Late Breaking Volcano erupts in southern Caribbean, St Vincent and the Grenadines (near Mustique) sparking evacuation ‘frenzy'
By Robertson S. Henry ROSE HALL, St Vincent and the Grenadines (Reuters) -La Soufriere volcano on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent erupted on Friday after decades of inactivity, sending dark plumes of ash and smoke billowing into the sky and forcing thousands from surrounding villages to evacuate. Dormant since 1979, the volcano started showing signs of activity in December, spewing steam and smoke and rumbling away. That picked up this week, prompting Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves to order an evacuation of the surrounding area late on Thursday. Ea…Read More
‘Thank God I'm safe': NRA leader sought refuge from public outrage aboard yacht after mass school shootings
NRA leader Wayne LaPierre says he faced an unprecedented “security threat” in the wake of bloody rampages at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut and a Parkland, Florida, high school — and had to seek refuge aboard his Hollywood producer friend's 108-foot yacht. In a chutzpah-rich deposition, the politically powerful gun rights advocate said the fancy vessel christened “The Illusion” was one of the few places he felt safe from the national outrage that erupted after the slaughter of innocent children with military-grade firearms. “They simply let me use it as a security retreat because they kn…Read More
Water buffalo and elephant hunts just part of NRA leader's job, he testifies at Texas bankruptcy hearing
NRA chief Wayne LaPierre said Wednesday hunting and shooting African wildlife is just part of his job. Testifying at a Texas bankruptcy court hearing convened as part of the pro-gun group's effort to evade a move by New York officials to put it out of business, LaPierre said hunting water buffalo and elephants on the dime of NRA vendors was “all work.” Among the allegations leveled in a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James is that LaPierre and other key players at the NRA used donor funds like a “piggy bank” to fund extravagant trips around the world, no-show contracts and …Read More
Seven takeaways from Biden's budget proposal: defense, immigration, climate
(Reuters) – Here are seven takeaways from U.S. President Joe Biden's proposed federal budget, released on Friday: * HEADLINE NUMBERS. Federal discretionary spending is up by8.4% compared to 2021 levels, excluding emergency funding, to$1.52 trillion, with a focus on health, education and climate.About two-thirds of the massive budget is “mandatory” spendingfor benefits like Social Security and Medicare. * MILITARY AND DEFENSE SPENDING. Making up about half of theU.S. discretionary budget, this would increase by 1.7% to $753billion. The increase will likely upset progressives, who pushedfor cuts…Read More
Biden creates commission to study potential Supreme Court expansion
By Andrew Chung and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday ordered the creation of a bipartisan commission to study potential reforms to the Supreme Court, including whether to expand the number of justices, a key goal of progressive Democrats. In an executive order, Biden said the commission would tackle the “merits and legality” of specific high court reform proposals. Along with the contentious idea of expanding the court, reform advocates have recently pushed for term limits for the justices. A White House official stressed that the commission's members rep…Read More
RuPaul Down Under
Pence Launching New Org With Conway, Kudlow Ahead of Potential 2024 Bid
Former Vice President Mike Pence has launched a new political advocacy group with former Trump administration officials that has led to increased speculation he is considering a 2024 presidential bid. The organization, Advancing American Freedom, aims to promote the Trump-Pence administration's achievements while also putting together a “winning formula for a broader coalition,” officials told the Washington Examiner. The new organization appears to have the backing of former President Donald Trump. “It was the most successful first term in American history,” Trump told the out. “Nice to see M…Read More
Will a warning to drug dealers decrease overdose deaths? California families want to try
