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Published by PsyPost Research published in Psychoneuroendocrinology has confirmed that negative communication patterns in heterosexual marriages are associated with decreased immune system functioning along with less positive and more negative emotions. The research highlights the physical and emotional consequences for those in marriages with dysfunctional communication patterns. Previous studies have indicated that aggressive conduct during marital conversations can delay wound healing and raise proinflammatory cytokine production. Similarly, adverse communication patterns lead to increased negative emotions and… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story A wave of robberies that took place after the victims were drugged has left at least seven clubgoers dead in New York City, The Guardian reported. There have been at least 43 known druggings — mostly taking place at LGBTQ-themed nightclubs — since September 2021, and police are saying the deaths are not isolated incidents. So far, police have arrested four suspects who conspired to “approach intoxicated individuals upon exiting a bar or nightclub, engage them in conversation, and offer and administer dangerous and illicit substances to them for the purpose of causing their incapacitation,” a… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine (Reuters) -Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday fired another shot in his battle with Walt Disney Co, saying the state’s Republican legislature would take steps to nullify the company’s effort to circumvent state oversight of Walt Disney World. DeSantis, a likely Republican presidential candidate who has made attacking “woke Disney” a common theme, said the legislature would revoke a development agreement Disney struck with outgoing members of an oversight board. “They thought they could create some type of development agreement that would render everything that we did null and void,” DeSantis said. “That’s not gonna fly.” The ongoing tussle between DeSantis, who has yet to announce a presidential bid, and one of Florida’s largest employers began in March 2022 when Disney’s then-Chief Executive Bob Chapek spoke out against a bill limiting discussion of sexuality and gender identity in Florida elementary school classrooms. Republicans named the bill the Parental Rights in Education Act, while opponents criticized it as the “Don’t say gay” law. DeSantis said the new bill, announced on Monday, would return control of the special district that is home to Disney World to a state oversight board run by the governor’s appointees. Among other things, it will give the board the power to decide how to develop land adjacent to Disney’s theme parks. DeSantis said the possibilities included a state park, other amusement parks or a state prison. Disney shares were off about 0.2% at $99.68. DeSantis and the Florida legislature have been working to eliminate the virtual autonomy the company enjoyed over Disney World for more than 50 years, saying that constitutes an “unfair advantage.” Disney employs some 75,000 people in the state. Florida lawmakers passed a bill in February giving DeSantis effective control over a board that oversees municipal services and development in a special district in central Florida that encompasses Walt Disney World resort. Current Disney CEO Bob Iger called the move a retaliation, “anti-business” and “anti-Florida.” The company had no comment on DeSantis remarks on Monday. Before the takeover by DeSantis appointees, Disney pushed through changes to the special tax district agreement that limit the board’s action for decades. An attorney for the newly constituted Central Florida Tourism Oversight District last month described what he called the “shocking” revelation that the agreement had been reached three weeks before DeSantis signed legislation granting the state authority over the district. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” said attorney Daniel Langley on March 29. The pact cements a 10-year comprehensive plan, adopted on July 15, 2022, that serves as a blueprint to guide future development. It gives Disney the option to add a fifth major theme park, two minor parks, 1 million square feet of retail space and some 14,000 hotel rooms. It also ensures that future boards would honor a commitment to $527 million in planned capital improvements to support Walt Disney World’s growth over the next decade. “We are a government of laws, not a government of individual men or even a government of ‘woke’ corporations based in California,” DeSantis said. (Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Editing by Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by The Philadelphia Inquirer KUTZTOWN, Pa. — If you ban it, they will come. For the better part of an hour Saturday, dozens of teenagers and their parents snaked around the towering stacks of tomes inside Kutztown’s Firefly Books and sometimes spilled onto the sidewalks of this quaint Berks County college town — most of them clutching the book that conservatives on the local school board didn’t want them to read. Calliope Price, 14 and in the eighth grade, came out to meet Alan Gratz — author of the “banned” young-adult novel about climate change, “Two Degrees” — after hearing about the controversy and realizing that Grat… Read More View the full article

