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Published by Reuters By Brendan O’Brien CHICAGO (Reuters) -Grammy-winning R&B artist R. Kelly was sentenced on Thursday to one year in prison after his conviction in Chicago on federal child pornography and enticement charges, local media reported. Kelly was convicted in September of felony sexual exploitation of a child, enticement of a female and possession of material containing child pornography. Judge Harry Leinenweber of the U.S. District Court for Northern Illinois ordered the sentence to run consecutively with the 30-year sentence Kelly received last year on a previous federal conviction in New York, the Chicago Sun Times reported in a tweet. In that case, Kelly was convicted of multiple felonies including illegal sex with minors and sexual exploitation of minors. In the federal case in Illinois, prosecutors argued that the singer was so incorrigible that “the only way to ensure Kelly does not re-offend is to impose a sentence that will keep him in prison for the rest of his life.” They want to add another 25 years to his existing 30-year sentence. Defense attorneys said Kelly, a 56-year-old African American man who suffers from diabetes, was already facing an effective life sentence with the 30-year term. They acknowledged that the judge must impose a sentence of 10 years, but contended that it should run concurrently. They also questioned why federal prosecutors have dedicated so many resources to prosecuting a Black artist when many of the biggest white stars in rock ‘n’ roll history have been accused of abusing underage girls and “none have been prosecuted and none will die in prison.” Defense lawyer Jennifer Bonjean alleged a double standard for a Black artist, naming 11 white rock stars in her sentencing memo who have been accused of abusing underage girls and gone unpunished. Kelly did not address the judge because he still faced prosecution in other jurisdictions and any statement could be used against him, Bonjean said. (Additional reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Richard Chang and Mark Porter) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English A David Bowie archive encompassing more than 80,000 items is to be made available to the public for the very first time. The late pop icon – who died in 2016 at the age of 69 following a battle with liver cancer – will be immortalised through the creation of The David Bowie Centre for the Study of Performing Arts at V+A East Storehouse, in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from 2025. Dr Tristram Hunt, Director of the V+A, said in a statement: “David Bowie was one of the greatest musicians and performers of all time. The V+A is thrilled to become custodians of his incredible archive, and to be able to open it up for the public. Bowie’s radical innovations across music, theatre, film, fashion, and style – from Berlin to Tokyo to London – continue to influence design and visual culture and inspire creatives from Janelle Monáe to Lady Gaga to Tilda Swinton and Raf Simons. Our new collections centre, V+A East Storehouse, is the ideal place to put Bowie’s work in dialogue with the V+A’s collection spanning 5,000 years of art, design, and performance. My deepest thanks go to the David Bowie Estate, Blavatnik Family Foundation and Warner Music Group for helping make this a reality and for providing a new sourcebook for the Bowies of tomorrow!” The archive will span the entirety of the ‘Life On Mars’ hitmaker’s career, handwritten lyrics, letters, sheet music, original costumes, fashion, photography, film, music videos, set designs as well as the legendary musician’s own instruments. A spokesperson from the David Bowie Estate, said: “With David’s life’s work becoming part of the UK’s national collections, he takes his rightful place amongst many other cultural icons and artistic geniuses. The David Bowie Centre for the Study of Performance – and the behind the scenes access that V+A East Storehouse offers– will mean David’s work can be shared with the public in ways that haven’t been possible before, and we’re so pleased to be working closely with the V+A to continue to commemorate David’s enduring cultural influence.” View the full article

Published by Reuters UK By Maggie Fick LONDON (Reuters) – British drugmaker GSK’s HIV treatment division, ViiV Healthcare, published data on Wednesday showing its long-acting HIV injection is as effective as the market-leading daily pill made by Gilead Sciences Inc. GSK’s ViiV ran the so-called “head to-head” clinical study on its own injection Cabenuva, which is given every two months, and Gilead’s Biktarvy, an oral pill taken daily. Analysts and investors are paying close attention to the future of GSK’s HIV business as patents for treatments containing its core HIV compound, dolutegravir, begin to expire in 2028. … Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story A new report from The Daily Beast is raising questions about an unusual arrangement for personal security between Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and a company owned by the sister of Tulsi Gabbard. According to the report, Sinema’s campaign finance committees have forked over more than $300,000 to a company called TOA Group LLC whose sole executive is Vrindivan Gabbard Bellord, the sister of the former Hawaii Democratic congresswoman who has since become a far-right Fox News contributor. “Since fall 2021, Bellord has been employed as the ‘security director’ in Sinema’s Senate office, a role that ha… Read More View the full article

