Senate confirms Biden judicial nominee after Harris breaks deadlock
By Andrew Goudsward Vice President Kamala Harris broke a deadlock in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday to secure
1970-01-01 08:00
I Want To Take Confidence Lessons From Kim Petras
Kim Petras has what she calls a “delusional side.” “I remember being 12, waking up and being like, ‘I now declare this my job. I am a songwriter, and I’m going to work at it like it’s my job every single day,’” Petras tells Refinery29. “And not stop until I get somewhere and get good.”
1970-01-01 08:00
Lynyrd Skynyrd celebrates 50 years with new concert film
Johnny Van Zant and Rickey Medlocke are keeping the music of their band Lynyrd Skynyrd alive.
1970-01-01 08:00
T.I. will celebrate hip-hop's 50th anniversary at Essence Festival of Culture
T.I. definitely has some things he wants to do to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop this year.
1970-01-01 08:00
What's Anthony Bennett Up To These Days?
Ever wonder what Anthony Bennett is doing? Here's your answer.
1970-01-01 08:00
Jacob Elordi, Cailee Spaeny tell Elvis and Priscilla Presley's timeless love story in first 'Priscilla' trailer
Famed director Sofia Coppola is bringing forth a fresh cinematic take on Elvis and Priscilla Presley's iconic relationship in "Priscilla," just one year after Baz Luhrmann's heady biopic "Elvis" was released.
1970-01-01 08:00
Learning to let love lead: A family's journey to accept their transgender daughter
As an ordained Christian minister, Ontay Johnson's faith teaches love is patient and kind. After one of his children came out as a transgender woman, the husband and father of three has had to practice what he preaches.
1970-01-01 08:00
Joe Alwyn has 'no interest' in reconciling with Taylor Swift after her split with Matty Healy: Source
'Things were not working between them and he’s relieved to be out of the relationship,' a source said referring to Joe Alwyn and Taylor Swift
1970-01-01 08:00
Television veteran Geraldo Rivera says he's quitting Fox News' political combat show 'The Five'
Veteran television personality Geraldo Rivera says he's quitting as one of the lonely liberal voices on Fox News Channel's political combat show “The Five.”
1970-01-01 08:00
Choi Sung-bong dies at 33, two years after fabricating cancer diagnosis and asking donations from fans
Choi Sung-bong had posted a suicide note on his YouTube channel the day before his death in which he reportedly apologized for his 'foolish mistakes'
1970-01-01 08:00
Britain backs fast-track Nato membership for Ukraine
Britain will back fast-tracking Ukraine’s Nato membership as momentum builds among Western allies to significantly change their stance over Kyiv’s attempts to join the alliance. Volodymyr Zelensky’s government may have a quick route to accession, as has been granted recently to Sweden and Finland, rather than continuing with the slower Membership Action Plan (MAP) that has preconditions for entry. Russia is adamantly opposed to Ukraine joining Nato, and even after Vladimir Putin’s invasion there has been reticence among member states over the speed of Kyiv’s accession. But as the war enters its 16th month, the position of Western allies appears to be changing. Britain’s foreign secretary James Cleverly told the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on Wednesday: “We have seen Ukraine evolve, and evolve quickly. “Many of the requirements of the Membership Action Plan are actually being delivered. The reform of their armed forces are happening whilst engaged in conflict and I think the UK’s position is that it would be very supportive if we moved on from the Membership Action Plan. “We recognise that the offer to both Sweden and Finland did not require MAP. The Ukrainians have demonstrated their commitment to military reform required for Nato membership through their actions on the battlefield, and I think all Nato allies recognise that.” Also speaking at the conference, the French foreign minister, Catherine Colonna, commented: “Perhaps we don’t require the MAP mechanism, something which was planned in 2008. We are now a long way from 2008; time has passed, the situation is quite different.” The United States has been cautious about Ukraine’s Nato membership, with Joe Biden saying recently that his administration would not “make it easy” for Kyiv to join. “They have got to meet the same standards [as other entrants], that is our position,” he said. “I think it will happen, can happen, but it won’t be automatic.” However, senior White House officials indicated the president is “open to” waiving the MAP requirement for Ukraine, and Washington is facing mounting pressure from European allies to give firmer backing to Zelensky on the issue. Krisjanis Karins, the Latvian prime minister, said: “The only chance for peace in Europe is when Ukraine will be in Nato.” Failure to do so, she said, means “Russia will come back.” Nato membership for Ukraine is seen as a deterrent to Moscow from continuous attacks and attempts in the future to carry out regime change in Kyiv. A member can invoke Article 5, under which an attack on one member by an outside power is regarded as an attack on all Nato states. However, it is precisely