Published by Orlando Sentinel ORLANDO, Fla. — It was 36 hours after the Pulse nightclub massacre of 2016 when Rick Todd decided the history of gay, lesbian and transgender people in Central Florida needed to be told. Sitting in a meeting of LGBTQ leaders reacting to the tragedy, he realized the help that would be forthcoming had its roots in the past. “Who created this community?” he asked himself. “Who laid this foundation?” The end result of his questions is the film “Greetings from Queertown: Orlando,” which debuted at the Florida Film Festival on Monday. For Todd, and others, it has been both a personal journey — and a… Read More View the full article

Published by The Spun By Chris Rosvoglou It was announced Tuesday that Lexi Rodgers, a transgender female basketball player, is ineligible to compete in the WNBL1 South women’s semi-professional basketball league. Basketball Australia ruled that Rodgers cannot compete against biological females in elite or sub-elite basketball. Suzy Batkovic, the director of Basketball Australia, released a statement on this decision. “Firstly, on behalf of Basketball Australia I’d like to acknowledge and sincerely thank Lexi for her cooperation, understanding and patience throughout this process – it’s a complex space that continu… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has called for his supporters to continue to boycott Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch products over their partnership with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney — days after Donald Trump Jr. caught backlash for calling for conservatives to drink the beer once again, RadarOnline.com has learned. On Monday, DeSantis sat down for an interview with political commentator Benny Johnson. During the chat, he was asked about his take on Bud Light and the controversy surrounding the brand. MEGA DeSantis said he did not support ‘woke companies’ who were “trying to change our country, trying to change policy, [and] trying to change [the] culture’ in America.” MEGA He continued, “Why would you want to drink Bud Light? I mean like honestly, that’s like them rubbing our faces in it, and it’s like these companies that do this, if they never have any response, they are just gonna keep doing it.” Gavin Newsom Trashes Ron DeSantis, Predicts Florida Governor Will Get ‘Rolled’ By Trump In 2024 Election Nikki Haley’s Campaign Trashes Ex-Prez Donald Trump In Leaked Letter To Donors: ‘More Consumed By The Grievances Of The Past’ Ex-Prez Donald Trump Attacks Ron DeSantis’ ‘Pudding Fingers’ In Bizarre Campaign Commercial “So, if you as a consumer are like… “yeah, they’re doing that, but I’m just gonna keep drinking it anyways,” well, then they’re gonna keep doing it,” DeSantis added. “’So I think we have power as consumers to make our voice heard, and not on every company because sometimes conservative consumers aren’t going to make a dent in some companies.” MEGA Since 2021, Anheuser-Busch has donated $215k to DeSantis and other Republican groups. On his podcast, Trump Jr. defended the “iconic” company and pointed to its history of donating to Republican candidates. “So, here’s the deal. Anheuser-Busch totally s— the bed with this Dylan Mulvaney thing. I’m not, though, for destroying an American, an iconic company for something like this,” he said. “The company itself doesn’t participate in the same leftist nonsense as the other big conglomerates,” he added. “Frankly, they don’t participate in the same woke garbage that other people in the beer industry actually do, who are significantly worse offenders when I looked into it. But if they do this again, then it’s on them. Then, s—- them.” MEGA Anheuser-Busch has launched a series of new ad campaigns touting their love of America. The backlash against the brand continues despite its efforts to shut it down. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega A key figure who helped organize the pro-Trump “Stop the Steal” rally apologized this week after he was accused of asking teenage boys for sexual pictures, RadarOnline.com has learned. Ali Alexander, 37, came under fire last month after British right-wing political commentator Milo Yiannopoulos accused Alexander of asking at least two teenage boys for sexual pictures in 2017. Mega Although Alexander claimed the allegations against him are false, he admitted in his apology that he was “careless” and failed to properly “qualify” the individuals he was sending “inappropriate messages” to. “I apologize for any inappropriate messages sent over the years,” he wrote. “When I’ve flirted or others have flirted with me, I’ve flexed my credentials or dropped corny pick up lines,” Alexander continued. “Other times, I’ve been careless and should’ve qualified those coming up to me’s identities during flirtatious banter at the start.” According to Daily Beast, rumors of Alexander’s allegedly illicit behavior toward underage boys began circulating in 2015. Mega The rumors gained momentum late last month after Yiannopoulos began releasing video interviews and other evidence allegedly implicating Alexander in the sexual propositioning of young men. “The reason I’m doing this is