Victoria Fox's Blog, page 233
April 20, 2023
Roberts invited to testify at Senate hearing on Supreme Court ethics
Enlarge this image The Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts was asked to testify before a Senate Judiciary panel hearing on court ethics next month. Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
The chair of the Senate Judiciary committee has invited Chief Justice John Roberts to testify at a hearing next month focused on the ethical rules governing the Supreme Court as well as potential changes to those guidelines.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. said in a letter to Roberts on Thursday that recent reports found the justices are “falling short” of the ethical standards they and other public servants are supposed to follow.
“The status quo is no longer tenable,” Durbin wrote.
The call for Roberts’ testimony comes at a turbulent time for the court and its members. Concerns surrounding the lifetime appointees involve Justice Clarence Thomas, who, according to an investigation by ProPublica, failed to disclose 20 years of luxury trips with billionaire and Republican donor Harlan Crow.
ProPublica found that Thomas joined Crow on lavish getaways on the Dallas businessman’s private jet and yacht, including a 2019 holiday worth $500,000. And the Washington Post reported earlier this week that Thomas has claimed rental income from a real estate firm that closed up shop in 2006.
Thomas responded to the reports saying he was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from a close personal friend, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable.
Last summer’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, the landmark case granting the federal right to an abortion, raised concerns about the justices and political bias. Findings from an NPR/IPSOS poll conducted in January found that 62% of Americans believe the court’s decision was based more on politics than the law.
Roberts defended the court’s authority last September when he was interviewed by two judges from the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at a conference saying, “You don’t want the political branches telling you what the law is, and you don’t want public opinion to be the guide about what the appropriate decision is.”
In his letter, Durbin said there is “ample precedent” for sitting justices to testify before Congress, citing an October 2011 Senate Judiciary hearing when then-Justices Antonin Scalia and Stephen Breyer discussed the interpretation of the Constitution. The senator wrote that an appearance from Roberts, or another justice in his stead, could help re-establish Americans’ faith in public institutions.
“The time has come fore a new public conversation on ways to restore confidence in the Court’s ethical standards,” Durbin wrote. “I invite you to join it, and I look forward to your response.”
Durbin told NPR Political Correspondent Susan Davis Thursday that the hearing will take place whether Roberts accepts the invitation or not.
As of the time of publishing, the Supreme Court has not issued a response to Durbin’s call for testimony.
Charges against Alec Baldwin in the ‘Rust’ movie set shooting dropped for now
Enlarge this image This aerial photo shows the movie set of Rust in Santa Fe, N.M., on Oct. 23, 2021. Prosecutors in New Mexico plan to drop an involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in the fatal 2021 shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western film. Jae C. Hong/AP
Jae C. Hong/AP
New Mexico special prosecutors announced they are dropping involuntary manslaughter charges against actor Alec Baldwin for the death of the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film Rust.
In 2021, at a ranch outside Albuquerque, N.M., Baldwin was rehearsing a scene when the gun he was aiming toward the camera went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. The 65-year-old Baldwin, who is also one of the film’s producers, has maintained that he shouldn’t be criminally responsible for what turned out to be a loaded weapon.
Prosecutors Kari T. Morrissey and Jason J. Lewis wrote in a statement that they had been preparing for a May 3 preliminary hearing when law enforcement turned over new evidence. “New facts were revealed that demand further investigation and forensic analysis,” they wrote, adding they were therefore dismissing involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin in order to investigate further. “This decision does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled.”
Enlarge this image Attorneys for Alec Baldwin, seen here at the 2017 Emmy Awards, said in a statement Thursday that they are pleased with prosecutors’ decision to dismiss the case against him in the 2021 Rust movie set shooting. Jordan Strauss/Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Jordan Strauss/Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, said they were pleased with the decision to dismiss charges. “We encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” they wrote in a statement.
The special prosecutors announced that the same involuntary manslaughter charges against Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer, remain unchanged. Her attorneys told the A.P. they “fully expect at the end of this process that Hannah will also be exonerated.”
Last month, Rust‘s safety coordinator and assistant director David Halls pleaded no contest to his conviction for unsafe handling of a firearm and a suspended sentence of six months of probation.
News of Baldwin’s dismissal broke on the same day production of Rust resumed, 18 months after the shooting, at a new location, Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana.
Baldwin still stars in it, Souza is still the director and Hutchins’ widower Matthew is now the executive producer, a title he got in a settlement after dropping his wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin and the other producers of Rust.
