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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

Published by OK Magazine mega Stormy Daniels admitted she is “scared” for her safety since ex-president Donald Trump’s indictment. On Thursday, March 30, a grand jury indicted the 45th president in Manhattan for his alleged hush money payment to Daniels prior to the 2016 presidential election. After the indictment, the porn star weighed in on the situation. mega “Trump is no longer untouchable,” Daniels told a news outlet. “A person in power is not exempt from the law. And no matter what your job is, or what your bank account says, you’re held accountable for the things you’ve said and done, and justice is served.” “It’s bittersweet. He’s done so much worse that he should have been taken down [for] before. I am fully aware of the insanity of it, being a porn star. But it’s also poetic; this p**** grabbed back,” she continued, referring to the former commander-in-chief’s offensive quote “Grab ’em by the pussy.“ mega “It’s monumental and epic, and I’m proud,” the 44-year-old added. Although Daniels is happy about the indictment, she has become a victim of threatening messages via “all social media platforms, and email, and phone.” She admitted that she is fearful “for the first time ever.” Stormy Daniels Postpones Interview With Piers Morgan ‘Due To Security Issues’ Following Donald Trump Indictment Stormy Daniels Confesses She’s A ‘Registered Republican’ Despite Harshly Criticizing Donald Trump Stormy Daniels Jokes She Doesn’t ‘Want To Spill My Champagne’ As She Celebrates Donald Trump’s Indictment mega “Part of me is hesitant to say that, because you don’t want blood in the water. It kind of encourages the sharks. It’s especially scary because Trump himself is inciting violence and encouraging it,” Daniels mentioned, referencing Trump’s recent call for his fans to “protest” against the jury’s decision. She then clarified that Trump is not who she is afraid of, but rather his supporters, saying, “The country is more divided and people are more desperate. I’m not afraid of him, or of the government, but it just takes one crazy supporter who thinks they’re doing God’s work or protecting democracy.” 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! “The other side of it is that it’s going to continue to divide people and bring them up in arms. He’s already gotten away with inciting a riot, and causing death and destruction. Whatever the outcome is, it’s going to cause violence, and there’s going to be injuries and death. There’s the potential for a lot of good to come from this. But either way, a lot of bad is going to come from it, too,” she continued about the aftermath of the decision. The adult film maker also joked she’s not “as scared” to see Trump during the trial, adding, “I’ve seen him naked. There’s no way he could be scarier with his clothes on.” The Sunday Timesreported on Daniels comments. View the full article

Published by PsyPost A recent study of Dutch men published in Frontiers in Psychology revealed that the men were likely to exaggerate when asked to self-report traits relevant to masculinity (athleticism, height, weight, and penis size). The greatest exaggeration was erect penis size, which was 21% over the average. When the men were financially compensated well for their time, the magnitude of their exaggeration decreased but was still above average. Various physical attributes of men, including their height, physique, and penis size, have been associated with body satisfaction, self-image, feelings of masculinit… Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News A lawsuit was filed Friday after a Nebraska high school shut down its student newspaper because it objected to certain LGBTQ content. The Nebraska High School Press Association, along with high school journalist Marcus Pennell, filed the suit, reports NBC News. The lawsuit takes aim at Grand Island Northwest Public Schools and its superintendent, claiming they violated the students’ First Amendment rights by shutting down the paper. The newspaper issue that sparked the controversy was published in June of 2022, and included an article titled “Pride and prejudice: LGBTQIA+,” which focused on th… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet A judge blocked Tennessee GOP-backed legislation restricting drag shows, just moments before it was set to officially become law, Rolling Stone reports. Per CBS News, Judge Thomas L. Parker made his decision after Friends of George’s, a Memphis LGBTQ+ theater company, “filed a federal lawsuit earlier this week against Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy and the state.” Mark Campbell, who is President of the Board of Directors for Friend’s of George’s, said in a press release, “We won because this is a bad law. We look forward to our day in court where the rights for all Tennesseans wi… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story A large coalition of Catholic nuns has issued a public letter supporting transgender, nonbinary and gender-expansive individuals – and “implicitly rebuking recent statements from the U.S. Catholic hierarchy,” the Religious News Service reported Saturday. The letter was issued by a wide range of Catholic communities representing more than 6,000 religious orders across 18 states, RNS reported. As members of the body of Christ, we cannot be whole without the full inclusion of transgender, nonbinary and gender-expansive individuals,” the letter reads. It goes on to argue that “we will remain oppre… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Stormy