because he used my name,” Yiannopoulos said when asked why he decided to release the allegations against Alexander last month. Donald Trump’s Alleged Former Mistress Karen McDougal Lives It Up At Lavish Birthday Celebration Ex-Prez Donald Trump Unleashes On Fox News In 2 AM Rant, Demands Network ‘FINALLY ADMIT’ 2020 Election Was Stolen Ron DeSantis Refuses To Drink ‘Woke’ Bud Light, Opposes Donald Trump Jr’s Plea To Call Off Beer Ban Over Trans Star Dylan Mulvaney Other sources suggested Yiannopoulos turned on Alexander after Alexander and “America First” leader Nick Fuentes pushed Yiannopoulos out of a position in Kanye West’s 2024 presidential campaign. In one cache of alleged evidence against Alexander from 2017, the “Stop the Steal” organizer allegedly asked for – and allegedly received – nude photographs from a then-15-year-old boy named Aidan Dunkin. Mega “You don’t even send me videos anymore,” Alexander allegedly wrote to then-17-year-old Duncan two years later in 2019. “No good jack off material. Don’t even wanna be my side piece.” Duncan has since spoken out about his alleged relationship with Alexander and claimed he was “naïve and desperate” and “had no choice” but to “cooperate” with Alexander’s requests. “When I was 15 I was naive and desperate,” Duncan wrote on Twitter on Thursday. “I thought I had no choice but to cooperate with inappropriate and humiliating requests if I wanted to make it in politics. I figured that was just the nature of the game.” Alexander is also accused of forming a relationship with another teenager named Lance Johnston in 2019. Mega According to screenshotted messages between Alexander and Johnston from July 2019, a then-34-year-old Alexander allegedly asked the then-17-year-old Johnston to send photos of himself naked. Fuentes and other MAGA supporters have since “disavowed” Alexander over the allegations against him, although Fuentes has also blamed Alexander’s two alleged victims for “going along” with Alexander’s “flirting” despite being underage. Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free. “[Duncan] and Lance were willing to go along flirting with Ali (to varying degrees) without any protest because they thought it would advance their political careers,” Fuentes wrote over the weekend. “If you are flirting with adult gay men because you think it’s going to land you a job, you know full well what you’re doing and it’s gross,” he continued. “Sorry but even at 15, I would have never sent nudes to an adult gay man. There’s something wrong there.” View the full article

Published by The Mercury News A former employee for Intuit, the Mountain View, California-based financial software giant and TurboTax owner, claims in a new lawsuit that the company illegally fired him for social media posts linking drag queens to sexual abuse of children. Brian Gilton, described in the lawsuit as “a passionate 37-year-old white male who regularly exercises his rights to participate in political activity, including political speech,” worked as a senior content designer for Intuit for three years, until his termination in August, according to the lawsuit. Intuit sent Gilton packing over two Instagram posts … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sir Elton John will be a “really important archivist” in the future, Russell Tovey believes. The ‘History Boys’ actor has interviewed a host of famous faces for ‘Talk Art’, the podcast he co-hosts with gallerist Rob Diament and he was impressed to learn the ‘Tiny Dancer’ singer is an avid collector of newsworthy photographs. He told The Times’ Weekend magazine: “It’s all just under the surface with a lot of people. Pierce Brosnan was an artist before he was an actor, and paints to relieve trauma, while Elton is very quietly building up a really important collection of photographs. “If he sees a news photo from Ukraine he’ll contact the photographer and buy it and archive it — he’s going to be a really important [archivist] in the future.” Despite his own love of art, the 41-year-old star admitted his own talents are lacking. He said: “I once got my camera out and took some photos of my underwear lying on a radiator like Wolfgang Tillmans [German photographer noted for his everyday reportage] and they were just s***. So, I’m just an admirer.” The former ‘Quantico’ actor – who is in a relationship with architect Steve Brockman – admitted his passion for buying new works has become an “addiction” and he views his acting jobs as a means of acquiring more art. He confessed: “But it’s still like an addiction. I literally cannot stop collecting — there should be Art Anon, where people can get help. Luckily it’s considered a respectable addiction, though. “I wanted our home to look like the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition — every inch of wall covered. But that’s not really practical, is it? But I do look at [acting] jobs and think: how many pieces can I buy if I do that?” View the full article