Declan Rice branded ‘world class’ after scoring solo goal as West Ham reach European semi-final for second consecutive year
Declan Rice helped ensure West Ham put their Premier League struggles behind them with a ‘world-class’ solo goal on Thursday night.
The Hammers played out a tight 1-1 draw in the first leg against Belgian side Ghent but beat their opponents at the London Stadium as they reached their second European semi-final in as many seasons.
Rice picked up the ball as Paqueta stumbled from a challenge and charged
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He continued his charge and dug inside to brace for a left-footed effort
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And I drove it home with aplomb
Despite conceding first with the Belgian side leading 1-0 in the 26th minute, the Premier League side quickly went into action, bringing the momentum of their recent rise to league form into the draw .
With Michail Antonio shooting first and then Lucas Paqueta scoring a penalty, the West Ham skipper then found himself on the scoresheet.
But it was not a typical defensive midfield goal.
The 24-year-old England international collected the ball in his natural position after Paqueta battled for possession, leaving Rice to cross the halfway line into the Ghent penalty area.
Although Antonio was available on his right, Rice turned Ghent defender Joseph Okumu and struck the ball into the bottom corner, sending London Stadium into rapture.
With Arsenal target Rice set to leave West Ham this summer with his contract expiring next June and the Hammers flirting with relegation this season, it marked a special moment for the Irons captain and the fans.
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Man United captain Maguire defended after Upamecano called out ‘UpaMaguire’ by commentator
Smith Rowe watched, Newcastle ready to cash in, Boehly turned away at the dressing room door
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Rice kept her composure after her run
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London Stadium exploded with joy when they found the net
talkSPORT’s Adrian Durham couldn’t help but praise the Hammers skipper, writing on Twitter: “Wow. Declan Rice is world class. Just wow.”
Meanwhile, talkSPORT commentator for the game, Alex Crook, tweeted: “Great second half from West Ham. This Rice goal is one that got me off the hook in the commentary.
Antonio scored again just after the hour mark, sealing the Hammers’ 4-1 win on the night and a 5-2 aggregate win to send them through to the semi-finals of European competition for the second consecutive year for the first time since 1966.
West Ham will face Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the semi-finals and if they win the final they will claim their first title since 1980.
Durham were brought down by West Ham
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3 trans kids sue Tennessee over ban on trans care
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Three transgender children and their parents sued Tennessee Thursday over a new law that bans gender-affirming care for minors.
The law, which is due to take effect July 1, prohibits health care providers from providing hormone treatments or surgeries to transgender youth when the purpose is to allow the child to express a gender identity “inconsistent with the immutable characteristics of the reproductive system that define the minor as male or female.
The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee and other groups in federal court in Nashville. He claims the Tennessee law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment because it allows prohibited medical treatments when used to treat conditions other than gender dysphoria. He says the ban is based on “widespread fears, negative attitudes, stereotypes, and moral disapproval of transgender people,” rather than the welfare of the state’s teens and children.
“All treatment prohibited by the health care ban is permitted when undertaken for a reason other than asserting a gender identity different from a patient’s designated sex at birth,” the lawsuit states. .
The lawsuit also claims that the ban violates parental autonomy protected by the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment.
One of the plaintiffs is a 15-year-old transgender girl who sued under the initials LW Growing up, LW had constant anxiety about her gender, the lawsuit says. Her discomfort using the boys’ bathroom at school was so great that she avoided it altogether and developed urinary tract infections.
After telling her parents that she was transgender, LW began taking hormone blockers and later estrogen. Her parents say they noticed a huge change in LW, who is now “outgoing and thriving,” according to the lawsuit. Parents say the new law will force them to leave Tennessee altogether or make expensive out-of-state trips for LW’s medical care.
The law provides for a nine-month phase-out period for medical treatments started before it came into force, but no new treatments can be started during this period and all treatments must be completed by March 31, 2024. Health care providers who violate the ban will be subject to regulatory discipline and could be prosecuted by the Attorney General or private parties. Violations result in a penalty of $25,000.
The Tennessee attorney general’s office did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Thursday.
At least 12 other states have enacted laws restricting or prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors. Federal judges have blocked enforcement in Alabama and Arkansas.
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April 19, 2023
Blue Jays Pitcher Trolls United Airlines With Photo Amid Controversy
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass has stalked United Airlines amid a controversy involving his pregnant wife.
There has been a heated debate on social media since the 35-year-old Major League Baseball star shared a photo of his two little girls sitting on a plane with popcorn on the floor under and around the seat.
