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Published by Raw Story Smithsonian Institution officials scrambled to respond to numerous media requests — and alert Donald Trump’s political action committee — when news broke last year that the Trump PAC was funding a portrait of the 45th president destined for the National Portrait Gallery, according to government records obtained by Raw Story through a Freedom of Information Act request. The brouhaha followed news — first reported by Insider and matched by numerous other news organizations — that Trump’s Save America PAC made a “charitable contribution” worth $650,000 to fund official portraits for Trump and for… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Evan Garcia and Brad Brooks LLANO, Texas (Reuters) – A rural Texas county’s public libraries will remain open while a court battle continues over whether local officials can remove books deemed inappropriate, commissioners decided on Thursday. The Llano County commissioners in central Texas held a special meeting to consider closing the three public library branches after a federal judge’s ruling to return banned books to shelves and not censor any more. Llano County – with a population of about 22,000 located about 60 miles northwest of Austin – is the latest flashpoint in a battle over books in libraries across the U.S. The four commissioners and judge of the Llano County commissioners court, as the governing body is known, heard from 15 members of the public during a tense meeting before going into executive session. Most who spoke wanted the libraries to remain open. “Does Llano, Texas, want to be known as the town that closed the public library?” resident Lee Nelms asked. “That would be the death knell for a vibrant community.” But others said they wanted the libraries shut until books they labeled “pornographic” were out. They read aloud explicit sex scenes from books. County Judge Ron Cunningham, the top elected official in the county, announced after the executive session that the libraries would remain open and said “we will try this in the courts, not through social media or through news media”. He said the books had been returned to the shelves, but did not say when. Among the books removed, according to the lawsuit, were “Caste: The Origins of our Discontent” by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson and “They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group” by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. Over 1,600 titles, mostly addressing racism and LGBTQ issues, have been removed from libraries in 32 states in the past year, according to the writers’ organization PEN America. No state bans more books than Texas, according to PEN America. “Public libraries are not meant to serve particular ideological factions,” said Kasey Meehan, who directs the “Freedom to Read” project of PEN America. “They are meant to serve the community.” Some Llano County citizens in 2021 began requesting the removal of books that were included on a Texas Republican lawmaker’s list of titles that should be banned. The library board resisted and in 2022 it was dissolved by county commissioners. Commissioners then “packed the new library board with political appointees,” according to the lawsuit. Judge Robert Pitman of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas on March 30 issued a preliminary injunction ordering Llano County to return to library shelves “all print books that were removed because of their viewpoint or content.” He also ordered no more books be removed. (Reporting by Evan Garcia in Llano, Texas, and Brad Brooks in Lubbock, Texas; editing by Donna Bryson and Sonali Paul) View the full article

Published by AlterNet If justices can be bought by billionaires, lifetime terms only enable corruption rather than protect the U.S. Supreme Court from undue influence. A pair of new investigative reports from ProPublica about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas are a testament to not only the importance of good journalism in a democracy, but also Thomas’s unfitness on the court, and the need for better guard rails against moneyed influence. The first bombshell story, “Clarence Thomas and the Billionaire,” highlighted how a wealthy man named Harlan Crow befriended Thomas after he became a Supreme Court justice and… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Andrew Chung WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An evangelical Christian former mail carrier’s fight with the U.S. Postal Service over his refusal to work on Sundays gives the Supreme Court another chance to widen religious rights but also has led to a debate over whether religious people are more legally deserving than others to weekend days off from work. The justices are set to hear arguments on Tuesday in an appeal by Gerald Groff, a former mail carrier in Pennsylvania, of a lower court’s ruling rejecting his claim of religious discrimination against the Postal Service for refusing to exempt him from working on Sundays, when he observes the Christian Sabbath. Groff sued after being disciplined for repeatedly failing to show up when assigned a Sunday work shift. The court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, has a track record of expanding religious rights in recent