Published by AFP SpaceX postponed the first test flight of Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, just minutes ahead of the scheduled launch Starbase (United States) (AFP) – A frozen valve forced a postponement on Monday of the first test flight of SpaceX’s Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, designed to send astronauts to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Liftoff of the gigantic rocket was called off less than 10 minutes ahead of the scheduled launch because of a pressurization issue in the first-stage booster, SpaceX said. The private space company continued with the countdown in what it called a “wet dress rehearsal,” stopping the clock with 10 seconds to go, just before the massive engines on the booster were to have been ignited. SpaceX founder Elon Musk said a frozen pressure valve forced a scrub of the launch, which had been planned for 8:20 am Central Time (1320 GMT) from Starbase, the SpaceX spaceport in Boca Chica, Texas. “Learned a lot today, now offloading propellant, retrying in a few day,” Musk tweeted. SpaceX said the inaugural flight would be delayed for at least 48 hours to recycle the liquid methane and liquid oxygen that fuels the rocket. The US space agency NASA has picked the Starship spacecraft to ferry astronauts to the Moon in late 2025 — a mission known as Artemis III — for the first time since the Apollo program ended in 1972. Starship consists of a 164-foot (50-meter) tall spacecraft designed to carry crew and cargo that sits atop a 230-foot tall first-stage Super Heavy booster rocket. SpaceX conducted a successful test-firing of the 33 Raptor engines on the first-stage booster in February but the Starship spacecraft and the Super Heavy rocket have never flown together. The integrated test flight is intended to assess their performance in combination. Musk had warned ahead of the launch that a delay was likely. “It’s a very risky flight,” he said earlier. “It’s the first launch of a very complicated, gigantic rocket. “There’s a million ways this rocket could fail,” Musk said. “We’re going to be very careful and if we see anything that gives us concern, we’ll postpone.” ‘Multi-planet species’ NASA will take astronauts to lunar orbit itself in November 2024 using its own heavy rocket called the Space Launch System (SLS), which has been in development for more than a decade. Starship is both bigger and more powerful than SLS and capable of lifting a payload of more than 100 metric tonnes into orbit. It generates 17 million pounds of thrust, more than twice that of the Saturn V rockets used to send Apollo astronauts to the Moon. The plan for the integrated test flight is for the Super Heavy booster to separate from Starship about three minutes after launch and splash down in the Gulf of Mexico. Starship, which has six engines of its own, will continue to an altitude of nearly 150 miles, completing a near-circle of the Earth before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean about 90 minutes after launch. “If it gets to orbit, that’s a massive success,” Musk said. “If we get far enough away from the launchpad before something goes wrong then I think I would consider that to be a success,” he said. “Just don’t blow up the launchpad.” SpaceX foresees eventually putting a Starship into orbit, and then refueling it with another Starship so it can continue on a journey to Mars or beyond. Musk said the goal is to make Starship reusable and bring down the price to a few million dollars per flight. “In the long run — long run meaning, I don’t know, two or three years — we should achieve full and rapid reusability,” he said. The eventual objective is to establish bases on the Moon and Mars and put humans on the “path to being a multi-planet civilization,” Musk said. “We are at this brief moment in civilization where it is possible to become a multi-planet species,” he said. “That’s our goal. I think we’ve got a chance.” View the full article

Published by DPA The lettering Maybach can be seen on a car in the entrance area of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. German carmaker Mercedes has presented an all-electric version of its luxury brand Maybach for the first time. Jens Kalaene/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa German carmaker Mercedes has presented an all-electric version of its luxury brand Maybach for the first time. Group CEO Ola Källenius unveiled the vehicle at the world premiere in Shanghai on Monday. “The Mercedes Maybach EQS SUV unites our ambition to lead in digital and electric with our focus on the luxury segment,” Källenius said. The international auto show in Shanghai begins on Tuesday. China is the largest car market in the world and therefore of great importance for Mercedes and the other German manufacturers. In the first quarter of 2023 the Stuttgart-based company said it had sold 191,000 vehicles in the People’s Republic, an increase in sales of 3% compared to the previous year. View the full article