Daniels insists she’s not frightened of facing Donald Trump in court as nothing could be “scarier” than seeing him naked. The ex-porn star, 44, who is at the centre of the former US president’s historic indictment, also warned the legal action against the 76-year-old could ignite “death and destruction”, and told how it has led to her being targeted with a wave of fresh death threats over her links to him. Referring to Trump’s infamous “grab ’em by the p****’ scandal, she told The Times newspaper about him facing criminal charges showing no one is “untouchable”: “No matter what your job or bank account says, you’re held accountable for what you’ve said and done, and justice is served. “It’s vindication. But it’s bittersweet. He’s done so much worse that he should have been taken down (for) before. “I am fully aware of the insanity of it being a porn star. But it’s also poetic; this p**** grabbed back.” She added about being unafraid of the prospect of facing Trump in court: “I’ve seen him naked. There’s no way he could be scarier with his clothes on.” Opening up about the new death threats she has received since Trump’s indictment on Thursday (30.03.23), she said: “The number and the intensity is the same as it was the first time around, but this time it’s straight-up violent. “The first time it was ‘gold digger’, ‘s***’, ‘whore’, ‘liar’, whatever. “And this time it’s, ‘I’m gonna murder you.’ They’re way more violent and graphic. “I’m not afraid of him, or of the government, but it just takes one crazy supporter who thinks they’re doing God’s work or protecting democracy… you don’t want blood in the water. It kind of encourages the sharks… it’s especially scary because Trump himself is inciting violence and encouraging it.” She added about being fearless over being asked to testify against Trump: “I hope that I do have to. I’m not afraid, I have nothing to hide, and I look forward to telling everybody what I know.” Stormy – born Stephanie Gregory Clifford – also hailed his indictment as “monumental” and “epic”, adding: “He’s already gotten away with inciting a riot, and causing death and destruction. “Whatever the outcome is, it’s going to cause violence, and there’s going to be injuries and death.” Trump’s lawyer says the scandal plagued businessman – the first ex-US president to be indicted in history – will not be handcuffed when he’s arrested on Tuesday (04.03.23) on what is thought to be around 30 charges, but he could face fingerprinting and a mugshot. His attorney Joe Tacopina confirmed the no-cuffs deal had been struck between Trump’s legal team and prosecutors in Manhattan, where the former US commander-in-chief will surrender to authorities after a grand jury voted he should face criminal charges over a $130,000 hush money payment to former porn star Stormy during the 2016 presidential race. Stormy claims she had a fling with Trump in 2006. He denies they had an affair and has called it a “witch hunt”, but has admitted directing his then lawyer Michael Cohen, 56, to pay Daniels $130,000 for her silence. The adult star claimed Cohen deployed “intimidation and coercive tactics” to get her to sign on to the statement denying her affair with Trump. Cohen told a federal court in Manhattan Trump directed him to make the payments, and was eventually sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to campaign finance charges stemming from his part in the payments. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Dietrich Knauth (Reuters) – A group of Boy Scouts’ insurers on Friday asked a judge to delay the youth group’s exit from bankruptcy to allow them more time to appeal a record-setting $2.46 billion settlement of sexual abuse claims. More than a dozen insurers, including Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, have said the Boy Scouts’ bankruptcy settlement puts them on the hook for paying “thousands of invalid and questionable claims.” U.S. District Judge Richard Andrews in Wilmington, Delaware, rejected the insurers’ initial appeal on Tuesday, finding the settlement was a good faith effort to resolve claims by more than 80,000 men who say they were abused as children by troop leaders. The insurers argued Friday that the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals must weigh in before the Boy Scouts move ahead with a settlement that “may become a template” for handling insurance on other cases involving large numbers of individual plaintiffs. The Boy Scouts have agreed to contribute insurance rights worth up to $4 billion to the settlement fund that will pay abuse claims. Those insurance payments are in addition to the $2.46 billion already contributed to the fund by the Boy Scouts organization, its two largest insurers, and organizations that have chartered Scouting units and activities, including churches. The Boy Scouts settlement, approved in bankruptcy court in September, was supported by 86% of abuse claimants and the Boy Scouts’ two largest insurers. The Boy Scouts organization said Friday it would oppose any effort to delay bankruptcy exit. “We look forward to emerging from bankruptcy in the near future, providing equitable compensation for survivors and safeguarding the future of Scouting,” the Boy Scouts said in a statement. The Boy Scouts filed for bankruptcy in February 2020 after several U.S. states enacted laws allowing accusers to sue over decades-old abuse allegations. (Reporting by Dietrich Knauth; Editing by Chris Reese) View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Lady Gaga has been swooning over her costar Joaquin Phoenix while portraying DC comic book-inspired