lean into tourist things, but I think with a child, you do it with glee … What happens is, you’re too cool until you’re not. Everybody winds up there.” Andy Cohen Dates previously on Towleroad Andy Cohen Dates: Now, An Endgame “Are You Going To Be a Good Stepfather?’; Curious How His Exes Would Score Him… August 17, 2021 Read More ‘The Owl House’ Star Mae Whitman Comes Out as Pansexual, Celebrates Her ‘Bi-Furious’ Identity August 17, 2021 Read More ‘We need food’: heavy rains lash Haiti quake survivors August 17, 2021 Read More ‘It’s just a preference’: How Some Gay Men Justify Sorting, Selecting on Grindr by Race. New Research August 17, 2021 Read More Lily Cole, Model and Actor in ‘Dr. Who’, ‘Star Wars’, Married to Kwame Ferreira, Says She is Definitely Queer August 16, 2021 Read More Court Rules Hobby Lobby Violated Law in Denying ‘Unquestionably Female’ Trans Employee Use of Women’s Bathroom August 16, 2021 Read More View the full article

Mae WhitmanMae Whitman Wishes She’d Had Queer Characters Growing Up Actress Mae Whitman, known for her roles in ‘Good Girls’, ‘Parenthood’, ‘Arrested Development’ and more has spoken about her pansexual identity openly for the first time. “The DUFF” star made the announcement in a series of social media posts in which she gushed about being part of the voice cast of the very LGBTQ Disney animated series “The Owl House.” “Just taking a moment to say I am so proud to be even a small part of a show like ‘The Owl House,'” Whitman tweeted Monday. “Being pansexual myself, I wish I had such incredible characters like Amity and Luz in my life when I was growing up. Queer representation is so so so important :,) keep it up world!” Whitman voices the young witch Amity Blight on the show, who is part of one the very few LGBTQ relationships in the history of Disney animation with the show’s main character, Luz Noceda, voiced by Sarah Nicole-Robles. The show also introduced Disney’s first out non-binary character in Raine Whispers, voiced by non-binary actor Avi Roque. ‘I Appreciate Everything And Everyone’ Beyond coming out, Whitman also took the opportunity to explain why she defines herself as pansexual. “I know [people] might be unfamiliar with what pansexual means; for me, it means I know I can fall in love with people of all genders,” Whitman continued. “This is the word that fits me best and I’m proud and happy to be part of the Bi+ community.” She complimented her coming out post with a series of images depicting Amity and Luz and a picture of herself claiming to be “bi-furious” on Instagram. Whitman’s acting career has spanned more than 25 years across television, film, voice acting for animation and video games. She most recently starred in the recently canceled NBC dramedy series “Good Girls” and is fondly remembered for her role on “Parenthood.” Whitman previously hinted at her rainbow status in a 2014 interview with Glamour. When asked about her romantic life, Whitman said, “I just like people.” “I think girls are attractive, I think boys are attractive, I think old people are attractive, I think young people are—I appreciate everything and everyone,” she added. Mae Whitman: Previously on Towleroad Billy Eichner ‘s ‘Big, Gay Divorce Comedy’ ‘Ex-Husbands’ Headed To Amazon; ‘It’s the Gay ‘War Of The Roses’ You’ve Been Waiting For!’ Brian Bell August 4, 2021 Read More Hollywood Skin Doc–and Home Flipper–Alex Khadavi Threatens to Kill Gay Couple In Homophobic Screed Caught on A Lobby Cam; Acquired by TMZ: WATCH Brian Bell July 22, 2021 Read More A ‘Pose’ Is Not Enough. Hollywood Writers Guild’s LGBTQ Group Calls Out Discrimination On and Off Screen In Open Letter Brian Bell June 14, 2021 Read More Kevin Spacey News: Judge Ruled Accuser Had To Go Public For Sexual Assault Case To Proceed. He Refused; Case Likely to be Dismissed. Towleroad May 15, 2021 Read More Reese Reveals Secret Hollywood Power Play Led By Shonda Rhimes; Tells Where Elle Woods Would Be Today; And Contrasts her image to Britney’s Towleroad April 29, 2021 Read More Finally? A Gay Holiday RomCom? R-rated Mrs. Doubtfire? Gun Control? Respect for Aretha? DC Statehood? Japan Marriage Equality? Spring? with Puppies: HOTLINKS Michael Goff March 23, 2021 Read More Photo courtesy of YouTube/Genevieve/Creative Commons View the full article