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Published by AlterNet The founder of a popular progressive news site that recently broke the story of his state’s Lt. Governor’s interactions with a young gay man who posts “racy” images on Instagram says someone shot up his home Saturday night while he and his family were asleep. “On Saturday night, someone targeted our home by shooting several bullets into our house while my family was sleeping. This violence has no place in a civilized society and we are thankful no one was physically hurt,” says Justin Kanew, the founder of The Tennessee Holler, a former 2018 Democratic congressional nominee, and a former conte… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet A redacted report released Wednesday by Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown alleges 156 Catholic “clergy members, seminarians, deacons, teachers and other employees of the Archdiocese of Baltimore,” have abused nearly 600 children since the 1940s, CNN reports. The report comes after a four-year-long investigation into the Archdiocese of Baltimore. NPR reports: Former Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh launched the probe in 2019 and announced its completion in November, saying investigators had reviewed over 100,000 pages of documents dating back to the 1940s and interviewed hundreds of … Read More View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Vladimir Putin is well known for being a brutal and war-forward political leader who has introduced harsh anti-homosexuality laws throughout Russia, but according to British journalist Andrew Marr, the controversial Russian president is a “huge fan” of gay music icon Elton John. The 63-year-old former BBC editor claimed Putin admitted to his love for the “Your Song” singer’s work prior to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. mega “I asked him if he had gay friends, which he does, and whether he was homophobic,” Marr spilled in his political column. “He said he wasn’t, but that he enjoyed Elton’s music very much.” Marr also noted that prior to his interview with the Russian leader, the Grammy Award winner himself requested the journalist give Putin a copy of a Donna Summer album, as well as a kiss on his cheek. While Marr admitted he ultimately decided that he “couldn’t do that,” he did note he was thinking of John’s request throughout their entire chat. mega J.K. Rowling Claps Back After Vladimir Putin Compares Her To Russia Amid Invasion Of Ukraine New Trump Criminal Investigation Probes Money Laundering With Ties To Russia At Truth Social Donald Trump Brags About His ‘Good Relationship’ With Vladimir Putin As Russia & Ukraine War Rages On This comes months after Putin signed an anti-LGBTQ+ bill into law, expanding on previous laws condemning support for certain expressions of gender and sexuality. The update made it illegal to promote or praise same-sex relationships in any way. The law also specifically made it illegal to imply that homosexual relationships were “normal.” The legal document states those who break the new law can be fined up to around $6,300 USD for sharing any “LGBT propaganda” and around half that for any “demonstrations of LGBT and information that encourages a change of gender among teenagers.” The law was approved late last year. mega Although homosexuality is not technically illegal in Russia, as it was decriminalized in 1993, discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community — socially, as well as politically — is still a major concern throughout the country. It is currently ranked as one of the worst countries for LGBTQ+ inclusion and support. Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for! Daily Star reported Marr’s comments on Putin being a fan of John. View the full article

Published by AFP The Artemis II crew: (L-R) Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch Houston (AFP) – NASA unveiled the crew on Monday for its first human mission to the Moon in more than 50 years –- including the first woman and Black man to voyage into deep space. Christina Koch, a NASA astronaut who holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, will be a mission specialist on next year’s Artemis II flight around the Moon. NASA’s Victor Glover, a naval aviator, will pilot the Orion spacecraft that circles the Moon in November 2024, becoming the first Black man to take part in a lunar mission. Rounding out the crew are veteran NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, 47, the mission commander, and Jeremy Hansen, also 47, a former fighter pilot now with the Canadian Space Agency. The three Americans and one Canadian will become the first astronauts to venture that deep into space since the historic Apollo missions ended in 1972. The Artemis II flight is a prelude to returning humans to the Moon for the first time in a half century and an eventual mission to Mars. The three American astronauts have all spent time on the International Space Station (ISS) while Hansen, the Canadian mission specialist, will be making his first space flight. The four astronauts, dressed in blue flight suits, were introduced by NASA administrator Bill Nelson at an event at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. “The