Published by Chicago Tribune The fourth and final season of HBO’s “Barry” returns with its title character, the ex-Marine turned hitman (turned actor, turned abusive boyfriend), behind bars and about to go down for at least one of his crimes. Everything’s come to a head. Or has it? The show’s co-creators Alec Berg and Bill Hader (Hader also stars) keep us guessing while exploring a larger, tantalizing theme: Can you ever really start over — whether that means mending a toxic relationship, or going legit, or simply running away from your past? Maybe it’s an impossibility in the end. We are who we are. You can never right t… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Tony Hadley will never reveal “exactly why” he quit Spandau Ballet. The 62-year-old ‘Gold’ singer sensationally walked away from the New Romantic group in 2017, saying after a royalties bust-up in a brief Twitter statement he was no longer a member, and has now revealed the group’s behaviour wasn’t “that of friends”. But insisting he will never go into detail about the full reasons behind the bitter split, he told The Observer: “Walking away from Spandau in 2017 was tough, but I had no choice. “The band’s behaviour wasn’t that of friends – I couldn’t do it any longer. “I’ll never say exactly why. It’s on to them to be honourable and step forward to set out what they did. To take responsibility for their actions.” Spandau Ballet decided to take a break in 1990 so the bandmates could pursue solo projects but it turned into a full split when Tony, drummer John Keeble, 63, and saxophonist Steve Norman, 63, unsuccessfully sued guitarist Gary Kemp, also 63 – the brother of 61-year-old bassist Martin Kemp – in a royalties row. Despite his bitterness over the break-up Tony also has fond memories of his time with the band. He reminisced: “Our first appearance on ‘Top of the Pops’ still feels like a dream. “My God, it was so exciting. I’d worked day jobs right up until signing our record deal.” He went on about how he got the music bug: “At Pontins, aged 14, I discovered music. I got on stage and sang ‘Lady Madonna’. I decided it would be my future. “I met Frank Sinatra at the Royal Albert Hall when I was 17. I’d snuck backstage and was being pushed aside by security when he asked my story. “He shook my hand and wished me luck. Six years later, Spandau Ballet headlined the same venue.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lionel Richie admits it was a “surprise” that Britain’s King Charles chose him to perform at his Coronation Concert. The 73-year-old singer – who became the first global ambassador of The Prince’s Trust in 2019 – is among the star-studded line-up along with the likes of Katy Perry and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, 64, who will duet with 57-year-old Welsh opera icon Sir Bryn Terfel. And the ‘Hello’ hitmaker couldn’t believe it when he found out the monarch wanted him to perform for him, of all the “names” he could have chosen. He told People: “I mean, you don’t get in the business and say, ‘You know what? I’ll be at the King’s coronation.’ You know, that just never comes up. “[It’s] A, a surprise. B, what an honour. And C, the fact of all the names that are out there that he could have had for this, he called my name.” He continued: “I really do celebrate his now stepping into the king role.” The ‘All Night Long’ hitmaker expects there to be more “pomp and circumstance” than a concert by The King of Pop, the late Michael Jackson, or The Queen of Pop, Madonna. Lionel added: “I want to see the pomp and circumstance because I don’t care what you thought Michael Jackson did. I don’t care what you thought Prince did. I don’t care what you thought Madonna did. Nothing’s going to be like this. This is the grandiose of grandiose right here.” The concert will be held in the grounds of Windsor Castle a day after Charles, 74, is crowned along with his wife Queen Consort Camilla, 75, at Westminster Abbey on May 6. Charles’ concert will also include soul pianist Alexis Ffrench, 53, and 28-year-old singer-songwriter Freya Ridings. The headliners were revealed after it emerged Lionel had signed up, along with Take That’s Gary Barlow, 52, Howard Donald, 54, and 51-year-old Mark Owen. They will be backed by musicians including a 70-piece orchestra, and the Massed Bands of the Household Division and Countess of Wessex’s String Orchestra – with a 300-strong Coronation Choir also lined up to feature in the show. It comes less than a year after the concert to mark the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, which included music by Queen, Duran Duran and Diana Ross. View the full article

Published by AFP Researchers say misinformation has exploded on Twitter since the platform was acquired by billionaire Elon Musk Washington (AFP) – When the iconic US diaper company Huggies was swamped with false pedophilia allegations last month, the conspiracy was traced to a once-banned influencer reinstated to Twitter by Elon Musk. The Tesla tycoon bitterly denies that misinformation has surged since his turbulent $44 billion acquisition of the messaging platform, but experts say content moderation has been gutted after mass layoffs, while a paid verification system has served to boost conspiracy theorists. Adding to the turmoil, the self-proclaimed free speech absolutist has restored what one researcher estimates are over 67,000 accounts that were once suspended for a myriad of violations, including the incitement of violence, harassment and misinformation. Among those reinstated is Vincent Kennedy, a supporter of the QAnon conspiracy movement who was banned from Twitter after the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Kennedy, according to the advocacy group Media Matters, launched a conspiracy theory in late March that left the Huggies diaper brand fighting off extraordinary pedophilia