Published by The Mercury News SAN JOSE, Calif. — A California state senator has introduced legislation that, if passed, would require all K-12 schools in the state to have at least one gender-neutral restroom — the first bill of its kind in the nation. “It’s hard enough to be questioning your gender or sexuality at that age. But to not be able to use the bathroom without some combination of anxiety, stigma, shame, bullying? That’s just a terrible place to put kids,” said Sen. Josh Newman, a Fullerton Democrat, who is also chair of the Senate Committee on Education. Introduction of the bill, SB 760, comes just days after a … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Adam Lambert felt “ashamed” of who he was when photos of him kissing a man leaked online. The ‘If I Had You’ hitmaker shot to fame when he appeared on ‘American Idol’ in 2008 and though at the time, he had came out as gay to his friends and family eight years beforehand, he didn’t discuss his sexuality on the show, but recalled the backlash he received when pictures of him with another guy were made public two months before the finale. He said: “I was very comfortable and secure with who I was. “It was never a secret. During the live broadcast, there was no one asking me what my sexual preference was, and we weren’t allowed to do interviews during the show back then because they wanted to keep everyone on a level playing field.” Adam admitted the backlash over the photos made him feel “ashamed” of who he was for the first time. He added to People magazine: “It was like I was going backwards in some ways.” But the ‘Whataya Want from Me’ singer ultimately came out “stronger”. He said: “It made me stronger and informed the kind of art that I wanted to make.” The 41-year-old singer also hit out at the double standards he faced, with ABC receiving 1,500 telephoned complaints after he kissed his male bassist during the American Music Awards, resulting in the network cancelling his appearances on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ and ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’. He said: “I remember doing an interview shortly after the show and them blurring my mouth as they replayed the clip. “But they showed Madonna and Britney Spears kissing [on the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards] without any censor. It was such a double standard.” These days, Adam – who is in a relationship with 27-year-old Oliver Gliese – is “proud” to see singers such as Lil Nas X and Sam Smith embracing who they are. He said: “No matter what size or gender or sexuality you are, there is space for you. “If you’re getting people talking, you’re winning on some level.” View the full article

Published by Raw Story A spokesman for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has announced that the governor will be “boycotting” NBC and MSNBC, over remarks that Andrea Mitchell made about his education policy during an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, according to The Daily Beast. “‘This will be the standard response from our office until @mitchellreports apologizes and your track record improves,’ DeSantis’ Press Secretary Bryan Griffin tweeted Wednesday, urging others to pass his message along,” reported Matt Young. However, Young noted, this is unlikely to mean much in practice because “DeSantis has never been a… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Raven-Symoné is to receive the Icon Award at the upcoming Truth Awards for her commitment to the LGBTQ+ community. The 36-year-old actress – who has been married to Miranda Maday since 2020 – will be honoured at the ninth annual Truth Awards on March 18 for her “persistent presence” in family entertainment in shows like ‘That’s So Raven’ and the ‘Raven’s Home’ reboot as she “raises the visibility of LGBTQ community.” In a statement, founder Sheryl Lee Ralph said: “The Truth Awards, along with our acceptance and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community, will encourage, inspire and motivate others to live their truth unapologetically. “It’s important that we focus on supporting our brothers and sisters in the LGBTQ+ community as they continue to fight for equality. Our public acknowledgment and partnership make it possible for them to live out loud and openly for the world to see.” The ceremony will stream exclusively on Fox Soul next month and will feature a wealth of other famous faces as hosts, including the likes of ‘Pose’ actress Angelica Ross, talk show star and Cocktails With Queens‘ host Claudia Jordan. The former ‘Cosby Show’ star previously admitted that there was “no need” for her psychic alter ego Raven Baxter to be made into a lesbian when Disney was rebooting the series in 2016 because she and her character are two different people. She said: “There was a conversation before the series started and I was asked the question, ‘Would you like Raven Baxter to be a lesbian?’ And I said, no. I said no. The reason I said no wasn’t because I wasn’t proud of who I was, or I didn’t want to represent the LGBTQ+ community in any way. “It was because Raven Baxter is Raven Baxter is Raven Baxter. There was no reason for me to change the human that she was in order to fit the actress that played her. And Raven Baxter is a character that I was proud to play, even if she is straight, cisgender, I don’t mind. Let her have her moment View the full article

Published by AlterNet U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg Thursday traveled to East Palestine, Ohio, to visit the scene of the Norfolk Southern train derailment. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg Thursday traveled to East Palestine, Ohio, to visit the scene of the Norfolk Southern train derailment. The attacks in recent months against Secretary Buttigieg by Republicans and right-wing media figures have been almost relentless. Within hours of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) inspectors arrived at the scene. Also withi… Read More View the full article