largest, most powerful rocket in the world is going to propel them onward and upward into the heavens,” Nelson said. Koch, 44, an electrical engineer, spent a record 11 consecutive months in space and took part in the first all-female spacewalks while on the ISS. “Am I excited?” Koch said. “Absolutely!” The 46-year-old Glover said Artemis II is “more than a mission to the Moon and back.” “It is the next step that gets humanity to Mars,” he said. Mars by 2040 Wiseman, the mission commander, said the diverse crew was made up of “exceptional operators.” “We’re just all professional explorers,” he told AFP. “We are representing our nation,” Wiseman said, but “we need the entire world to go along with us.” Francois-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s minister of innovation, science and industry, attended the event and said his country “could not be more proud” to have a Canadian on the crew for the flight. As part of the Artemis program, NASA aims to send astronauts to the Moon in 2025 — more than five decades after the final Apollo mission. Besides putting the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, the US space agency hopes to establish a lasting human presence on the lunar surface as a stepping stone for an eventual voyage to Mars. Nelson, the NASA chief, has said he expects a crewed mission to Mars by the year 2040. The 10-day Artemis II mission will test NASA’s powerful Space Launch System rocket as well as the life-support systems aboard the Orion spacecraft. The first Artemis flight wrapped up in December with an uncrewed Orion capsule returning safely to Earth after a 25-day journey around the Moon. During the trip around Earth’s orbiting satellite and back, Orion logged well over a million miles (1.6 million kilometers) and went farther from Earth than any previous habitable spacecraft. Only 12 people — all of them white men — have set foot on the Moon. View the full article

Published by Grazia USA Lady Gaga is dredging up some long-forgotten fashion aesthetics with her most recent looks. Snapped walking down the streets in the Bronx, the singer and actress sported an outfit that some netizens may recognize as peak 2010s “Indie Sleaze.” All part of a costume for the upcoming sequel Joker: Folie a Deux, Gaga, who plays the notorious Harley Quinn, wore a dark emerald faux fur coat with black lapels and cuffs over a V-neck sweater and floral mini skirt. Adding to the boho-grunge look, she accessorized with black ruffled socks and Mary Jane pumps, as well as a large leather-paneled tote bag … Read More View the full article

Published by The San Diego Union-Tribune SAN DIEGO — Seymour Stein was never a household name to most music fans before his Sunday death from cancer in Los Angeles at the age of 80. But he certainly was to the Ramones, the Talking Heads, Madonna, Ice-T, Depeche Mode and the dozens of other artists Stein signed to Sire Records, which he co-founded in New York in 1967. Moreover, Stein was the behind-the-scenes missing link between such disparate acts as the English blues-rock band Fleetwood Mac in the 1960s, the Dutch prog-rock band Focus in the early 1970s, and the The Pretenders and Richard Hell & the Voidoids later in the same decad… Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News NEW YORK — A suspect wanted for murder for his role in a string of overdose deaths at Manhattan nightspots has surrendered to police. Jacob Barroso, 30, is one of a half-dozen reputed gang members indicted by a Manhattan grand jury on March 23 for murder, robbery, grand larceny and conspiracy in the killings of John Umberger and Julio Ramirez. He’s charged specifically with the murder of Ramirez, according to police. Ramirez, a Brooklyn social worker, was found unconscious in the back seat of a taxi on the Lower East Side early on April 21, 2022, after he’d visited a gay nightspot, the Ritz Ba… Read More View the full article

Published by PsyPost A new study has found that even though people may report that their sexual orientation has changed over time, their genital arousal to different types of sexual stimuli (i.e., erotic videos) tends to remain the same. It is possible that people overestimate changes in sexual orientation, since these changes are not reflected in physiological sexual response. The study was published in the Journal of Sex Research. Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction. Most people are attracted to persons of the opposite sex (heterosexual orientation), but people can also be … Read More View the full article

Published by Euronews (English) Every spring, thousands of tourists flock to Kawasaki, Japan, to celebrate one thing – the penis. Yes, blessed is the male member during Kanamara Matsuri – commonly referred to as the “Steel Penis Festival” – which is an annual event held on the first Sunday of April. And to not mince words, it looks like Mardi Gras with dongs. This may seem odd to some, considering Japan is a country that is usually associated with decorum and discretion when it comes to one’s private life – especially sexuality. However, everyone shows up to the centrepiece of the event: the Mikoshi parade, which features th… Read More View the full article