accusations. He posted a picture of a Disney-themed diaper featuring Simba, a character from “The Lion King,” and circled triangles and spiral swirls that were part of the design. This was to illustrate a widely debunked conspiracy theory that the shapes are recognized by the FBI as coded signals used by pedophiles. “Once you truly awake you ain’t going back to sleep,” Kennedy wrote in the tweet that garnered millions of views. The conspiracy theory spread like wildfire to other platforms like TikTok. Huggies, which is owned by Kleenex-owner Kimberly-Clark, then faced an avalanche of hate messages and calls for a boycott. Huggies sought to douse the flames, writing in a direct response to Kennedy’s tweet that its designs were nothing more than “fun and playful” and that it takes “the safety and well-being of children seriously.” But conspiracy theorists jumped on the response to further amplify the false claim. ‘Real-world harm’ “Anecdotally, there’s no doubt that the flood of toxic content from repeat offenders Elon has re-platformed is driving real-world harm,” Jesse Lehrich, cofounder of the advocacy group Accountable Tech, told AFP. “When you reinstate the architects of the Jan. 6 insurrection as democracy teeters on the brink, when you give a massive platform to notorious neo-Nazis amidst a surge in anti-Semitism, when you re-platform influential purveyors of medical disinformation in the middle of a pandemic, there are going to be real-world consequences.” Travis Brown, a software developer based in Berlin, has compiled an online list of more than 67,000 restored Twitter accounts since Musk’s takeover in late October. Brown told AFP that the list was incomplete and the actual number of restored accounts could be higher. In a recent BBC interview, Musk pushed back at allegations that misinformation and hateful content were seeing a resurgence since his takeover. He accused the interviewer of lying. “You said you see more hateful content, but you can’t even name a single one,” Musk said. Experts AFP spoke to named dozens of examples –- including posts by anti-vaccine propagandists, neo-Nazis and white supremacists. After his account was restored, election conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell called on his followers to “melt down electronic voting machines” and use them as prison bars. Anti-LGBTQ+ narratives –- including the false claim that the community “grooms” children –- have spiked on the platform, according to the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH). One key driver of the “grooming” narrative, the group said, is conspiracy theorist James Lindsay, whose account was recently restored after previously being banned permanently. ‘Hateful rhetoric’ “The reinstatements increase hateful rhetoric across the platform, creating a culture of tolerance on Twitter — tolerance to misogyny, racism, anti-LGBTQ tendencies,” Nora Benavidez, from the nonpartisan group Free Press, told AFP. Imran Ahmed, chief executive at CCDH, said “Twitter is monetizing hate at an unprecedented rate.” Just five Twitter accounts peddling the “grooming” narrative generate up to $6.4 million in annual advertising revenue, according to CCDH’s research. But experts say the strategy is counterproductive as that can hardly offset lost advertising revenue. The chaotic shake-up under Musk has scared off several major advertisers. Twitter’s ad income will drop by 28 percent this year, according to analysts at Insider Intelligence, who said “advertisers don’t trust Musk.” As an alternative, Musk has sought to boost income from a verification checkmark, now available for $8 in a program called Twitter Blue. But dozens of “misinformation super-spreaders” have purchased the blue tick and are inundating the platform with falsehoods, according to the watchdog NewsGuard. “Musk reinstated accounts to make money and to adopt what he believes, misguidedly, is some ‘equal free speech’ mindset — ignoring that the (policy) makes Twitter a platform which rewards violent language with visibility,” Benavidez said. “This chills speech and engagement rather than furthers it.” burs-ac/arp/tjj View the full article

Published by Miami Herald Mailen Mejuto isn’t sure whether she wants kids in the future. But one thing is for certain: the 28-year-old knows she wouldn’t want to raise them in Florida. Mejuto on Sunday joined thousands of people — some decked out in rainbow flags and others in beach wear — gathered along Ocean Drive in South Beach’s scorching heat to watch the annual pride parade. The South Beach resident didn’t have to go far to join the festivities but said she’s concerned by what’s happening around the country. In Florida, lawmakers want to expand the Parental Rights in Education Act, commonly known as the “Don’t Sa… Read More View the full article