this prospect of Nato getting directly into war with Moscow that is cited in support of making Ukraine wait until the current conflict has ended. Ukraine will be the key topic at next month’s Nato summit in Vilnius, one of the most important in its recent history. It remains unlikely that Ukraine will be offered immediate membership. The options being considered include guarantees that Western military support will continue, and that the Nato-Ukraine Commission, launched in 1997, will be upgraded to Nato-Ukraine Council, with a higher level of engagement. It will be a symbolic as well as practical move; in 2002, a decade after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia became a partner in the Nato-Russia Council but that ended with the annexation of Crimea by Moscow in 2014. Meanwhile, Britain has set out a package of support for Ukraine including $3 billion in guarantees for World Bank loans and $ 305 million in bilateral assistance. The US said it will send an additional $ 1.3 billion in financial assistance to overhaul Ukraine’s energy grid and modernise other critical infrastructure. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin claims nuclear-capable Satan 2 missiles ready for combat in ‘near future’ Zelensky: ‘Eyes of the world’ are on West’s support for Ukraine Japan's Kishida says he will attend NATO leaders' summit, stresses need for dialogue with China The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary
1970-01-01 08:00
Elon Musk sparks outrage with threat to ban ‘cisgender’ as a ‘slur’ on Twitter
Twitter CEO Elon Musk has apparently decided that "cis" and "cisgender" will now be considered a slur on the social media platform. "Cisgender" typically refers to individuals whose gender identity matches their birth sex. If an individual is born male and has a male gender identity then they would be considered "cisgender." The proclamation was made in the replies of James Esses, an Irish right-wing media figure, who was complaining that commenters on social media were calling him a "cissy." "Yesterday, after posting a Tweet saying that I reject the word ‘cis’ and don’t wish to be called it, I receive a slew of messages from trans activists calling me ‘cissy’ and telling me that I am ‘cis’ 'whether or not I like it,'" he wrote. "Just imagine if the roles were reversed." Mr Musk responded with an announcement that "repeated, targeted harassment against any account will cause the harassing accounts to receive, at minimum, temporary suspensions." Mr Musk then took it a step further. "The words 'cis' or 'cisgender' are considered slurs on this platform," he wrote, prompting backlash on the platform. NYT bestselling author Seth Abramson doubted that Mr Musk knows what the word means. “I’m 102.3% sure Elon has no idea what ‘cis’ or ‘cisgender’ mean, either connotatively or denotatively or etymologically,” he wrote. “Threatening to suspend users on your ‘free speech’ platform because they uttered a word you don’t understand but fear emasculates you is quite the fascist flex.” Joe Walsh, a conservative commentator, criticised Mr Musk from the right. “‘Cis’ & ‘cisgender’ will be considered slurs on this platform? Look, it’s his company, he can do whatever he wants, but the truth is that @elonmusk is fundamentally a dishonest person and a coward,” Mr Walsh wrote. “He says he believes in free speech, but he doesn’t really believe in free speech. He’s pushing an agenda, a right wing agenda, but he doesn’t have the balls to admit that. Elon is too afraid to be honest with his intentions. So he lies and says he’s for free speech. But you can’t say ‘cisgender.’ No, Elon is just like most everyone else. He’s pushing an agenda. He just lacks the honesty & the courage to admit it.” It’s not the first time Mr Musk has expressed his disdain for language relating to gender identity. Last July he tweeted that “pronouns suck” — suggesting he either dislikes gender identity or just the English language in general — and later that year insisted that he was not transpohobic. “I absolutely support trans, but all these pronouns are an aesthetic nightmare,” Mr Musk, creator of the Cybertruck, argued. However, in defending his dislike of “cis” and “cisgender,” Mr Musk leaned on a decades old bigoted ideas that LGBT communities and ideas are deeply infected with pedophilia. “The contemptible creep that manufactured the term ‘cis’ has serious problems. Ignore him,” Mr Musk wrote, referencing a right-wing conspiracy theory that the term “cisgender” was coined by a paedophile doctor in the 1990s. However, cis— with “cis” being the Latin opposite to “trans” — has been used as a dichotomic descriptor since at least the early 20th century. Read More Musk vows to bring Tesla to India ‘as soon as possible’ after meeting Modi Elon Musk stays mum on Titanic submarine disappearance despite Starlink connection Elon Musk and Joe Rogan challenge Covid vaccine scientist to ‘debate’ anti-vaxxer Robert F Kennedy Jr Elon Musk stays mum on Titanic submarine disappearance despite Starlink connection India’s Modi to meet Elon Musk during US state visit Vaccine scientist hounded by conspiracists after Joe Rogan targeted him on Twitter
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