Published by Front Page Detectives The body of Stephen Smith, who was killed near the South Carolina estate where Alex Murdaugh murdered his wife and eldest son, was exhumed after his family raised money for an independent investigation to be conducted. “Thank you for not allowing Stephen’s story to be swept under a rug,” Sandy Smith, wrote on GoFundMe about her son. The remains of 19-year-old Stephen Smith were removed from Gooding Cemetery in Hampton County on March 31. Sandy Smith noted donors’ “kind words, prayers and donations” made the exhumation possible. “This is Stephen’s year,” she added. Stephen Smith, who was openly… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters UK LONDON (Reuters) – Swim England announced an updated transgender and non-binary policy on Monday with a ‘female’ category restricted to athletes with a declared birth sex of female and a new ‘open’ category for everyone else. The national governing body for swimming in England said the policy, which comes into effect in September, would apply to its swimming, artistic swimming, diving and water polo competitions. The ‘open’ category will be for those with a birth sex of male, trans or non-binary competitors. The policy also allows athletes to self-ID in low-level unlicensed, or recreational, e… Read More View the full article

Published by The Street By Danni Button This doesn’t bode well for Musk’s status as a “free speech” crusader A successful product manager for tech firms like Google and Epic Games named Aakash Gupta on March 31 posted a deep dive into Twitter’s recommendation source code. The site’s coding was made public by Elon Musk himself after portions of it were leaked online. The algorithm has been actively squashing posts that mention the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, according to Gupta’s analysis. Posts containing the subject are technically treated like abuse or hate-based content, meaning they’re downranked in th… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Walt Disney Co Chief Executive Bob Iger fired back at Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday, saying his apparent retaliation against Disney for taking a position on legislation was “anti-business.” After initially trying to stay neutral, Disney opposed Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act – referred to by opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill – that restricts classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity. Soon after, DeSantis and the Florida legislature moved to eliminate the virtual autonomy the company enjoyed over a 24,000-acre (9,712-hectares) parcel surrounding the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. Iger, answering a question at the company’s annual shareholder meeting, said Disney may not have handled its position on the bill well, but added that corporations have a right to express opinions. He said it appeared DeSantis “decided to retaliate against us.” “To seek to punish a company for the exercise of a constitutional right, that just seems really wrong to me,” Iger said. He also noted that Disney employs 75,000 people in the state and will welcome 50 million visitors to Disney World this year. Iger said Disney plans to deepen its investment in Florida, spending $17 billion over the next decade and creating an additional 13,000 jobs. “These efforts simply to retaliate for a position the company took sounds not just anti-business, but it sounds anti-Florida,” Iger said. In February, Florida lawmakers supported a bill that granted DeSantis effective control of a board that oversees development in the special taxation district. The governor signed the bill into law, and named five supervisors to have oversight where Disney had operated with a high degree of autonomy. Before the takeover by DeSantis’ appointees, Disney pushed through changes to limit the board’s action for decades. On Monday, DeSantis asked Florida’s inspector general to investigate what he described as a last-minute attempt by Disney and the outgoing board to “usurp the authority” of the new board. “These collusive and self-dealing arrangements aim to nullify the recently passed legislation, undercut Florida’s legislative process, and defy the will of Floridians,” DeSantis wrote in a letter seen by Reuters. At the Disney shareholder meeting, one attendee said the company has evolved from “a place of magic for children” to an “ideological company serving the LGBTQ” community that promoted a “woke agenda.” Iger said he was sensitive to that criticism. “Our primary mission needs to be to entertain … and to have a positive impact on the world,” he said. “I’m very serious about that. It should not be agenda-driven.” Iger said he was aware that “parents have different levels of comfort” with Disney content, adding “we’re committed to delivering age-appropriate content for family audiences, while also telling stories that reflect the world around us and that foster a greater understanding, greater perspective, greater acceptance of all people.” Disney shareholders supported the 11 nominees to the company’s board including Iger and Chairman Mark Parker, the executive chairman of Nike and its former CEO who replaces the retiring chairman, Susan Arnold at Disney. Shareholders rejected a proposal that called for Disney to provide an annual report on its reliance on China for raw materials, finished products, theme park revenue and labor. They also turned down a shareholder proposal asking the company to provide more information on charitable contributions. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by Radar Online @gregoryalocke/instagram A New York judge broke his silence after he was fired over a series of tweets & then had his OnlyFans account exposed, RadarONline.com has learned. Gregory Locke, an openly gay man, began his position as a New York City traffic court judge in April 2022. After city council member Vickie Paladino complained of Locke’s alleged “unprofessional behavior” online, he was removed from his position. The former administrative judge and OnlyFans model fired back and accused the city of “taking the side of a documented bigot.” @gregoryalocke/instagram A Twitter spat led to Paladino submitting a complaint about Locke to the city council. Paladino posted her outrage towards a drag queen story hour on her Twitter, calling the event “an absolutely shameful display.” Locke, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, responded harshly to Paladino and told her to “choke on a d—.” While shocking, Locke had taken offense to similar anti-LGBTQ rhetoric from lawmakers before — and often used the social platform to call them out. @gregoryalocke/instagram Blizzard Traps Buffalo Woman Inside Her Car For 18 Hours, Sends Family Heartbreaking Video Before She Succumbed To Elements Kathy Hochul RIDICULED After Photo Surfaces Of NY Governor Cooking With Gas-Powered Grill Despite Support Of Ban Proposal Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Under Investigation By House Ethics Committee Regardless of Locke’s personal and political beliefs, his tweet struck a chord with Paladino, who turned in a complaint to the city council afterwards. Locke issued a statement on the complaint that cost him his job on Twitter and vowed to use his legal skills to help others in similar positions. “Last week, I was fired from my job as a New York City Administrative Law Judge,” Locke began his statement. “This came after a member of the City Council took issue with tweets I wrote in response to their bigoted and misguided statements about drag queens and about the queer community at large.” Locke claimed that the complaint was used by council members and local media to “expose me for unrelated x-rated work, none of which occurred during or at work for the City.” @gregoryalocke/instagram Locke insisted that his OnlyFans content and his job as an administrative judge did not overlap or interfere with one another, while he accused the city of siding with an alleged bigot. “It is disappointing that the City of New York decided to take the side of a documented bigot instead of seizing an opportunity to stand against ever-growing anti-LGBTQ hatred, particularly the fervent hatred toward the trans and nonbinary communities,” Locke’s statement continued. Locke also claimed that under the rules of his employment as an NYC administrative judge, he was not barred from politics or indulging in political speech. “I remain steadfast in my insistence that my tweets, even if not polite, did not violate any ethical guidelines,” Locke continued. @gregoryalocke/instagram Locke stated that he would use his legal background to provide representation and legal consultation for paid clients, as well as offer “pro bono services for members of the LGBTQ community who need it most.” “Sex work, including porn, is not shameful, and I will not filter my thoughts and actions to appease those who enact harm on my community,” Locke stated. “This started not as a political disagreement, but as a human one.” View the full article

Published by OK Magazine CBS;@madonna/instagram Madonna has a family of many talents! On Sunday, April 2, the Queen of Pop took to Instagram to showcase how proud she is of her children — specifically her daughter Mercy James, 17, as well as twins Estere and Stelle Ciccone, 10. @madonna/instagram Madonna’s social media spam started off with a video displaying Mercy’s photography skills. The “Material Girl” singer hyped up her daughter, who she said was “slayingggggggg!” behind the camera during a photoshoot with model Ivy Mugler. “Mercy did such a beautiful job of capturing me in my most authentic form — pics coming soon ,” Mugler expressed after the shoot, which appeared to take place at various subway stations across New York City. @madonna/instagram Madonna Reveals Her ‘Happy Place’ After Experiencing A ‘Crisis Of Confidence’ Madonna Slammed By Fans Calling Her ‘Nasty’ & ‘Trashy’ For Video Of Her Seductively Licking A Guitar Madonna Ridicules Tennessee Lawmakers’ ‘Unacceptable & Inhumane Oppression Of LGBTQ+ Community’: ‘See You In Nashville’ A couple hours later, Madonna returned to her Instagram profile to share an adorable video of “Kween Estere’s remix,” as the 10-year-old stood behind some DJ equipment and played funky tunes. Her daughters’ talents kept rolling in, as the pop star uploaded a photo of Estere and Stelle in “cute crochet fits,” which Madonna said were made by the twins themselves. Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for! @madonna/instagram “Girl Power!” Madonna wrote alongside a second photo of her little ladies in matching fashionable couture. One of the twins donned a full blue crochet outfit — including a hat and purse — while the other styled a purple and pink crochet look with an accent headband. The 64-year-old’s eldest three children — Lourdes Leon, 26, Rocco Ritchie, 22, and David Banda, 17 — were not featured in Madonna’s proud mom moment. The sweet uploads with her youngest girls come just a few months after Madonna opened up about the difficulties she has faced raising her children in the spotlight. “Growing up with a mother like me is a challenge,” the singer — who has frequently been called out for her raunchy behaviors — admitted during an interview published Wednesday, January 18, as OK! previously reported. “It has been the most difficult, the hardest battle,” Madonna expressed, noting, “today, I am still struggling to understand how to be a mother and do my job.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Marjorie Taylor Greene’s appearance on 60 Minutesthis weekend brought the usually popular CBS program some of its lowest ratings yet this season, RadarOnline.com can confirm. In a surprising development to come one day after the controversial congresswoman sat for an interview with CBS News correspondent Lesley Stahl on Sunday night, it was revealed 60 Minutes suffered its second-smallest audience this year. Mega According to TVLine, Greene’s appearance on 60 Minutes on Sunday night only garnered 6.7 million viewers. The weekly Sunday night program also only scored an abysmal 0.3 demo rating – its lowest demo rating yet in the all-important 25-54 age demographic. Mega In comparison, Prince Harry’s interview with 60 Minutes in January brought the CBS program a whopping 11.2 million viewers – almost double the number of viewers who tuned in to watch GOP House Rep. Greene this past weekend. As RadarOnline.com previously reported, both Greene and CBS came under scrutiny for the MAGA congresswoman’s interview on Sunday night. Joe Biden Fires Back At Marjorie Taylor Greene After She Blames Him For Fentanyl Deaths That Took Place Under Trump Administration: ‘Isn’t She Amazing? Oof’ Marjorie Taylor Greene Snitching On Jane Fonda For Suggesting ‘Murder’ As Method To Obtain Abortion Rights Marjorie Taylor Greene Faces Backlash After Claiming Democrats ‘Support Grooming Children’ During ’60 Minutes’ Interview Although many viewers apparently opted not to tune in to CBS because they did not agree with the network giving Greene a “platform” to “normalize” her “extremism,” others who did tune in slammed the network for a series of remarks the Georgia House Rep. made by comparing Joe Biden and the Democrats to pedophiles. “I would definitely say so,” Greene responded when Stahl asked if she truly believes the Democrats are a party of pedophiles. “They support grooming children.” Mega “Democrats, Democrats support – even Joe Biden, the President himself, supports children being sexualized and having transgender surgeries,” Greene continued. “Sexualizing children is what pedophiles do to children.” Greene also came under fire for claiming she only partakes in “name-calling” and “personal attacks” because the Democrats have insulted her “non-stop” since she first joined Congress in 2021. Mega “Well, I would ask the same question to the other side, because all they’ve done is call me names and insult me non-stop since I’ve been here, Lesley,” Greene said. But while Greene received the brunt of the outrage after her interview aired on Sunday night, Stahl, 60 Minutes, and even CBS News came under fire for allowing the controversial congresswoman’s shocking remarks to be broadcasted across the country. Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free. “All around, it was a bizarre interview & exactly what I expected,” tweeted one angry viewer. “Nothing Leslie Stahl did got Marjorie Taylor Greene to walk back her past statements.” “There was no intense pushback. The same old lies & fascist & racist statements,” the viewer continued. “CBS & 60 Minutes, do better.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Tom Hals and Blake Brittain (Reuters) – Last year, Kris Kashtanova typed instructions for a graphic novel into a new artificial-intelligence program and touched off a high-stakes debate over who created the artwork: a human or an algorithm. “Zendaya leaving gates of Central Park,” Kashtanova entered into Midjourney, an AI program similar to ChatGPT that produces dazzling illustrations from written prompts. “Sci-fi scene future empty New York….” From these inputs and hundreds more emerged “Zarya of the Dawn,” an 18-page story about a character resembling the actress Zendaya who roams a deserted Manhattan hundreds of years in the future. Kashtanova received a copyright in September, and declared on social media that it meant artists were entitled to legal protection for their AI art projects. It didn’t last long. In February, the U.S. Copyright Office suddenly reversed itself, and Kashtanova became the first person in the country to be stripped of legal protection for AI art. The images in “Zarya,” the office said, were “not the product of human authorship.” The office allowed Kashtanova