Published by DPA Artworks at the side of the road help drivers to think more and thereby drive slower and more carefully, researchers in Germany have found. Philipp Schulze/dpa Scientists have found that setting up sculptures alongside the road can slow drivers down, potentially making for safer and more liveable towns. Researchers placed brightly coloured works of art near two German communities and then measured the effect these had on drivers. Speeding drivers drove more slowly, they found, observing traffic activity in Amelinghausen and Ottersberg, in northern Germany. The works of art encouraged motorists to think. They attracted drivers’ attention, but did not pose a threat to road safety, the scientists say, based on an assessment of resident surveys, traffic measurements and recording drivers’ eye movements. After the first sculptures were installed in Ottersberg, the number of speeding violations – faster than 50 kilometres per hour – decreased by up to 24%. “It had an effect, but art alone doesn’t change everything,” says Rainer Höger, a professor of industrial psychology specializing in mobility at Germany’s University Lüneburg. He is now calling for sculptures to be erected in combination with further infrastructural measures to calm traffic. “As a major result of the project, it was found that artistic installations at the roadside can lower inner-city speed levels substantially in some cases, but the exact extent depends on inner-city characteristics,” says the team from Ottersberg University of Applied Sciences, TU Hamburg and Leuphana University of Lüneburg. Drivers did not slow down right away after passing the first sculptures. Given that, the scientists recommend placing art works at the approach of some towns, or near to the entrance signs, to benefit from the slowing effect. But that could be tricky in some places if there are traffic regulations that ban the placing of objects directly at roadsides outside built-up areas. “It would be worth considering whether the rigid legal requirements could be relaxed, perhaps with an exemption, to initiate a speed reduction in the approach to a town by means of appropriate art installations,” the researchers suggest. Art installations only change part of the local atmosphere, the experiment concludes. To permanently slow down speeding drivers, further changes are needed to the townscape, alongside speed limits. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Bette Midler turned down the chance to star in ‘Sister Act’ because she didn’t want to wear a nun costume. The 77-year-old star was offered the chance to feature in the 1992 comedy film as Deloris Van Cartier but rejected the movie as she was “afraid” of wearing the habit. Bette told Variety: “I turned them down. They came to me with ‘Sister Act’ and I said, ‘My fans don’t want to see me in a wimple.’ Can you believe that? How off the wall is that? How crazy is that? “(Walt Disney Studios boss) Jeffrey Katzenberg called me every day, ‘Please, please.’ I stood my ground because I was really afraid of the costume. Isn’t that amazing? I can wear anything but a nun’s habit?” The lead role ultimately went to Whoopi Goldberg and Bette praised her performance in the movie, which proved to be a big success. The actress and singer said: “Whoopi wore it all the way to the bank. So God bless her. And she was perfect for it.” Despite her distaste for the nun’s habit, Bette has been happy to wear a number of outrageous costumes during her prolific screen career. The ‘First Wives Club’ star said: “I’ve worn them all. I have been an old lady, a young lady, a witch, a mermaid, a showgirl, a stripper, a bad lounge singer. I’ve run the gamut. And I have to say, it’s been a blast.” Bette also had the chance to play the antagonist Annie Wilkes in the classic horror film ‘Misery’ but turned down the part – which was taken by Kathy Bates – as it was “too violent”. She explained: “I just couldn’t. It was too violent. “The character was so not funny, so without any qualities of redemption. She cut off his foot. Come on. Who does that?” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Guy Faulconbridge and Nandita Bose MOSCOW/WARSAW (Reuters) -China pledged to deepen cooperation with Russia on Wednesday while U.S. President Joe Biden discussed security with leaders of NATO’s eastern flank, highlighting geopolitical tensions as the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches. Within Ukraine, schools took their classes online for the rest of the week for fear of an upsurge of Russian missile attacks a year on from Moscow’s Feb. 24 all-out assault, which failed to topple the government and has long been bogged down. Making the highest level visit to Russia by a Chinese official since the countries signed a “no limits” partnership weeks before the invasion, China’s top diplomat Wang Li told President Vladimir Putin that Beijing was ready to enhance ties. A time of crisis required Russia and China “to continuously deepen our comprehensive strategic partnership”, Wang said. Putin said he was looking forward to a visit to Moscow by Chinese President Xi Jinping and a deeper partnership. Xi is expected to make a “peace speech” on Friday. Kyiv says there can be no talk of peace with Russian troops in Ukraine. “This unprovoked and criminal Russian war against Ukraine, Europe and the democratic world must end with the cleansing of the entire Ukrainian land from Russian occupation and solid guarantees of the long-term security for our state, the whole of Europe and the entire world,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Russia is due to begin military exercises with China in South Africa on Friday and has sent a frigate equipped with