characters Harley Quinn and the Joker in the highly anticipated sequel, RadarOnline.com has learned. Insiders claim the Bad Romance hitmaker is sweet on Phoenix following a string of crumbling romances, although he is off the market and happily taken. He and his longtime love, actress Rooney Mara, met in 2012 on the set of Her, in which Mara played Phoenix’s ex-wife. They got engaged in 2019 and welcomed a son in 2020. mega Fans can hardly wait to see Phoenix and Gaga hit the big screen in Joker 2: Folie a Deux, which is set for an October 2024 release. The first promotional image of the film showed a bleach-blonde Quinn gazing into the eyes of the villainous Joker with his smeared red, white, and blue face paint. Warner Brothers Lady Gaga Plans To Freeze Eggs To Make Her Baby Dreams Come True After Failed Relationships: Source Another Bad Romance: Lady Gaga & Michael Polansky ‘Hit A Wall’ After They Couldn’t Agree On Marriage & Babies Lady Gaga’s ‘Chapped, Bleeding Lips’ Take Over Twitter During Spellbinding Oscars Performance In August 2022, she was cast to star opposite the Oscar-winning actor, who first captivated audiences as the Clown Prince of Crime in the blockbuster 2019 thriller. As we reported earlier this month, Gaga and her boyfriend, Michael Polansky, recently called it quits after two years of dating. “They broke up a few months ago,” spilled a source. “It was amicable. They’re still friends.” The source said they didn’t see eye to eye about getting married and starting a family. As a result, RadarOnline.com exclusively learned “their relationship hit a wall.” “Gaga is a true romantic who wears her heart on her sleeve,” added the insider. “She’s been on a few dates here and there since splitting from Michael and is open to being in a long-term relationship should the right man come along.” 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 The 13-time Grammy winner has made it clear she is just fine riding solo, telling Wallpaper magazine in a recent interview that she likes to “have time to be alone” every so often to recharge. “I’m actually really interested in living more of a life of solitude,” said Gaga. “It’s really nice to just have time to be alone, and be expansive, and know that you’re enough. I wish I could tell myself that.” RadarOnline.com has reached out to a rep for Gaga for comment. View the full article

Published by uInterview.com Administrators at Heyer Elementary School in Waukesha, Wisconsin, banned their first-grade class from performing their rendition of Miley Cyrus’s “Rainbowland” duet with Dolly Parton at their spring concert because it conflicted with their school board policy on controversial issues in the classroom. Melissa Tempel, a teacher at the school, spoke out against the ban by sharing a tweet saying that her “first graders were so excited to sing Rainbowland for our spring concert but it has been vetoed by our administration.” Tempel had selected the song after another faculty member had recommended i… Read More View the full article

Published by Tribune News Service It’s not tampons, which Idaho Republicans labeled “woke” and blocked from being funded for school bathrooms. It’s not Michaelangelo’s David, which cost a principal her job after a parent labeled the statue too “pornographic” for a sixth grade art lesson. It’s not a Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus duet, which a Wisconsin school just banned from a class concert because it “encourages LGBTQ acceptance and references rainbows.” It’s not drag queens, the targets of at least 32 bills in state legislatures. It’s not a DIsney movie about Ruby Bridges, which a Florida school stopped showing after a parent… Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News Kissing another man for the world to see wasn’t a thing for Bad Bunny with his upcoming role in the true life drama “Cassandro.” In fact, the reggaetón superstar — whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — referred to it as “badass.” Gracing the very first cover of Time Magazine with all Spanish text, Bad Bunny opened up about his first onscreen movie kiss, which happened to be with the film’s leading man. “It was cabrón (badass). My first kiss for a movie and it was with a man,” he said. “That’s the penalty I get for being with so many women during my life,” Bad Bunny — currently ro… Read More View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Daniel Radcliffe has spoken up for the trans community yet again. On Wednesday, March 29, LGBTQ+ nonprofit the Trevor Project revealed that the Harry Potter star will host a roundtable of trans youth in a new YouTube series. The program is titled Sharing Space and will be released on Friday, March 31, on the Transgender Day of Visibility. mega “We listen to so many people talk about trans youth and hear them talked about so often in the news, but very rarely do we actually hear from these youth directly,” said the actor. “It was an absolute privilege to get to meet and listen to this incredible group of young people.” “At the end of the day, if you’re going to talk about trans kids, it might be useful to actually listen to trans kids,” he added, subtly throwing shade at anti-trans activists, including Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. In the trailer Radcliffe explained, “There are some people in the world who are just not trying to engage in this conversation in any good faith.” “I think a lot of the time it’s just because people don’t know a young trans person so there’s just this, like, theoretical idea about this in their head.” ‘Harry Potter’ Star Daniel Radcliffe