to keep a copyright in the arrangement and storyline. Now, with the help of a high-powered legal team, the artist is testing the limits of the law once again. For a new book, Kashtanova has turned to a different AI program, Stable Diffusion, which lets users scan in their own drawings and refine them with text prompts. The artist believes that starting with original artwork will provide enough of a “human” element to sway the authorities. “It would be very strange if it’s not copyrightable,” said the 37-year-old artist of the latest work, an autobiographical comic. A spokesperson for the copyright office declined to comment. Midjourney also declined to comment, and Stability AI did not respond to requests for comment. SMASHING RECORDS At a time when new AI programs like ChatGPT, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion seem poised to transform human expression as they smash records for user growth, the legal system still hasn’t figured out who owns the output — the users, the owners of the programs, or maybe no one at all. Billions of dollars could hinge on the answer, legal experts said. If users and owners of the new AI systems could get copyrights, they would stand to reap huge benefits, said Ryan Merkley, the former chief of Creative Commons, a U.S. organization that issues licenses to allow creators to share their work. For example, companies could use AI to produce and own the rights to vast quantities of low-cost graphics, music, video and text for advertising, branding and entertainment. “Copyright governing bodies are going to be under enormous pressure to permit copyrights to be awarded to computer-generated works,” Merkley said. In the U.S. and many other countries, anyone who engages in creative expression usually has immediate legal rights to it. A copyright registration creates a public record of the work and allows the owner to go to court to enforce their rights. Courts including the U.S. Supreme Court have long held that an author has to be a human being. In rejecting legal protection for the “Zarya” images, the U.S. Copyright Office cited rulings denying legal protection for a selfie snapped by a curious monkey named Naruto and for a song that the copyright applicant said had been composed by “the Holy Spirit.” One U.S. computer scientist, Stephen Thaler of Missouri, has maintained that his AI programs are sentient and should be legally recognized as the creators of artwork and inventions that they generated. He has sued the U.S. Copyright Office, petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court and has a patent case before the U.K. Supreme Court. Meanwhile, many artists and companies that own creative content fiercely oppose granting copyrights to AI owners or users. They argue that because the new algorithms work by training themselves on vast quantities of material on the open web, some of which is copyrighted, the AI systems are gobbling up legally protected material without permission. Stock photo provider Getty Images, a group of visual artists and owners of computer code have separately filed lawsuits against owners of AI programs including Midjourney, Stability AI and ChatGPT developer OpenAI for copyright infringement, which the companies deny. Getty and OpenAI declined to comment. Sarah Andersen, one of the artists, said granting copyrights to AI works “would legitimize theft.” ‘HARD QUESTIONS’ Kashtanova is being represented for free by Morrison Foerster and its veteran copyright lawyer Joe Gratz, who is also defending OpenAI in a proposed class action brought on behalf of owners of copyrighted computer code. The firm took on Kashtanova’s case after an associate at the firm, Heather Whitney, spotted a LinkedIn post by the artist seeking legal help with a new application after the “Zarya” copyright was rejected. “These are hard questions with significant consequences for all of us,” Gratz said. The Copyright Office said it reviewed Kashtanova’s “Zarya” decision after discovering the artist had posted on Instagram that the images were created using AI, which it said was not clear in the original September application. On March 16, it issued public guidance instructing applicants to clearly disclose if their work was created with the help of AI. The guidance said the most popular AI systems likely do not create copyrightable work, and “what matters is the extent to which the human had creative control.” ‘COMPLETELY BLOWN’ Kashtanova, who identifies as nonbinary and uses “they/them” pronouns, discovered Midjourney in August after the pandemic largely shut down their work as a photographer at yoga retreats and extreme-sports events. “My mind was completely blown,” the artist said. Now, as AI technology develops at lightning speed, Kashtanova has turned to newer tools that allow users to input original work and give more specific commands to control the output. To test how much human control will satisfy the copyright office, Kashtanova is planning to submit a series of copyright applications for individual images chosen from the new autobiographical comic, each one made with a different AI program, setting or method. The artist, who now works at a start-up that uses AI to turn children’s drawings into comic books, created the first such