The MLB pitcher wrote on Twitter Sunday about how his wife, Sydney Rae James, 22 weeks pregnant, was asked to clean up the mess and a flight attendant insisted she “get on his hands and his knees” to do so. .
Toronto Blue Jays Anthony Bass #52 delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the ninth inning of the game at Target Field on August 4, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.Getty Images
Bass tweeted his outrage at the time, writing on Twitter: “Flight attendant @united just forced my 22 week pregnant wife traveling with a five and two year old to get on her hands and fingers. knees to pick up the mess of popcorn by my youngest daughter. Are you kidding me?!?!”
United Airlines responded to Bass on Twitter, saying, “Hello, Anthony. We certainly understand your concern and would love to look into this. When you have a moment, please DM your wife’s confirmation number and any additional details the regarding. interaction with this crew member.”
Newsweek asked United Airlines for comment via email.
The stewardess @United Just got my 22 week pregnant wife traveling with a 5 and 2 year old to get on all fours to pick up the mess of popcorn by my youngest daughter. Are you kidding me?!?! pic.twitter.com/vLYyLyJC54
— Anthony Bass (@AnthonyBass52) April 16, 2023
After fierce debate online, Bass has now posted a photo, stalking the airline after the fallout.
He shared a photo of one of his daughters beaming with joy while holding a huge bag of popcorn in her arms, and simply captioned it with a single popcorn emoji.
There was a furious reaction to the photo from many, who felt Bass had crossed the line.
Author Oli London responded to the tweet: “You have disrespected airline staff who work hard every day to look after passengers. Trying to cause outrage for nothing could put their jobs in jeopardy because of you.
“Next time, instead of taking a picture, pick up your kids and be an example to your kids.”
Another added: ‘Notice he’s using a closed bag here because he knows if she spills a few pieces he’ll have to go through the exhausting trouble of calling someone else to drive around and pick it up.’
After Bass initially expressed how upset he was about the situation, the baseball star was hit with a number of responses on Twitter, which he responded to.
One Twitter user wrote: “Be a decent human and if you’re going to give your kid popcorn on a plane be prepared to pick it up. My toddlers loved Cheerios but they were messy I don’t would have ever served as their cheerios on an airplane.”
Bass fired back, quoting his reviewer’s tweet and adding, “You’re the perfect parent. You can’t do no wrong.”
Another hit the pitcher, saying it’s their fault they gave their kids popcorn in the first place. They tweeted: “Pregnant women can bend. They might not want to, but the solution to this would be to not give your child popcorn on a plane.”
Bass replied that it was the airline that provided the snack and that it was not from him or his wife: “A final comment on today’s incident. United provided the popcorn , not my wife.”
A former flight attendant then joined the debate, which garnered more than 45,000 comments, telling Bass, “A flight attendant is there for safety, not to pick you up or pick you up. children. As a former flight attendant, I speak from experience. “
Bass ended up thanking those who helped, indicating that the airline would settle the controversy with the stewardess, tweeting, “Thank you all for the support. United Airlines is taking care of business with the stewardess internal air.”
Do you have any advice on a sports story Newsweek should cover? Have a question about MLB? Let us know via entertainment@newsweek.com.
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Fox News is ‘actually a threat to American democracy’
Former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson said on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” on Wednesday that her former employer was a danger to democracy while discussing FNC’s settlement with Dominion Voting Systems.
Anchor Anderson Cooper said: ‘When you saw some of these documents that, through discovery, Dominion got, in which what people were saying on air and what they were saying to each other privately via text . Did that, the difference between what was said and what they actually believed, Tucker Carlson, saying he hated Donald Trump and clearly not saying that on air, did that surprise you ? Now look, I think even Rupert Murdoch said it was about making sure they were in the green and keeping things, you know, making money for them?
Carlson said, “No. Look, I think even Rupert Murdoch said it was about making sure they were in the green and making things make money for them. I think it’s a travesty because I think it’s actually a threat to American democracy to promote this kind of misinformation. Let me be clear. There is a huge difference between taking conservative views and having an intellectual conversation between conservatives and liberals, which I think is very important. There’s a huge difference between that and lying to the American public, and that’s where we are now in the evolution of Fox News, at least as it relates to the 2020 election and January 6th.
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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‘Smash your head in’ – Carl Froch tells Conor McGregor exactly how the fight would go if he agreed to a tag team showdown with George Groves
Carl Froch explained to Conor McGregor exactly what would happen if the pair met in a bizarre MMA fight also involving George Groves.