new generation hypersonic cruise missiles. A Russian officer said on Wednesday Russia would fire artillery, but not the missiles, whose speed makes them difficult to shoot down. Russian aggression in Ukraine has changed the security situation in Europe, Polish President Andrzej Duda told the Warsaw meeting of the Bucharest 9 countries with Biden, who said Washington was committed to defending every inch of NATO. “You are the front line of our collective defence,” Biden told the summit of countries which joined the Western military alliance after being dominated by Moscow during the Cold War. Most are among the strongest supporters of military aid to Ukraine, and officials from countries in the group have said they will seek extra resources such as air defence systems. NUCLEAR TREATY SUSPENDED Putin has responded to the lack of progress in Ukraine with veiled threats to use nuclear weapons and suspended a nuclear arms control treaty on Tuesday, accusing Washington of turning the war into a global conflict by arming Ukraine. Russia’s foreign and defence ministries said later Moscow would continue abiding by the restrictions outlined in New Start (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) on the number of nuclear warheads it could have deployed and the number of nuclear missile carriers. Russia’s lower house of parliament rubber-stamped the suspension of the treaty on Wednesday. Tension over Ukraine had already halted inspections under the treaty, which calls for the United States and Russia to let each other check their nuclear arsenals. Biden said however that by suspending the treaty, Putin had “made a mistake”. He underlined his support for Kyiv in a surprise visit to war-torn Ukraine on Monday and then rallied NATO allies in Poland, saying the invasion had tested the world but Washington and its allies had shown they would defend democracy. He rejected Russia’s assertion that Western allies were seeking to control or destroy Russia, and accused Moscow of crimes against humanity such as targeting civilians and rape. Russia denies committing war crimes or targeting civilians. NATO allies and other supporters have sent Ukraine tens of billions of dollars worth of arms and ammunition. Since the new year they have promised modern battle tanks, though they have yet to offer Western fighter jets sought by Kyiv. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned Beijing against supplying weapons to Moscow, prompting anger from China. FIGHTING Russia suffered three major battlefield reverses in Ukraine last year but still controls nearly a fifth of the country. It has launched a massive offensive in recent weeks in eastern provinces, so far making only marginal gains despite some of the heaviest losses of the war. Ukraine’s military said Bakhmut city, the focus of Russian advances in the eastern region of Donetsk, came under shelling, along with 20 other settlements in the area. The governor of the neighbouring Luhansk region said Ukraine had repelled intense Russian attacks around the town of Kreminna further north, destroying several of their tanks. “The breakthrough failed, the situation stabilized,” Serhiy Haidai said on Ukrainian television. Two civilians were wounded in a Russian missile strike on Wednesday on industrial facilities in Kharkhiv, the biggest city in eastern Ukraine, local officials said. Reuters was not able to independently verify the reports. The biggest land war in Europe since World War Two has displaced millions, left cities, towns and villages in ruins and disrupted the global economy. The U.N. rights office has recorded more than 8,000 civilians killed, a figure it describes as the “tip of the iceberg”. (Additional reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Alan Charlish and Reuters bureaux; writing by Grant McCool and Philippa Fletcher; Editing by David Gregorio, Michael Perry, Peter Graff, William Maclean) View the full article

Published by DPA "Fat," "crazy," "ugly" and "black" are among the words being removed from books by Roald Dahl. The controversial move comes as Netflix prepares to turn the cult British author's works into video content. Jens Kalaene/dpa New editions of classic 20th century children’s books by British author Roald Dahl — such as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “James and the Giant Peach,” “Matilda,” “The Witches” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox” — have been edited and rewritten to remove language seen as offensive or potentially insensitive to modern-day sensibilities. After comparing new editions published by Puffin to previous versions of Dahl’s classics, the British newspaper The Telegraph found that the new versions removed or rewrote passages describing characters as “fat,” “crazy,” “ugly,” and “black.” Some references to ethnicities have been removed or adjusted — “Eskimos” are now described as Inuit — and gender-neutral terms like “children” and “parents” have replaced some references to “boys and girls” and “mothers and fathers.” The Telegraph cited before-and-after examples, including from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” An older edition of the book described one character like this: “The man behind the counter looked fat and well-fed. He had big lips and fat cheeks and a very fat neck.” In the newest edition, these sentences were removed entirely. Other sentences referencing fatness were also removed, such as “The fat around his neck bulged out all around the top of his collar like a rubber ring”; “Who’s the big fat boy?”; and “Enormous, isn’t he?” Many edits are more subtle: “The fat shopkeeper shouted” became “the shopkeeper shouted,” and “the fat shopkeeper said” became “the shopkeeper said.” Some Twitter users attacked the latest updates to Dahl’s