image a few weeks ago, titled “Rose Enigma.” Sitting at a computer in their one-bedroom Manhattan apartment, Kashtanova demonstrated their latest technique: they pulled up on the screen a simple pen-and-paper sketch they had scanned into Stable Diffusion, and began refining it by adjusting settings and using text prompts such as “young cyborg woman” and “flowers coming out of her head.” The result was an otherworldly image, the lower half of a woman’s face with long-stemmed roses replacing the upper part of her head. Kashtanova submitted it for copyright protection on March 21. The image will also appear in Kashtanova’s new book. It’s title: “For My A.I. Community.” (Reporting By Tom Hals and Blake Brittain; editing by Noeleen Walder, Amy Stevens and Claudia Parsons) View the full article

Published by Radar Online The backlash to Donald Trump’s indictment has just begun. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg claimed to be inundated with racist death threats against him and his family over the decision to indict the former president in the Stormy Daniels hush-money case. Mega Several typo-laden emails were obtained by Daily News showing a number of Trump supporters throwing out racist and antisemitic epithets towards the New York DA. One email said, “Hay George Soros a–hole puppet. If you want President Trump. come and get me to … Remember we are everywhere and we have guns.” Another wrote, “How do we get a n—– like you removed from office?” mega The emails were sent through Bragg’s own campaign website where a number of Trump supporters signed up to receive updates about the DA’s work using various racial slurs as names such as “B—- Trash F—–” and “Aids Infested N—–.” MEGA Tucker Carlson & Fox News Guest Call For Protests After Grand Jury Votes To Indict Trump: ‘I Hope You’re Ready For Whatever’s Next’ Ex-President Donald Trump Will Likely Be Sent To Rikers Island If Found Guilty Of Criminal Charges Ex-Prez Donald & Melania Trump ‘Living Separate Lives’ Despite Putting On A United Front Following His Indictment, Sources Claim Braggs voted to indict Trump in relation to a number of hush-money payments to Daniels to keep her quite about an affair between her and the at-the-time republican nominee for president. Trump could face up to 25 charges related to the case, but they’ve been kept under seal until he appears in court later next week. He’s expected to stand before Bragg on Tuesday after the ex-president’s lawyers negotiated his surrender soon after the indictment was announced. mega According to Politico, Trump is expected to be photographed and have his fingerprints taken. His lawyer Joe Tacopina made it clear that his client “will not be put in handcuffs” when turning over to the authorities. Trump vehemently denied any wrongdoing throughout the probe and threatening “death and destruction” if any indictments were to happen. In a statement posted on Truth Social Trump wrote, “This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history.” “I believe this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden. The American people realize exactly what the Radical Left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it,” Trump continued. “[I will] vigorously fight this political prosecution in court.” Trump’s lawyer Chris Kise referred to the indictment as “the lowest point in history for our criminal justice system.” 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 BANG Showbiz English Ashley Graham is still “fighting” for more inclusivity in the modelling industry. The 35-year-old model is frustrated by the lack of diversity in model sizes on the catwalk and thinks that “a lot of work” still needs to be done to incorporate females of all shapes and sizes. Ashley told PEOPLE: “I have been working as a model for over 20 years, and I still am fighting to this day for equality of size diversity on the runway, on the covers of magazines, and film, and TV. And it’s never felt complete. “I think there’s still a lot of work to do. And that’s why I tell younger women and women who are also fighting for what things they believe is just to keep going. “Keep fighting, keep striving for what it is that you want to change.” The plus-sized star admits that she has days where she feels “insecure” and has no shame in allowing herself to feel troubled at times. Ashley said: “(I tell myself), ‘It’s okay. We’re feeling insecure.’ I don’t fake it. I have faked it. But I think that it is okay to have those moments. And it’s okay to live in that. “We don’t have to take ourselves and try to be something that we’re not. And I think that that’s the most important thing is to allow those feelings, but to not revel in that. It’s about handling stress. How are you going to handle it in the moments?” Ashley conducted a car-crash interview with Hugh Grant at the Oscars last month but revealed that she was sticking to her mother’s advice to deal with the fallout from the chat – in which she was met with curt answers and an eye roll from the ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ star. She told TMZ when she was asked about her reaction to the wave of support she has had since the interview: “You know what, my mama told me to kill people with kindness.” View the full article