Dramatic week of testimony in George Floyd murder trial
Minneapolis (AFP) – The opening week of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, facing murder and manslaughter charges for the death of George Floyd, has featured dramatic and emotional testimony. Among those taking the stand in the heavily-guarded downtown Minneapolis courtroom have been Floyd’s girlfriend, witnesses to his May 25, 2020 arrest and fellow police officers. Chauvin, who is white, was seen on video kneeling for more than nine minutes on the neck of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who was being detained for using a fake $20 bill in a nearby store. Here are som…Read More
SAG Awards 2021: How to watch and what to know about Sunday’s unprecedented ceremony
This year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards are following a very different script. The 2021 edition of the ceremony honoring acting achievements in film and television is pretaped and just an hour long as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the entertainment industry. Still, the recipients of the prestigious trophies will be announced Sunday night during an event that often proves to be a strong predictor for what to expect at the Oscars. Here’s everything you need to know about the 27th SAG Awards. How to watchTNT and TBS will both air the SAG Awards, which begin Sunday at 9 p.m. ET….Read More
Leslie Jordan Drops a Gospel Moment. Duets with Gospel Royalty on his new album
[QueerGuru] “We were looking for an appropriate way to celebrate Easter when we came across a brand new album of Gospel duets. No surprise at that until we discovered it was the work of one of Queerguru’s favorite funnyman: the irreligious LESLIE JORDAN. … With DOLLY PARTON …Gospel Music Royalty like TANYA TUCKER, BRANDI CARLILE, KATIE PRUITT, MORGANA AND CHRIS STAPLETON, TJ OSBORNE and TRAVIS HOWARD. “
Election laws: How Georgia compares to other states
ATLANTA — Senate Bill 202 makes substantial changes to elections in Georgia, a state with a long history of denying Black residents the right to vote. Critics of the new law say it’s based on false claims of election fraud — claims that have been used in the past to justify voting restrictions. Meanwhile, here’s how some new and existing provisions of Georgia election law compare with laws in other states, according information compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures. No-excuse absentee voting Voters can cast absentee ballots without offering an excuse in two-thirds of states…Read More
Government Auditors Criticize Ivanka Trump’s Flagship Policy Program
Ivanka Trump is being slammed by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) for her signature women’s empower initiative. During her time working for her father’s administration, Ivanka Trump led the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, a federal plan to empower women. As part of the Women’s Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act, a law signed by former President Trump in 2019, the initiative was established to financially support the women’s 10 U.S. government agencies’ programs. Under the WEEE Act, the U.S. Agency for International Development, one of the 10 agencies,…Read More
They were live on Facebook when an armed man stormed in and kidnapped them in Haiti
For Haiti, it was a new low. Four people, including a pastor and a well-known pianist, were kidnapped late Thursday night — and it all played out live on social media. The group, members of the Seventh-day Adventist Gospel Kreyòl Ministry Church in Diquini on the outskirts of metropolitan Port-au-Prince, were performing live on Facebook and YouTube in a studio adjacent to their church when a heavily armed man walked up to the stage and abducted them. The incident was confirmed by Dr. Gregory M. Figaro, whose father, Greger Figaro, is the founder of the ministry. “If this can happen, then anyth…Read More
Senior officer says Chauvin used ‘totally unnecessary’ force on George Floyd
By Jonathan Allen MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) – A Minneapolis homicide investigator testified on Friday that Derek Chauvin used “totally unnecessary” deadly force when kneeling on George Floyd’s neck during an arrest last May that sparked global protests against police brutality. Chauvin, who is white, was fired by the city’s police department the day after he was captured on video on top of a handcuffed Floyd as the 46-year-old Black man was dying. The 45-year-old former officer has pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter charges. “Totally unnecessary,” Lieutenant Richard Zimmerman told the j…Read More
Perez Hilton tips Duchess Meghan for presidential run
Perez Hilton has tipped the Duchess of Sussex to run for President of the United States one day. The gossip blogger thinks the former actress – who was known as Meghan Markle before her marriage to Prince Harry – has the “ego” to pursue the US’ highest office and would hope the position would help her “make a difference in the world”. He told Closer magazine: “Back in 2016, we all thought, ‘There’s no way that Donald Trump would be elected.’ But as ludicrous as it sounded on paper, it happened. “So I really wouldn’t put it past Meghan Markle running for President. “The main reason I think she …Read More
Microdosing psychedelic drugs associated with increases in conscientiousness and reductions in neuroticism
Microdosing has become something of a wellness trend in recent years, gathering traction in Australia and overseas. The practice involves taking a low dose of a psychedelic drug to enhance performance, or reduce stress and anxiety. While the anecdotal accounts are compelling, significant questions remain around how microdosing works, and how much of the reported benefits are due to pharmacological effects, rather than participants’ beliefs and expectations. We’ve just published a new study following on from two earlier studies on microdosing. Our body of research tells us some benefits of micr…Read More