books as “woke” and pointless. “The thing that annoys me about the Roald Dahl changes is how stupid they are,” tweeted Daily Telegraph arts and entertainment editor Anita Singh. “A ban on the word ‘fat’ yet keeping in the rest of the description in which Augustus Gloop is clearly fat.” Dahl, one of the most popular children’s authors of the 20th century, died in 1990 at the age of 74, and in 2021, the streaming service Netflix acquired the Roald Dahl Story Co., which manages the rights to the author’s characters and stories, and which had already begun reviewing Dahl’s work alongside Puffin before the Netflix sale. Dahl’s books have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide, with translations in 63 languages. “We want to ensure that Roald Dahl’s wonderful stories and characters continue to be enjoyed by all children today,” the Roald Dahl Story Co. said in a statement. “When publishing new print runs of books written years ago, it’s not unusual to review the language used alongside updating other details including a book’s cover and page layout. Our guiding principle throughout has been to maintain the storylines, characters, and the irreverence and sharp-edged spirit of the original text. Any changes made have been small and carefully considered.” Roald Dahl Story Co. spokesman Rick Behari added in an email that “the overall changes are small both in terms of actual edits which have been made and also in terms of the overall percentage of texts which has been changed.” Dahl’s work, like his life, has its unsettling moments and has long been subject to update, revision and apology by other creatives laboring to bring his art to mass audiences. In the first edition of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” published in 1964, the Oompa-Loompas helping Willy Wonka were originally described as African Pygmy people whom Wonka had “smuggled” out of Africa in crates to live and work in his factory. Facing pressure from Black actors and groups such as the NAACP after America’s Civil Rights era, the 1971 film made the Oompa-Loompas orange-skinned with green hair. In a 1973 revision of the book, Dahl recast the Oompa-Loompas as white and fantastical instead of Black and African. In 2020, the actor Anne Hathaway apologized for her depiction of Grand High Witch in Robert Zemeckis’ adaptation of “The Witches” in which the character had three fingers, angering disability advocates over a negative portrayal of limb differences. The same year, Dahl’s family apologized for his history of making antisemitic remarks. View the full article

Published by Orlando Sentinel ORLANDO, Fla. — State lawmakers are moving forward with a Gov. Ron DeSantis-inspired push to make it easier for prominent people to sue media outlets for defamation, setting the stage for a potential First Amendment clash in the courts. The Legislature is set to take up the measure that challenges longstanding protections for the press established by the U.S Supreme Court. Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, filed an initial version of the bill on Monday, which was withdrawn and replaced with a new one with added provisions (HB 991) on Tuesday. His office did not respond to a request for comment T… Read More View the full article

Published by The Seattle Times SEATTLE — Seattle made history Tuesday as the first city in the U.S. to expressly ban caste-based discrimination after an outpouring of input from South Asian Americans. An ordinance introduced by District 4 Councilmember Kshama Sawant — Seattle’s only elected socialist and the only Indian member of the council — added caste to the list of statuses protected under Seattle’s existing anti-discrimination policies. “This bill is not technically complicated, it’s a very simple question: Should discrimination based on caste be allowed to continue in Seattle?” Sawant said Tuesday, noting that she ho… Read More View the full article

Published by IntelliNews By Denitsa Koseva in Sofia Bulgaria’s Supreme Court of Cassation (SCC) ruled that the country’s current legislation does not allow courts to admit proceedings for the legal change of a person’s gender in government-issued documents for people identifying as transgender in a decision seen as a violation of international standards for human rights. The SCC based its decision on a ruling by the constitutional court made in 2021 that the concept of gender in the country’s constitution referred solely to the biologic aspect. The same ruling was used by the constitutional court against the adoption … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Eddie Vedder and Jim Parsons were among the stars who came together to remember Leslie Jordan at a benefit show. The ‘Reportin’ for Duty: A Tribute to Leslie Jordan’ event was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee on Sunday night (19.02.23) to pay homage to the actor – who died in October at the age of 67 – and famous faces from the world of entertainment turned out to remember him and raise money for charity. Comedian Leanne Morgan hosted the four-hour show and she kicked off proceedings by telling the audience: “Leslie was a bow-tie-loving Southern boy whose his biggest accomplishment was being unapologetically himself and I’m sure that he’s all smiles knowing that he’s brought together the most eclectic group of people to ever grace the Opry stage.” Country star Tanya Tucker – who previously collaborated with Jordan on a gospel album – then performed ‘Amazing Grace’ and ‘Delta Dawn’. ‘The Big Bang Theory’ star Jim Parsons later offered a tribute to the actor, telling the audience being around Jordan was “was like being around an angel”. He added: “It also was like being around a devil. Listening to Leslie tell stories, sometimes he made me