years, often siding with Christian plaintiffs. A ruling favoring Groff could make it harder for businesses to deny a variety of religious accommodations to employees. “The whole point of religious accommodation is you have to make special or favored arrangements in order to have an inclusive workforce,” said Alan Reinach, one of Groff’s attorneys. Boston University School of Law employment law expert Michael Harper said that a ruling favoring Groff could “give a preference to the religious because they get to stay home on their Sabbath or their day of rest” that would be denied to nonreligious people. Harper added, “Whenever you depart from neutral standards it creates the potential for greater friction in the workplace.” Unions representing postal workers urged the Supreme Court to carefully consider the issue of hardship that religious accommodations for some employees could have on co-workers. “A day off is not the special privilege of the religious. Days off, especially on the weekend, are when parents can spend the day with children who are otherwise in school, when people can spend time on the other necessities of life, when the community enjoys a common day of rest for churchgoers and the nonreligious alike,” the American Postal Workers Union said in a brief. Groff’s case centers on a federal anti-discrimination law called Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on religion and other factors including race, sex and national origin. Under Title VII, employers must make allowances for a worker’s religious observance or practices unless that would cause the business “undue hardship” – which the Supreme Court in a 1977 case called Trans World Airlines v. Hardison determined to be anything imposing more than a minor, or “de minimis,” cost. Groff’s attorneys have asked the Supreme Court to overturn the Hardison precedent and require companies to show a “significant difficulty or expense” before denying an accommodation. Groups representing some religions that are in the minority in the United States including Islam, Judaism and Hinduism told the Supreme Court that the Hardison standard has disproportionately impacted them and should be revised. “By allowing employers to refuse to accommodate employees’ beliefs for almost any reason, Hardison forces devout employees to an impossible daily choice between religious duty and livelihood,” the Muslim Public Affairs Council wrote in a brief. Representing the Postal Service, President Joe Biden’s administration told the justices there is no need to reverse Hardison because the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency that enforces Title VII, and many lower courts already have interpreted that ruling to provide substantial protection for religious employees. James Phillips, a law professor at Chapman University in California, said a “strong majority” or even all the justices could side with Groff. “This may be one of those religious liberty cases where the right and the left are actually aligned,” Phillips said. SUNDAY DELIVERIES Groff worked as a “rural carrier associate” in the towns of Quarryville and Holtwood in Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County, a job that required him to fill in as needed for absent career carriers, including on weekends. The Postal Service in 2013, in a bid to remain profitable, contracted with Amazon.com to deliver packages, including on Sundays. Groff failed to report for assigned Sunday shifts. Postal officials sought to accommodate Groff by attempting to facilitate shift swaps, but were not always successful. His absences caused tension among other carriers who had to cover his shifts, the Postal Service said. Groff received several disciplinary letters and resigned in 2019. “I hope the Supreme Court reaffirms our nation’s commitment to providing equal opportunity and fair treatment in the workplace,” Groff said in a statement provided by his lawyers. University of Miami School of Law professor Caroline Mala Corbin, who specializes in law and religion, said that while the case could help minorities fully participate in the workforce, it also could tee up clashes between religious and secular values or LGBT rights. For instance, Corbin said, a conservative Christian employee might have a better chance seeking a religious accommodation to refuse to use a transgender co-worker’s preferred pronoun. “My worry is that the Supreme Court will use this case as an opportunity to cement its privileging of religion over equally important, competing interests – especially to the detriment of vulnerable groups,” Corbin said. A ruling is due by the end of June. (Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham) View the full article