Reveals Why He Spoke Out Against J.K. Rowling’s Anti-Trans Remarks J.K. Rowling Noticeably Absent From ‘Harry Potter’ 20-Year Reunion Special Following Author’s Transphobic Remarks Giving Their Two Cents! Celebrities Who Have Shared Their Opinions On The Shocking Will Smith & Chris Rock Oscars Slap: Photos mega Since 2009, the Swiss Army Man alum has advocated for the Trevor Project including clapping back at J.K. Rowling in 2020 after she shared some offensive anti-trans messages on Twitter. “Transgender women are women,” Radcliffe said in response to Rowling. “Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.” Though, the 33-year-old at the time claimed that his statements were not “in-fighting” against the millionaire, he also added that Rowling was “unquestionably responsible for the course” of his career. But, he did admit he felt “compelled” as a trans activist and “human being” to weigh in after the mom-of-three tweeted. 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! Additionally, the theater performer said, “To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you.” “I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you,” he concluded the 2020 statement. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Brendan Pierson (Reuters) – A federal judge in Texas on Thursday blocked Obamacare’s mandate that health insurance plans cover preventive care, including screenings for certain cancers and pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV (PrEP), at no cost to patients. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, previously found that the PrEP mandate violated a federal religious freedom law and that other no-cost preventive care mandates were based on recommendations by an illegally appointed task force. The judge has now blocked the federal government from enforcing the mandates, a victory for conservative businesses and individuals that sued to challenge them in 2020. The ruling does not apply to preventive services, such as breast cancer screening, that were recommended before Obamacare, formally called the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted in 2010. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said the Biden administration was reviewing the decision. More than 150 million people were eligible for preventive care free of charge as of 2020 under the ACA, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. If O’Connor’s ruling is not paused or overturned on appeal, insurers will be able to charge patients copays and deductibles for such services in new insurance plans. AHIP, the health insurance industry’s largest trade group, said there would be no immediate coverage interruptions. “Every American deserves access to high-quality affordable coverage and healthcare, including affordable access to preventive care and services that help avoid illnesses and other health problems,” said AHIP President Matt Eyles. Major medical groups criticized the decision. American Medical Association President Jack Resneck called it “deeply flawed” and said that patients “will be subjected to needless illness and preventable deaths” as a result. Lisa Lacasse, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said the ruling could have “huge implications” and make it more difficult to catch treatable cancers early. “We cannot emphasize enough how important screenings are for early detection of cancer,” she said. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, in a statement, said: “Allowing personal or political bias to interfere with the practice of medicine will cause harm to our patients.” The legal challenge was brought by eight individuals and two businesses, all from Texas. They argued that the free PrEP requirement requires business owners and consumers to pay for services that “encourage homosexual behavior, prostitution, sexual promiscuity and intravenous drug use” despite their religious beliefs. They also said that the advisory body that recommends what preventive care should be covered without cost, the Preventive Services Task Force, is illegal because its members are not directly appointed by the president, which they argue is required by the U.S. Constitution. The task force’s recommendations automatically become mandatory under the Affordable Care Act. The conservative America First Legal Foundation is helping to represent the plaintiffs. The group was founded by Stephen Miller, who served as an adviser to Republican President Donald Trump. O’Connor previously drew attention in 2018 for ruling the entire ACA, the signature achievement of Democratic then-President Barack Obama, was unconstitutional in a decision that was later overturned. The PrEP drugs approved in the United States to prevent HIV infection, which can cause AIDS, are made by Gilead Sciences Inc and by ViiV Healthcare, a joint venture of GSK Plc, Pfizer Inc and Shionogi & Co Ltd. GSK and ViiV said in a statement that they were “concerned about any court order or policy that could negatively impact access to important health prevention services, including PrEP for HIV” and supported an appeal of O’Connor’s order. (Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York and Ahmed Aboulenein in Washington; Editing by Mark Porter and Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by Raw Story A suspect is facing federal charges in connection with a Molotov cocktail attack on an Ohio church, the Department of Justice said in a news release. Aimenn D. Penny, 20, of Alliance, Ohio, has been charged with malicious use of explosive materials and possession of a destructive device in the March 25 attack