think of the cute guys I met as a young man in my first gay bars down south – and sometimes he reminded me of my grandma. Leslie transcended classification while being utterly specific and unique. He was extraordinary because he was so human.” Jim’s former TV co-star Mayim Bialik, who worked with Jordan on ‘Call Me Kat’, said of him: “I was not his boss. I was just one of the actors lucky enough to share a stage with Leslie, to watch Leslie work, to watch Leslie play… veryone wanted to be around him to soak up the light that was Leslie.” Justin Long was seen giving a video tribute in which he said the late star thought of all his fans as friends, adding: “I know this because I once… referred to people who followed him [on Instagram] as his followers, and that was the only time he ever took offence to anything I said. He quickly corrected me. He said, ‘I actually don’t consider them my followers. I consider them my friends.'” The event, filmed for a Circle Network TV special, ended with a performance by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder who performed the track ‘Maybe It’s Time’ from 2019 film ‘A Star Is Born’ with Lukas Nelson. He followed it with a rendition of Pearl Jam hit ‘Just Breathe’. The rocker said of Jordan: “I’ve been missing on him so much and in the last two days, to be around people that knew him and loved him, and we can share this story of loving him and all the ways he inspired us, it’s the best we’ve felt in a long, long time.” The event was held to raise fund for the EB Research Partnership – an organisation which supports research into a rare genetic skin disorder called epidermolysis bullosa. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Keith Coffman DENVER (Reuters) – The individual accused of fatally shooting five people inside a Colorado LGBTQ nightclub last year was due in court on Wednesday for a preliminary hearing in which a judge will decide whether there is enough evidence to try the suspect for murder. Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, has been held without bond at the El Paso County jail since being arrested and has been charged with 323 criminal counts stemming from the Nov. 19 rampage at Club Q in Colorado Springs. The shooting spree left five bar patrons dead and nearly two dozen others wounded by gunfire or otherwise injured. Among the charges the defendant faces are first-degree murder, attempted murder, assault and bias-motivated crimes. Clad in body armor and armed with a handgun and an AR-15-style assault rifle, Aldrich opened fire indiscriminately on club patrons, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Two men inside the bar with military training subdued Aldrich and held the suspect until police arrived, the affidavit said. One of the men pistol-whipped Aldrich as others pummeled the accused assailant, leaving the suspect with multiple injuries that required hospitalization. Prosecutors have not publicly revealed whether they have determined a motive for the shootings. Aldrich’s lawyers have asserted in court filings that their client identifies as “non-binary” in gender and prefers them/they pronouns. At a previous court hearing, a defense lawyer intimated that Aldrich may have been in the club previously, including on the night of the massacre. Even if Aldrich identifies as a member of a protected class, the defendant could still be found guilty of the hate crimes that have been charged in the case, District Attorney Michael Allen told reporters following an earlier hearing. “We’re not going to tolerate actions against community members based on their sexual identity,” Allen said. “Members of that community have been harassed, intimidated and abused for too long.” El Paso County District Judge Michael McHenry was assigned to preside over the preliminary hearing, which was scheduled to run for three days, according to the court docket. The hearing’s purpose is for prosecutors to outline their case with the intention of persuading the judge there is enough evidence to establish probable cause for the charges and proceed to trial. The Q nightclub shooting is not the defendant’s first brush with the law. Aldrich was arrested in June 2021 after threatening to detonate a bomb and harm a family member, prosecutors said. That case was dismissed after the relatives who were the alleged victims declined to testify for the prosecution. If convicted of first-degree murder, Aldrich faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Colorado no longer has capital punishment on its books, but Aldrich could face the death penalty if federal prosecutors decide to try him on federal charges that still carry a death sentence. (Reporting by Keith Coffman in Denver; Editing by Steve Gorman and Bradley Perrett) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English J.K. Rowling “doesn’t care” if her controversial comments impact her “legacy”. The ‘Harry Potter’ author, 57, has been accused of transphobia for a series of comments but has now insisted she isn’t bothered that her legacy will be tarnished because anyone who cares about their legacy is “pompous” in her eyes. Speaking on the first episode of her new podcast ‘The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling’, she insisted: “I do not walk around my house thinking about my legacy. You know, what a pompous way to live your life walking around thinking, ‘What will my legacy be?’ Whatever, I’ll be dead. “I care about now. I care about the living.” Rowling caused outrage after she liked a tweet that referred to trans women as “men in dresses”, and faced online attacks and death threats since she bemoaned the loss of references to biological women in 2020. The writer took issue with an online article’s mention of “people who menstruate” by tweeting: “‘People who menstruate’. I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” However, in the trailer for the podcast, she insists her comments were “profoundly” misunderstood, and it was never her intention to “upset anyone”. More recently, she accused Nicola Sturgeon of being a “destroyer of women’s rights” after the politician’s SNP and the Scottish Labour Party backed the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, which passed through the Scottish Parliament in December and allows Scots to self-identify their legal gender. Rowling was criticised by transgender campaigners for wearing a T-shirt bearing the “destroyer” message and posted a picture of herself wearing the top online. Among those who have since hit out at the author over her remarks are ‘Harry Potter’ actors including Daniel Radcliffe, 33, and Emma Watson, 32, as well as Eddie Redmayne, 41, who featured in her ‘Fantastic Beasts’ films. The author’s latest comments on the backlash come after ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ sparked controversy by adding the first transgender ‘Harry Potter’ character. The introduction of Sirona Ryan, a barkeep at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade, came amid the Rowling transgender row. Although it’s not stated in the game if Sirona is transgender, one piece of dialogue about an encounter with a goblin called Lodgok suggested as much. Sirona says: “I’ve known [Lodgok] for years. We met when I was waiting tables here as a student — well before I bought the place. “He was cordial enough, but we weren’t friends then. His mistrust of wizardkind ran deep… Hadn’t seen him in years when he came in a few months ago. But, he recognised me instantly. Which is more than I can say for some of my own classmates. Took them a second to realise I was actually a witch, not a wizard.” Warner Bros. Games has insisted Rowling is “not directly involved”, though her writing has provided the “foundation” for the title. The much-discussed role-playing title – which just broke a Twitch streaming record for the most concurrent viewers – was released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on February 10. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One follow on April 4 and Nintendo Switch players will have a while longer to wait with a date set for July 25. View the full article

Published by Raw Story A vice mayor for a small town in Virginia is receiving attention from across the nation after calling U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg a derogatory term based on his sexuality during his weekly Facebook Live show on Feb. 15. Jim Wood, the Vice Mayor of Waynesboro, Virginia, hosts the Facebook Live show from his own page every Wednesday, and the show is not connected to his political position or the City of Waynesboro. Waynesboro has a population of 22,550 people. Wood’s show, “Conservative Conversations with Friends Around the World” was covering the topic of the recent train de… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) explained in detail on Tuesday how her vision for a “national divorce” would work. On Monday, Greene’s repeated calls for a “national divorce” raised concerns that she wanted a new civil war. But on Tuesday, the lawmaker insisted she was not calling for violence. “Why the left and right should consider a national divorce, not a civil war but a legal agreement to separate our ideological and political disagreements by states while maintaining our legal union,” she wrote on Twitter. “Tragically, I think we, the left and right, have reached irreconcilable differ… Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News A South Korean court on Tuesday recognized the legal rights of a same-sex couple for the first time, in a move celebrated by human rights advocates as a major victory for the country’s LGBTQ community. The country’s high court sided with So Seong-uk, 32, who sued the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) in 2021 after the agency kicked his partner, Kim Yong-min, out of his plan. Even though same-sex marriages or civil unions are not legal in South Korea, So and Kim held a ceremony in 2019 to celebrate their love and commitment to one another. They have since lived together as a married coup… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Vladimir Putin mocked the Church of England this week over its decision to explore possible gender-neutral terms for God, RadarOnline.com has learned. The Russian leader’s shocking remarks came on Tuesday morning as Putin gave a state of the union address to a room full of tired Kremlin officials. Mega According to Putin, the West is headed toward a “spiritual catastrophe” over its decision to explore gender-neutral terms for God and because the Church is allegedly changing historical facts in exchange for “woke” ideologies. “The Anglican Church is considering a gender-neutral God. May God forgive them for they know not what they do,” Putin charged on Tuesday morning during his 115-minute rant. “Millions of people in the West understand they are being led to a real spiritual catastrophe.” Mega “They distort historical facts, constantly attack our culture, the Russian Orthodox Church, and other traditional religions of our country,” he continued before citing the Church’s recent discussion to potentially allow priests to give same-sex marriages their blessing. “Look at what they do with their own peoples: the destruction of the family, cultural and national identity, perversion, and the abuse of children are declared the norm,” Putin fumed. “And priests are forced to bless same-sex marriages.” Vladimir Putin’s Top Officials FALL ASLEEP During His 115-Minute State Of The Union Address Chechen Warlord Reveals Plans To Arrange Own Private