Published by PsyPost New research indicates that individuals with high levels of narcissistic admiration often struggle to see their partners in a positive light. The findings, which have been published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, provide insight into how narcissistic personality traits influence perceptions of romantic partners. Narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry are two distinct aspects of narcissism. Narcissistic admiration is characterized by a grandiose self-image and the desire to be admired, respected, and adored by others. On the other hand, narcissistic rivalry refer… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story A billionaire backer of Ron DeSantis has halted his support because of the Florida governor’s extreme position on social issues, according to a report. Thomas Peterffy, a top Republican donor who has been supporting DeSantis during recent months, told the Financial Times that he was no longer aligned with any candidate – or potential candidate – for the presidential nomination. “I have put myself on hold,” the billionaire told the Financial Times. “Because of (DeSantis’) stance on abortion and book banning … myself, and a bunch of friends, are holding our powder dry.” DeSantis has not offici… Read More View the full article

Published by AFP Coachella returned in 2022 after a three-year hiatus Palm Springs (United States) (AFP) – Hundreds of thousands of revelers were descending on California’s Coachella Valley for the premier desert arts festival that kicks off Friday, which for the first time won’t feature a white headliner. Reggaeton titan Bad Bunny, K-pop superstars Blackpink and the influential but reclusive R&B artist Frank Ocean will top the 2023 edition of Coachella, the mammoth event that takes place over two three-day weekends and traditionally kicks off the year’s summer concert circuit. It’s set to be a history-making weekend, with Bad Bunny — the globe’s most-streamed artist — as the first Spanish-language and first Latin American act to headline. And K-pop group Blackpink of South Korea is the first Asian act to receive a top billing at the festival. Both acts debuted at Coachella in 2019 to great fanfare, teeing up an eventual headlining slot. Ocean — thought to be the first out queer man to headline the festival — was originally booked as a top-billed act for the 2020 edition, which organizers postponed and eventually scrapped due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The acclaimed R&B artist, who hasn’t released an album since 2016’s “Blonde,” is anticipated to debut new work at this year’s festival. The headliners — in particular Puerto Rico’s Bad Bunny, who is by most measures the world’s biggest contemporary artist — are some of the buzziest in years, since Beyonce shut down the stage in 2018 with her revered “Homecoming” show. But despite their undeniable star power there was some surprise among industry-watchers and fans that Bad Bunny or Blackpink nabbed the top slots. That take is misguided according to Vanessa Diaz, a professor at Loyola Marymount University who teaches the course “Bad Bunny and Resistance in Puerto Rico.” “They’re surprised because they don’t view this as mainstream American culture,” she said. “People were in disbelief because this seems so not a representation of mainstream American popular music in the way that Coachella has represented that before.” ‘Public demand’ The weekend is set to host perhaps the most international lineup Coachella has ever booked, including Spanish phenomenon Rosalia, Iceland’s Bjork and Nigeria’s Burna Boy. Belgium’s Angele is slated to make her Coachella debut, as France’s Christine and the Queens, who has been performing under the name Redcar, will also return after wowing audiences in 2019. And the elusive electronic producer Jai Paul will play his first public performance ever. Domi and JD Beck, the rising jazz duo comprised of a French keyboardist and American drummer, will also take the stage, months after they made a splash in Los Angeles as Grammy nominees. Diljit Dosanjh will become the first Punjabi singer to perform at Coachella, as Pakistani singer, songwriter and composer Ali Sethi will also play a set. For CedarBough Saeji, a professor of Korean and East Asian studies who specializes in K-pop, the festival lineup emphasizing the hottest acts from across the globe is long overdue. “The American music industry, the American decision-makers, are not necessarily the biggest risk-takers,” she told AFP. “They want to follow clear indication of public demand, as opposed to sticking their necks out.” English virtual band Gorillaz will also perform, as will New Wave pioneers Blondie and the American indie rock supergroup boygenius, which includes Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker. Beyond the supernova that is Bad Bunny, the weekend will once again see a strong showing from Latinos, including but not limited to Los Angeles native Becky G, rapper Eladio Carrion, Argentina’s Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, and the Grammy-winning Kali Uchis. Coachella will take place over two three-day weekends, from April 14-16 and 21-23. And OG rock fans will get a special treat: Blink-182 announced just this week it will play a set Friday, the first time the pop punk group will perform with its original lineup in nearly a decade. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lady Gaga has been appointed as a co-chair of President Joe Biden’s Arts and Humanities Committee. The ‘Bad Romance’ hitmaker, 37, has joined movie producer Bruce Cohen, 61, in being named by the 80-year-old US Commander-in-Chief as two of the newest leaders of the prestigious body that has been tasked with “positively impacting the arts” across the nation. The White House’s Twitter account posted on Thursday (13.04.23): “Welcome newly appointed members of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, led by @BruceCohen83 and @ladygaga!. We look forward to partnering to positively impact the arts, libraries, museums, and humanities work across the country.” A-listers including Jon Batiste, George Clooney, Shonda Rhimes, Kerry Washington Troy Kotsur and Jennifer Garner have also become members. The committee dates back to 1982 and was founded to offer advice to the President on cultural matters and, until now, has typically been led by the First Lady, the position held by the head of state’s wife. The announcement continued: “Private committee members include prominent artists, scholars, and philanthropists who have demonstrated a serious commitment to the arts and humanities. Public members represent the heads of key federal agencies with a role in culture, including the Chairs of the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, the Librarian of Congress, the Secretary of the Smithsonian, and the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, among others. “PCAH advises the President and the heads of U.S. cultural agencies on policy, philanthropic and private sector engagement, and other efforts to enhance federal support for the arts, humanities, and museum and library services. The PCAH will also engage the nation’s artists, humanities scholars, and cultural heritage practitioners to promote excellence in the arts, humanities, and museum and library services and demonstrate their relevance to the country’s health, economy, equity, and civic life. Over the past 40 years, PCAH has catalyzed federal programs and played a vital role in the advancement of arts and humanities education, cultural diplomacy, and the creative economy.” Gaga and Bruce retweeted the government’s news, adding their gratitude for the nod. She wrote: “Thank you @POTUS @PCAHgov.” He added: “Can’t wait to serve with all of you on @PCAHgov #PCAHgov.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Britney Spears’ highly anticipated memoir is set to release this coming fall, RadarOnline.com has learned. In a sudden development to come roughly one year after it was announced the 41-year-old Princess of Pop signed a $15 million book deal with publisher Simon & Shuster, sources close to Spears revealed the final manuscript of the yet-unnamed memoir is officially finished. Mega Publishing insiders also revealed the superstar’s book is expected to be “groundbreaking” and an “instant best-seller.” “Britney’s book is a story of triumph,” one publishing source told Page Six this week. “It will cover her most vulnerable moments, her childhood – being a little girl with big dreams – her breakup with Justin Timberlake, the moment she shaved her head, and her battle with her family over her conservatorship.” Mega “It is also a story of survival,” the insider continued, “finding her way out of the crippling conservatorship to finding happiness with her husband Sam Asghari.” As RadarOnline.com previously reported, it was first announced Spears had signed with publishing powerhouse Simon & Shuster in February 2022. Britney Spears’ Loved Ones Racing To Save Embattled Pop Star ‘Before It’s Too Late’ As Her Behavior Has ‘Everyone Concerned’ Britney Spears Blames Ex Kevin Federline For Teenage Sons INCING HER OUT Of Their Lives Britney Spears’ Longtime Manager Allegedly Had ‘Career Intervention’ For Singer In Cabo The singer’s landmark book deal for $15 million reportedly marked one of the biggest book deals of all time behind that of Barack and Michelle Obama and Prince Harry. Page Six also confirmed that Spears worked with ghostwriter Sam Lansky to compose the still-unnamed memoir. Mega Lansky, an acclaimed novelist and journalist who has written for Time, the Atlantic, and New York Magazine, has previously profiled stars in the music industry such as Adele, Nicki Minaj, and Madonna. “Britney’s book is brutally honest and from the heart. No stone is left unturned,” another source said. “It’s truly a female empowerment story – her taking control of her life.” Mega “This book is a gift,” echoed another insider. “There are parts of this book that every person—particularly every woman—can relate to and feel less alone.” “This book will…shake the world,” said another source familiar with the singer’s finished manuscript. “I believe that it will also be a groundbreaking instant bestseller.” Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free. Spears herself recently announced on Instagram that she has “written 3 different versions of [her] book” and had “LOTS of therapy through the process.” The memoir is scheduled to hit bookshelves sometime around Thanksgiving and before the end-of-year holidays. View the full article

Published by Grazia USA Every year since 1948, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute hosts one of the most highly-anticipated events in the world of fashion, the fabulous Met Gala. The exclusive guest list gathers Hollywood’s brightest stars with fashion’s most legendary figures to celebrate the latest Costume Institute exhibit and raise museum funds, as they dress to nines in theme-appropriate looks or in rulebook-defying ensembles. Always the sartorial spectacle, the Met Ball is where memorable style moments are made as A-listers step out in statement couture, often with opulent headpieces or mile-long… Read More View the full article