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As she stood before California lawmakers this week, Amy Neville held up a photo of her son, whom she found dead on the floor of his bedroom last year. He had purchased a pill he thought was oxycodone from somebody he met online, she said. The pill turned out to be fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 100 times more potent than morphine. “You might be asking yourself, ‘So where is this drug dealer now?' It should come as no surprise to you that he is free, living his life, continuing to sell drugs to unsuspecting kids and adults, while my child is in an urn on a shelf in his …Read More
Mysterious disease killing young California bears in Tahoe. One symptom: fearlessness
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The video of a small bear, its head tilted at an inquisitive angle, caught ambling up to a Tahoe snowboarder was the sort of clueless cuteness guaranteed to go viral. But for scientists, it was just too cute to be true. The bear cub was exhibiting behavior — fearlessness at being around humans — that's been popping up in bears around the state, due to a mysterious lethal condition that causes their brains to become dangerously inflamed. Scientists have discovered five new viruses in some of the bears with the symptoms, but they have no idea whether the viruses are to blame…Read More
#GopPedoRing Trends on Twitter. (QAnon Quiet on rumored GOP SuperGroup with Church, Boy Scouts Ghislaine Maxwell)
Two Germans honoured for uncovering Catholic Church sexual abuse;
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Thursday awarded two men with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for uncovering sexual abuse of children and youths in the Catholic Church. Matthias Katsch und Pater Klaus Mertes received the order as part of a ceremony in Berlin, during which Steinmeier called for better protection of minors and consistent criminal prosecution of the perpetrators. “It has to be prevented that the same perpetrator finds new victims in new places every time. Encouragement and talk about individual atonement is not sufficient,” Steinmeier said. “Thes…Read More
DMX, rap's explosive, tortured star, dies at 50
New York (AFP) – DMX, the hardcore hip-hop star whose raw, snarling raps chronicled the struggles of the American street and his own inner pain, has died. He was 50 years old. The rapper's longtime lawyer confirmed DMX's death to AFP, with a statement from his family saying the artist, born Earl Simmons, died after nearly a week on life support following a heart attack. “Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end,” the statement released Friday read, saying the rapper died at White Plains Hospital north of New York City, with loved ones by his side. “He loved his family with all of his he…Read More
‘Troubling development' for Newsom: California Latinos inclined to support recall, poll finds
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In the wake of a pandemic that has devastated Latino communities in California, a new statewide poll finds that Latino voters are more likely to vote to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom than white, Asian and Black voters. The Probolsky Research poll released this week found that 44.5% of Latino voters said they would vote for Newsom to be recalled from office, while 41% said they would vote no. About 14% were undecided. The poll results offer a glimpse of Latino voters' attitudes toward the Democratic governor amid the coronavirus pandemic. “It really just speaks to the current st…Read More
Cher wants Mamma Mia! 3 role
Cher wants to star in ‘Mamma Mia! 3'. The music icon featured in the musical comedy sequel ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again' and revealed that she is prepared to reprise the role so she can duet with her on-screen daughter Donna Sheridan-Carmichael (Meryl Streep). According to producer Judy Craymer – who has worked on both the stage and cinematic versions of the ABBA musical – Cher, 74, had told her: “No one wants to see us old people on the screen.” Judy responded by saying that she wanted Cher to be in the film and would love to see her sing ‘Slipping Through My Fingers' with Meryl. This prompte…Read More
Will Segway's mysterious hydrogen motorcycle see the light of day?