Published by DPA A general view of Rainbow flags. Same-sex relationships are no longer punishable by law on the Cook Islands in the South Pacific. The parliament of the South Sea nation, which has about 17,000 inhabitants, approved a corresponding law on Monday. Jens Kalaene/dpa-Zentralbild/ZB Same-sex relationships are no longer punishable by law on the Cook Islands in the South Pacific. The parliament of the South Sea nation, which has about 17,000 inhabitants, approved a corresponding law on Monday. Previously, homosexual acts could be punished with prison sentences of up to five years. Prime Minister Mark Brown spoke in a Facebook post of a “historic day” in parliament. He said his government had fulfilled its promise to “end discrimination against the LGBT community in our society.” Members of the LGBTQI community celebrated the move. Other island states in Oceania, however, still maintain laws against homosexuals that were enacted under colonial rule, including Samoa, Tonga and the Solomon Islands. The Cook Islands archipelago is located between New Zealand and Hawaii and consists of 15 islands. The largest of these is Rarotonga where the capital Avarua is situated. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sir Elton John is being included in a new exhibition to celebrate the “fluid” concept of being a “diva”. The 76-year-old ‘Rocket Man’ singer’s famous Louis XIV-inspired look designed by Sandy Powell that included a gigantic wig, worn by Elton for his 50th birthday in 1997, is among the photos, art and costumes going on display at the V and A Museum in south Kensington, London. It’s ‘DIVA’ show, opens on June 24, will also feature Prince and drag queen RuPaul, along with dresses worn by “iconic” women from Maria Callas and Marylin Monroe to Tina Turner. The V and A said: “DIVA will celebrate the power and creativity of iconic performers, exploring and redefining the role of ‘diva’ and how this has been subverted or embraced over time across opera, stage, popular music, and film.” It has added the exhibition will also chart the history of the diva term – which means goddess in Italian – from its use for female opera singers to its “fluid” modern-day usage, including for contemporary male stars. Show curator Kate Bailey added: “Today the word diva holds a myriad of meanings. At the heart of this exhibition is a story of iconic performers who with creativity, courage and ambition have challenged the status quo and used their voice and their art to redefine and reclaim the diva. “DIVA will be the first major exhibition to tackle the subject and to re-examine our perception of the diva in history and in popular culture. “The exhibition will feature trail-blazing divas who have disrupted the status quo and pushed boundaries through their art and voice – including bohemian performer Sarah Bernhardt – worshipped by fans as ‘The Divine Sarah’ – whose performances in male and female roles were celebrated for their expressiveness, intensity and flamboyance.” Dame Shirley Bassey, 86, said: “It is wonderful to see the diva celebrated in this exhibition, and to see the V and A reclaiming the title. “To me, ‘diva’ is all about the power of the voice and the ability to entertain, to succeed against odds, to fight, and break through barrier after barrier: to have your voice heard.” The exhibition also spotlights Rihanna, Dolly Parton and Barbra Streisand, and focuses on how stars have branched into business and branding as well as showing how artists such as Aretha Franklin shook the status quo. Debbie Harry is also highlighted in the show as a “pioneer for women in punk whose unique, rebellious style and image reveals how the diva can occupy new and changing musical genres”. DIVA will showcase more than 250 objects spanning fashion, photography, design, costumes, music and live performance. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Just days afterStephen Smith was mysteriously found dead on a desolate South Carolina roadway, his boyfriend received a series of terrifying death threats possibly linked to the murder, RadarOnline.com has learned. Marc Bickhardt was the last person to communicate with Smith on the night of July 2015 when his lifeless body was found near the Hampton County home of Alex Murdaugh – the son of a prominent lawyer who was recently convicted of murdering his wife and son. Bickhardt told investigators the 19-year-old called to tell him that he ran out of gas and felt he was being followed before hearing “big mud tires” approaching his friend. sandy smith “They’re like coming toward him or going past because they sounded loud — and they were getting louder. And that, I believe, was the last time I talked to him,” Bickhardt told investigators. Five days later, Bickhardt called the Hampton Police Department to report a series of harassing phone calls originating from the Cayman Islands. “The calls informed the victim that he would die the same way Smith did, and the victim believes that (Smith’s) death was a homicide,” states the police incident report obtained by RadarOnline.com. “The victim stated that the calls began last week after his friend’s funeral,” the report said. The police reports do not indicate if officers followed up on the complaint or if the information was passed along to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) which recently labeled Smith’s death a homicide and has re-opened the investigation. Smith’s death was bizarrely ruled a hit-and-run by the county medical examiner even though investigators from the South Carolina Highway Patrol didn’t see any skid marks or car debris on the roadway. They also couldn’t figure out how Smith suffered a severe head injury. Ranch Where Alex Murdaugh Murdered His Wife & Son