The pair have feuded on social media in recent months, with McGregor’s latest jibe claiming he would “slay” Froch and Groves at the same time in the cage.
Froch is a British boxing legend
Getty Images – Getty
Froch and Groves shared an epic rivalry in 2013 and 2014, but are now friends
Initially, Froch was asked on his YouTube channel Froch on Fighting about Jake Paul and Conor McGregor and said, “I’m too big for both of them.
“Jake Paul, I would only need one arm, Conor McGregor might give me a few little problems but he’s too small.
“If I fight Conor McGregor in a cage, I would train harder because I would fight Conor McGregor in the cage.
“I could get in trouble here or in a position I can’t get out of, but I think I’d take it in the cage. Is it ridiculous, am I wrong?
In response to the claim, McGregor took to Twitter and called on promoter Eddie Hearn to shake things up, tweeting, “@EddieHearn get that boy signed up.”
He later added, “I’m going to butcher Froch and Groves at the same time in the cage.”
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McGregor was quick to respond
In response, Froch has now said on his YouTube channel Froch on Fighting: “Me and George Groves at the same time? Are you sure? Did you see George’s height? No disrespect to George.
“But literally I would spice you up with the jab, maybe hit you with a right hand.
“Actually, no, if I hit you with a right hand, the fight is over.
“Let’s just say George Groves gets on the floor with you and he rolls over you, so what are you going to do?” The fight would be over.
“Then I might just beat your head off while George Groves lays on top of you.
“Yeah, if you feel like it, I’ll take it.” Eddie Hearn, let’s go.
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Pregnant Lindsay Lohan & Bader Shammas Seen in NYC After Baby Shower
Lindsay Lohan and Bader Shammas are taking flight after spending some time in The Big Apple.
The Freaky Friday star, who is pregnant with her first child, was spotted at the airport with her husband flying out of New York City on April 18. Lindsay—who tied the knot with the Dubai-based banker in July 2022—kept it cozy while traveling in an oversized, tan jacket with leggings and sneakers.
The pair’s flight comes after they enjoyed a trip to the city. As for what they got up to? As seen in a post re-shared to Lindsay’s April 19 Instagram Story, the couple spent some time with her family at the Waverly Inn for a meal.
In the sweet snap, Lindsay and Bader were joined at a table by Lindsay’s mom Dina Lohan, her brothers Dakota “Cody” Lohan and Mike Lohan, her sister Aliana Lohan and Aliana’s boyfriend Nicholas Horne.
Freddie Highmore Says He Was Forced Into Broom Closet to Avoid TV Host
This experience could rival a stay at the Bates Motel.
Freddie Highmore recently recalled a bizarre backstage moment at an unspecified talk show where he said he was put inside a broom closet to avoid interacting with the host.
“I’m trying to avoid saying the name, but this host doesn’t like seeing guests beforehand,” Freddie said in an April 17 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “So I was coming backstage with a couple of the producers and they looked up and they saw the host at the end of the corridor and they were really, really scared.”
The producer’s response was to hide Freddie as fast as possible, wherever possible.
“They grabbed me and they threw me into the next door that was right by the hallway,” the Good Doctor star added, “and it was a broom closet—a dark broom closet.”
Freddie didn’t have to wait alongside the brooms for long but it certainly left a lasting impression.
Why millions of kids aren’t getting their routine vaccinations
Enlarge this image A health worker administers a measles vaccine during a vaccination drive, prompted by a measles outbreak, in Navi Mumbai, India, in December 2022. A new UNICEF report finds that India has the world’s largest number of children with zero doses of childhood vaccines: 2.7 million Bachchan Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
Bachchan Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
A new report released by UNICEF finds that 67 million children across the world missed out on either some or all routine vaccinations between 2019 and 2021, and 48 million children didn’t receive a single dose during this time period.
“We’ve seen the largest sustained decline in the number of children reached with their basic childhood immunizations,” says Lily Caprani, chief of global advocacy at UNICEF.
“And the consequences of that will be measured in children’s lives. It’s the largest continuous decline in childhood vaccinations in 30 years.”
But preliminary data from 2022 (not included in the report) suggests some encouraging signs of an uptick in vaccinations in the past year.
The unvaccinated children born just before the COVID-19 pandemic, or during it, are now 3 years old — approaching the age when they would have received these vaccines, typically Hepatitis B, polio, measles, rotavirus, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. So these kids are “completely unprotected,” says Caprani.