Personal transporter manufacturer Segway-Ninebot has unveiled an electric sports bike that will also be powered by removable hydrogen canisters, which it plans to launch in 2023. Christened the Segway Apex H2, this latest futuristic motorcycle is a new version of a concept first presented in 2019. The Segway brand was bought in 2015 by one of its Chinese rivals Ninebot, which is behind this extremely exciting project. Not only does the new bike offer futuristic looks worthy of a science-fiction movie, the Segway Apex H2 will also be a ground-breaking hydrogen hybrid. The bike can be fueled by …Read More
Xupermask is the futuristic anti-covid mask from will.i.am
Xupermask, a futuristic new mask designed by will.i.am comes out this Thursday, April 8. This concept which combines an intelligent mask with integrated bluetooth headphones allows the wearer to make calls and listen to music. Its price: 299 dollars. This mask will at the very least bestow you with a touch of class. Straight out of a science fiction movie, the ultra-connected accessory was designed by will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and Honeywell. The company believes that even after the pandemic, there will be a future for masks. Xupermask is composed of HEPA filters that ensure that the air…Read More
Lady Gaga's dog walker moves out of home amid safety concerns after shooting
Lady Gaga's dog walker has moved out of his home due to safety concerns after he was shot in the chest by thieves who stole the singer's dogs. Ryan Fischer, 30, was shot four times last month when he was out walking Gaga's three French bulldogs, before thieves snatched two of the pooches and left Ryan battling for his life. The dog walker has since been discharged from hospital but the dognappers are still at large, and Ryan has reportedly decided to move out of his apartment in order to move somewhere “safe and secure”. An insider told the US Sun: “He hasn't been living at his home since leav…Read More
Studies provide new insights into possible psychological mechanisms underlying interest in BDSM
New research has uncovered several psychological factors related to interest in BDSM (bondage, discipline, submission and sadomasochism). The findings, which have been published in the scientific journals Sexuality Research and Social Policy and Archives of Sexual Behavior, indicate that such practices are not pathological in general. Though it has slowly become more and more mainstream, little is known about the psychological and biological factors driving BDSM preferences. Researcher Alana Schuerwegen and her colleagues at the Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute were particu…Read More
Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan had ‘private' chats about their own lives for Ammonite
Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan shared “private things” from their own lives to better understand their lesbian characters in ‘Ammonite'. The actresses portray lovers Mary Anning and her close friend Charlotte Murchison in Francis Lee's historical drama and the 45-year-old star admitted they had an intimate conversation about their “own paths” when discussing the issue of whether straight actors should play LGBTQ roles. Asked if she was aware of the criticism her casting could have faced, Kate told Attitude magazine: “I was aware of that, yeah. I would be foolish to say that I wasn't aware that…Read More
Katy Perry: I've quit shaving my legs since becoming a mother
Katy Perry has “quit shaving [her] legs” since becoming a mother. The 36-year-old singer gave birth to Daisy Dove Bloom – whom she has with her fiancé Orlando Bloom – in August, and has said being a new mother has taken up so much of her time that she no longer bothers with shaving her legs. Katy spoke during Sunday's (04.04.21) episode of ‘American Idol', when she revealed her hairs stood on end when she listened to contestant Cassandra Coleman sing. She said: “As a new mother I don't have very much time, so I've quit shaving my legs. But when you sang, the hair on my legs grew an inch and a …Read More
Dame Helen Mirren explains how she chased away a bear: ‘I told him he was a naughty bear'
Dame Helen Mirren chased away a bear whilst quarantining in Nevada. The 75-year-old actress has been spending the COVID-19 pandemic in a remote home in the US state, and recently had a “bit of a meeting” with a wild bear who came too close to her property. Speaking at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards on Sunday (04.04.21) where she was presenting an award, she explained: “I did have a bit of a meeting with a bear. I was so excited to see a bear, but then, of course, you can't allow bears to get too familiar with human beings because they are wild animals. So I chased him away.” Helen reveal…Read More
Life and new limbs: Creative thinking, 3D printers save injured wildlife
When caregivers at the Weltvogelpark Walsrode bird park in Germany returned to the aviary one morning, they were heartsick to discover that a secretary bird they called Söckchen, or “Little Sock,” had broken her leg inside her enclosure. They guessed that something must have scared her and made her jump, causing a severe break. Secretary birds (Sagittarius serpentarius) need their legs. Found in Africa's savannas, they are large, mostly terrestrial birds; their strong, sturdy legs are vital not only for walking but for capturing snakes and other prey. Often, they hunt by stomping the ground to…Read More
Salma Hayek: I sleep with my pet owl
Salma Hayek sleeps with her pet owl whenever her husband is away. The 54-year-old actress and her spouse, François-Henri Pinault, adopted a southern white-faced owl named Kering two years ago after Salma responded to an advertisement about rescue owls, and the star has now said she loves her feathered friend so much she lets her sleep in the bed when her husband is “not in town”. She explained: “I gave it to my husband as a Valentine's present and named her Kering because that's the name of his company and their symbol of the owl. And he was like, ‘Well, thank you, but I know this is your own …Read More