Sells For $2.6 Million EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: Stephen Smith’s Body Dug Up To Perform A Second Autopsy After New Information Surfaces In Alex Murdaugh Murder Case Reexamine Stephen Smith’s Crime Scene Photos Taken Near The Murdaugh Property As Case Is Relabeled A Homicide mega Investigators began re-examining Smith’s death shortly after Maggie Murdaugh, 52 and her 22-year-old son Paul were found brutally murdered on their family owned 1770-acre hunting lodge on June 7, 2021. Investigators claimed evidence uncovered during the double murder probe led to their decision. Alex Murdaugh, 54, was sentenced to two consecutivelife sentences for murders in a sensational trial in March. Smith, who is openly gay, was found a short distance from the hunting lodge and investigators were told by various witnesses that his former classmate and rumored lover,Buster Murdaugh was allegedly involved. Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free. mega Despite being mentioned on investigator’s notes dozens of times, Buster, 26, has vehemently denied any involvement in Smith’s death. Even the lawyer for Smith’s mother, Eric Bland, dismissed Buster as a suspect and hinted the death could be a hate crime. “We have no direct knowledge that any Murdaugh was involved in any shape or form in Stephen’s murder,” Bland told Fox News Digital. Meanwhile, Smith’s remains were exhumed for a second autopsy and investigators have named two persons of interest in his death. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Tan France is expecting his second child via surrogate. The ‘Queer Eye’ star and his husband Rob – whose first child, son Ismail, was born prematurely via surrogate in August 2021 – have announced they are set to become dads again. Tan, 39, gushed on ‘Milk Drunk: The Podcast’: “We are over the moon. “We’ve wanted this for a long time.” On the stigma surrounding surrogacy, he said: “These are career women, who have children, who just want to find a way to help people who desperately want children.” Sharing a clip from the interview on Instagram, he said: “Hard to believe it was two years ago today we announced Ismail was on his way! And today – we couldn’t be prouder to share that he’s going to be a big brother! “Becoming dads has been our greatest joy, and we are so excited to grow our family with the help of our wonderful surrogate.” Tan previously admitted he is “much more emotional” since becoming a father. He told PEOPLE magazine last year: “I have only cried a couple of times on [‘Queer Eye’]. But ever since I had my baby, it’s made me much more emotional. Much more emotional.” The 39-year-old fashion designer is currently in the UK filming ‘Say Yes To The Dress’, and he admitted being away from his son is “the hardest part, without a doubt, of being a working parent”. He added: “I’m working a lot of hours. And so sometimes I only get to just see him as we’re putting him to bed. “And that makes me really emotional because I really hate not having a lot of time with him. I just really miss him all the time.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Paul O’Grady’s funeral will reportedly be held at the safari park he loved to visit near his home. The animal-loving comedian, whose cause of death was revealed on Saturday (15.04.23) as cardiac arrhythmia after he passed away aged 67 on 28 March, is set to be honoured at a celebration of life-type ceremony at Port Lympne Safari Park in Hythe, Kent. A source told the Mail on Sunday about the plan: “Paul loved Port Lympne. He got to know some of its residents very well and it was thought by his nearest and dearest that it would be a beautiful idea to hold his funeral there so they are in attendance, too. Staff hope they can do him proud.” Port Lympne paid tribute to Paul – who gave a home to five abandoned dogs and spent years working with the Battersea animal charity – following his death, with a post on its Instagram page that said: “We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Paul O’Grady – a local supporter of Port Lympne and the work we do. We were incredibly grateful to have had him visit us.” Port Lympne’s 600 acres host more than 900 rare and endangered animals, including monkeys, lions and tigers. The resort also has Port Lympne Mansion Hotel, where guests have included Sir Winston Churchill and Prince Edward. Animal-lover Paul, famed for his acid-tongued Lily Savage drag queen character, is said to have judged contests at the park, which is three miles from the home he shared with his husband Andre Portasio in the village of Adlington. The Mail on Sunday reported as well as the ceremony on its grounds, it is thought there will be a service at a nearby church. In 2020, Paul – whose parents were killed by heart conditions – opened up about having endured three cardiac arrests, kidney failure and Covid. He suffered his previous heart attacks in 2002, 2006 and 2014. His husband Andre said last month in a statement about Paul’s passing: “It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening. “We ask, at this difficult time, that whilst you celebrate his life you also respect our privacy as we come to terms with this loss. “He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion.” View the full article