on the Community Church of Chesterland, the agency said. He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted on all charges. The church is facing threats for holding drag events, and is planning to hold the events against the admonition of local law enforcement, an ABC News affiliate in Clevel… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jonathan Allen NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) – When Nashville police announced that the shooter who killed three children and three adults at a school this week was transgender, trans Tennesseans braced themselves for renewed vitriol in a state that has recently proposed a raft of anti-trans laws. Soon enough, some prominent Republicans, including J.D. Vance, a U.S. senator from Ohio, and U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, suggested in social media posts that the shooter’s gender identity may have been a factor in the murders. Police later said they did not know the shooter’s gender identity. Even before the shooting, many transgender Tennesseans felt villainized by their state’s efforts to regulate the lives of gay and trans people, and were increasingly fearful for their safety. “This isn’t a trans issue, this is a gun issue,” said Mykul Coscia, a drag king at Nashville’s Play Dance Bar, an LGTBQ nightclub. “But they’re gonna make it a trans issue.” Tennessee’s Republican-controlled legislature recently banned gender-affirming medical care, such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy, for anyone under 18, despite U.S. medical associations saying such treatment can save lives. It also restricted drag shows in public in an ambiguously worded law taking effect this weekend that includes “male or female impersonators” in the same X-rated category as strippers. As that bill progressed, armed neo-Nazis and other far-right groups protested outside drag shows in the state. The Tennessee bills are part of a broader anti-trans push by Republicans in conservative states who argue they are protecting children. Coscia has a 7-year-old daughter going to a Nashville-area school, and said he was never worried about doctors or drag queens harming children. But he does live in fear of school shootings, which have become commonplace in the U.S., where guns are easily obtained. Last year, the Supreme Court declared for the first time that the U.S. Constitution protects an individual’s right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense. Even as a gun owner himself, he wants lawmakers to make it harder to get hold of guns, and to ban the kind of semi-automatic rifle used in many school shootings, including Monday’s at the Covenant School. Police identified the Nashville shooter as Audrey Elizabeth Hale, and initially referred to Hale as female. Later on Monday, police said Hale was transgender. By Wednesday, the police department was less sure. “We do not know the shooter’s personal gender identity,” Kristin Mumford, a police spokesperson, wrote in an email. “We are aware that she used male pronouns in a social media profile.” The vast majority of mass shootings in the U.S. are committed by non-trans men, according to Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a non-profit group advocating for stricter gun regulation. Grayson Collins, a trans man raising a 3-year-old daughter with his wife in a Nashville suburb, said the gender identity of a mass shooter was irrelevant. “It’s evil,” he said. “I could care less who they are or what they are. You still took someone’s life and that’s horrible.” Dawn Bennett is the pastor of The Table, an LGBTQ congregation at a Lutheran church in downtown Nashville, and spent Wednesday helping organize a vigil. Congregants lit candles and another pastor rang a bell as the name of each of the Covenant School victims was read aloud in prayer. “You can also pray by writing to your state legislator,” Bennett said from the pulpit. Some later left the pews to head to a laptop set up in the church’s hallway, where they could send a petition to Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, a Republican, to enact “commonsense gun safety measures.” After the service, Bennett, who has a trans son, said one of her congregants had been confronted and “told they were the cause, that this was God’s repudiation of gay people, and that ‘you and your people are going to hell for eternity,'” she said. “The trans community is going to pay dearly for this.” Two other congregants were similarly targeted, Bennett said. Nashville police did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for information about attacks or threats on the LGTBQ community since the shooting. Every time there is a school shooting, Story VanNess said she has sleepless nights: she was a special education teacher in a Knoxville school for several years before becoming the director of trans and non-binary programs at Knox Pride. VanNess, who in recent months has heard from the parents of several trans youth asking her advice on how to flee Tennessee, went through drills and lockdowns in her classroom. She had nightmares about ever having to deploy the pair of sharp scissors she had stashed near the classroom door to confront an attacker. “It’s all just disgusting and heartbreaking,” she said. “We’ve had another school shooting but, because this shooter was trans, that’s taken a back seat so politicians can demonize trans people. Now we’re even more of a target than ever before.” (Reporting by Jonathan Allen in Nashville; Additional reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Donna Bryson and Sandra Maler) View the full article