Published by Grazia USA We’re in for a divalicious treat. The Victoria & Albert Museum will celebrate the powerful and ultra-glamourous ensembles of some of the most iconic performers to take the stage in a new exhibition entitled Diva, coming this summer. The retrospective will explore and redefine the role of the archetypal diva and place a microscope over how it’s been both embraced and subverted through popular music, opera and film. Diving into the origins of the term “diva,” the exhibit will showcase how its interpretation has shifted, while highlighting stories of ambition and resilience from the most recogniz… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) on Friday tried once again to not actually answer reporters’ questions about his position on abortion. He narrowly escaped having to admit his actual beliefs, while trying to present a sufficiently far-right anti-choice message that might resonate with GOP voters, just two days after he announced a presidential exploratory committee and one day after being widely mocked for his word salad remarks on the subject. It is a remarkable move for a Senator whose position for the past decade has been that life begins at conception, and embryos should have the full personh… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Donald Trump Jr. spoke out against the ongoing conservative boycott of Bud Light over their pro-LGBTQ+ ad campaign, RadarOnline.com has learned. The beer company has been facing an onslaught of protests from right-wing mouthpieces and celebrities such as Fox News’s Tucker Carlson and country rapper Kid Rock since the brand’s partnership with Dylan Mulvaney was announced. mega Trump Jr posted a video on his Rumble account touting the brewery’s “conservative credentials,” saying it was wrong to “blame the whole company for the inaction or the stupidity of someone in a marketing campaign that got woke as hell.” He claimed to have researched Anheuser-Busch, Bud Light’s parent company, and found they mainly donated to Republicans, before pointing out that his fellow conservatives sometimes had “the tendency of — shooting first and aiming second.” mega Squabbling Siblings: Ivanka Trump’s Brothers Feel She ‘Betrayed The Family’ In The Months Leading Up To Daddy Donald’s Arrest Donald Trump Jr. Posts Photo Of Judge’s 34-Year-Old Daughter After Ex-Prez Claims Family Has Ties To Kamala Harris Donald Trump Jr. Says ‘Vegetable’ John Fetterman’s ‘Unfit For Office’ After Being Hospitalized For Depression The 45-year-old claimed that a low-level marketing employee made the decision to partner with Mulvaney rather than the senior executives. “Last cycle, their employees and their PAC gave about 60 percent to Republicans and 40 percent to Democrats,” Trump Jr. told his 1.1 million followers. “That’s literally almost unheard of in corporate America, where it’s really easy to go woke, where they do so constantly, where there’s a consequence to actually being a conservative. So 60 / 40 to the conservative side is kind of a big deal.’ mega The former president’s son said he also respected the St. Louis-based beer company’s corporate approach. “On the lobbying front, we looked into the bills that Anheuser-Busch was working on,” he continued. “You know what they’re focused on, guys? They’ve focused on taxes and trade things that actually impact their business.” The far-right has spoken out against the trans community in recent years, with elected officials such as Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene referring to the growing number of people identifying as transgender as “apocalyptic.” Donald Trump recently spoke at the National Rifle Association, where he said, if re-elected, he would direct the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to study the effects of gender-affirming healthcare and “trans ideology” on mental health. Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free. View the full article

Published by Raw Story Bud Light’s partnership with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney caused many conservative voices to boycott the beer company, but there is reportedly now a GOP-led push to back off, or risk losing major funding. The National Republican Congressional Committee initially used the beer beef to raise funds in its latest “anti-woke” campaign, but on Saturday quietly deleted a tweet critical of the beer, whose owner happens to be one of their biggest donors, Anheuser-Busch, according to the Daily Beast’s report. The outlet reported that the NRCC, which backs Republican congressional c… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story Donald Trump Jr. thinks the right-wing freakout over Bud Light has gone too far, reported The Independent on Friday. Furious conservatives launched a boycott of Bud Light after the company partnered with Dylan Mulvaney, a TikTok influencer who is transgender, during the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament. “Ms. Mulvaney has documented her experiences of transitioning in the past year in her day ‘of being a girl’ series. The company also released a can showing her face,” reported The Independent. “That led to many conservative figures expressing outrage about the partnership. Kid Rock post… Read More View the full article