Army, Fueling Theories He’s Preparing For Russian Civil War In Putin’s Absence Vladimir Putin Places Russia’s Nuke Triad ‘On Highest Alert’ As President Joe Biden Visits Ukraine But following Putin’s nearly two-hour rant on Tuesday morning, a spokesperson for the Church of England spoke out to deny the allegations the Church is currently exploring potential gender-neutral terms to refer to God. “There are also absolutely no plans to abolish or substantially revise currently authorized liturgies and no such changes could be made without extensive legislation,” the spokesperson clarified. Mega As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Putin also spent a large portion of his 115-minute address this week attacking the West for interfering in his ongoing war against Ukraine. According to Putin, Ukraine’s Western allies are using the ongoing conflict as an opportunity to obtain “limitless power” on the global stage. Jake SullivanMega “We were doing everything possible to solve this problem peacefully, negotiating a peaceful way out of this difficult conflict, but behind our backs a very different scenario was being prepared,” Putin raged during his speech. “We are defending people’s lives, our home,” he continued to a room of Kremlin officials fighting to stay awake. “And the West is striving for an unlimited domination.” Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free. United States National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan called Putin’s remarks on Tuesday “absurd” and emphasized the fact that Putin himself was the one who chose to begin the war by invading Ukraine in February 2022. “This was a war of choice – Putin chose to fight it. He could have chosen not to,” Sullivan said. “And he can choose even now to end it, to go home. Nobody is attacking Russia.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jennifer Coolidge was “very nervous” at the thought of putting make up on a dead body. The 61-year-old actress was a cosmetology student before finding fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s with supporting roles in ‘American Pie’ and ‘Legally Blonde’ but was relieved to learn that the mortuary section of the course was “virtual.” She said: “I was very nervous about the mortuary makeup part, but it turned out we didn’t work on any bodies or anything — it was all sort of virtual. We never had to actually do it on a corpse. It wouldn’t be my first choice.” When it comes to doing her own makeup, the ‘White Lotus’ star explained that she likes to apply her products out of a traditional “order” and always tries to keep her face looking as “moisturised” as possible. She told PEOPLE: “I put products on out of order. I put the primer on after my makeup, because I feel like it makes me look extra dewy. I always want to look like there’s moisture on my face. I use ice cubes on my face every day because I want to look like I just walked up a flight of stairs.” What’s more, the Emmy Award-winning actress appears alongside pop superstar Jennifer Lopez in the comedy ‘Shotgun Wedding’ and admitted she was tempted to ask the ‘Jenny From the Block’ hitmaker if her eyelashes were real, but was too scared to do so in the end. She said: “[J Lo]had these lashes on that were so real looking, but they were so long. “I wanted to ask her if they were hers, but I didn’t have the guts.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega The founder of Project Veritas, James O’Keefe, was removed from his position on the company’s board and stripped of his title as CEO after a group of employees publicly condemned his leadership, RadarOnline.com has learned. O’Keefe founded the far-right activist group in 2010. Listed as a 501(c)(3) corporation, O’Keefe’s Project Veritas allegedly produced and distributed highly-edited videos from its undercover operations in an attempt to discredit mainstream media and political opponents by touting conspiracy theories. The 38-year-old former CEO was placed on paid leave before his removal while board members considered action against him for alleged workplace misconduct and mismanaging donor funds. mega According to New York Magazine via The Daily Beast, a group of Project Veritas staffers accused O’Keefe of “outright cruel” treatment to employees and wasting company funds. The latest development from the damning reporting came on Monday when O’Keefe announced that he would be leaving the company he founded 13 years ago, revealing the news in a 15-minute video. mega “Throughout my 13 years doing this my mission has evolved,” O’Keefe said in the video. “Over the last few weeks, I have felt a lot of despair and seen a lot of evil and felt overcome with various emotions.” “I take away from these the gratitude that I have for many of you, most of you…I reflected upon my appreciation for many of you, what makes this great is because we actually believe in this, we have a passion for this and we have principle,” the former CEO continued. 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 As O’Keefe’s voice cracked, he added that “the external threats and pressure inflicted upon myself has been unimaginable.” The far-right activist revealed that he was suspended “indefinitely without compensation” per a memo from Project Veritas board members. Nonetheless, O’Keefe vowed that his company’s work would carry on without him. mega “Project Veritas will never be stopped from the outside, it will only be because we stopped ourselves,” O’Keefe said as he quoted a former board member. “Prophetic as it may be, that is exactly where we find ourselves in the situation today,” the ousted CEO added. “A situation where I have been stripped of my authority as CEO and removed from the board of directors, bet you didn’t know that.” View the full article