The cost of COVIDIt’s a reflection of how the pandemic disrupted basic health services, says Brian Keeley, editor-in-chief of UNICEF’s annual report, State of the World’s Children.
“Clinics were closed,” says Keeley. “Families were on lockdown, they may not [have] been able to travel or they may not have been willing to travel because of fear of visiting a health facility during a pandemic.”
And countries had to make tough choices about how best to prioritize funds and health resources, he adds. In some cases, that resulted in “resources being diverted to treat people who were sick with COVID or provide emergency services.
“We saw that hospitals, the health facilities were overloaded with COVID cases,” says Dr. Malalay Ahmadzai, chief of health and nutrition at UNICEF’s office in the Philippines. “In the meantime, the resources also had to be shifted to address the needs of hospitals in terms of the equipment, in terms of the testing capacity and all that.”
Routine health services for women, children and adolescents were disrupted as a result, she adds, including childhood immunizations.
Countries in Africa and South Asia have the highest number of under-vaccinated kids and those with zero doses. The totals in West and Central Africa come to 6.8 million children. India leads the world with the largest number of children with zero doses – 2.7 million – followed by Nigeria with 2.2 million unvaccinated children.
“This is really a crisis within a crisis,” says Kate O’Brien, director of the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at the World Health Organization.
“The backsliding of the immunization program is a direct result of the pandemic, and it should be responded to with the same urgency as we have to the pandemic.”
That’s because many countries are already seeing rising cases of the infectious diseases that these childhood vaccines protect against.
“We’re seeing a pretty unprecedented number of measles outbreaks,” says O’Brien.
Last year, 33 countries reported “large or disruptive cases of measles,” he says. “That’s compared to 22 countries in the previous year.”
And the total number of measles cases doubled from 2021 to 2022, says Keeley, with major outbreaks in India, Somalia, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Ethiopia.
Measles usually results in a high fever followed by a rash. The disease can cause serious complications, like blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhea, dehydration and pneumonia. According to the WHO, there were almost 10 million cases of measles around the world in 2018, and more than 140,000 individuals died. Most were children under the age of 5.
Diseases as infectious as measles can spread quickly in communities, says Caprani.
“So it can very quickly put great strain on health-care providers trying to treat the consequences of the illness in a very vulnerable population,” she says.
Polio cases also saw a troubling trend, says Keeley.
“When you look at the numbers for 2022, the number of children paralyzed by polio was up 60% [compared to] the previous year,” he says. Some 800 cases were reported.
“For my generation, we thought [polio] was over. We thought it was dealt with. It isn’t. If we don’t keep up efforts to vaccinate every child, this will come back.”
There have also been outbreaks of yellow fever in 15 countries, says O’Brien. “This is an increased number of countries,” she says. “Some of these countries are countries that in the past had actually conducted preventive vaccine campaigns” for youngsters.
UNICEF estimates at least 200,000 lives have been lost due to these disruptions in childhood vaccinations, says Caprani.
“All of the diseases we’re talking about that are vaccine preventable, the more you miss children in that community, the more the entire community and wider society is then vulnerable to a public health emergency,” she adds.
The WHO’s O’Brien is hopeful that many countries managed to get back on track with childhood vaccinations in 2022. At least that’s what preliminary data from 72 countries suggests, she says.
“So based on those countries, it looks like we’ve gotten back to roughly a 2019 level, possibly with some improvement.”
One good example is India.
The country had “a strong commitment” to the immunization program, she says. A program called Mission Indradhanush targeted parts of the country where zero-dose children live.
“We know that in 2022 they’ve had a very good recovery of their program and are really a global leader in this area,” adds O’Brien.
Keeley says UNICEF is currently analyzing vaccination data for 2022 and will have a clearer picture to report later this summer.
Losing faith in vaccinesBut the new UNICEF report finds another troubling trend that will need to be addressed by public health programs – a decline in people’s perception of the importance of vaccines.
Of the 55 countries surveyed, 52 showed a decline in vaccine confidence. The remaining three — China, India and Mexico — saw a rise in vaccine confidence.
“Given the context of backsliding and escalating outbreaks, we’re really concerned,” says Caprani.
There’s been a rise in misinformation about vaccines during the pandemic, she says, and that needs to be tackled both by social media platforms and health-care providers.
“At the country level,” adds Caprani, “it’s very important that parents, families and communities have access to reliable, strong, evidence-based information about the risks of illnesses like measles, polio, diphtheria, and about the benefits of vaccines.”
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