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☆ A Nevada Air Force base planned a drag show to celebrate Pride Month. Pentagon leaders said no.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Pentagon canceled a drag show scheduled for the first day of Pride Month at a Nevada Air Force base. Defense Department officials told the Air Force base their Thursday show couldn't take place, NBC News first reported, citing two defense officials and a US official. Representatives for Nellis Air Force Base and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. "Drag queen story hours is not something that the department funds," Austin told the committee at the time, NBC News reported. "Consistent with Secretary Austin's congressional testimony, the Air Force will not host drag events at its installations or facilities.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Mark Milley, Austin, —, Milley, Lawanda Jackson, CoCo Montrese, Carnie, Carnie Asada, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz Organizations: Pentagon, Nevada Air Force, NBC, Service, Privacy, Nellis Air Force Base, Pride, . Defense Department, Air Force, NBC News, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Austin, Nellis, Representatives, Facebook, Florida Rep, Armed Services Committee, Nellis Air Force, Twitter Locations: Nevada, Vegas, Austin

☆ Lawmakers are infuriated with Fed's inaction in its insider trading investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Congressional lawmakers grilled Federal Reserve Inspector General Mark Bialek Wednesday over possible insider trading among Fed officials in 2020, accusing the nation’s central bank of inaction. The heads of the Boston and Dallas Federal Reserve banks retired early in 2021 after trades they made before and during the pandemic came to light. Bialek told lawmakers there was no conflict of interest and that he was still able to conduct fair, independent investigations. This is not acceptable.”The Office of Inspector General declined to comment Wednesday night. A separate Fed investigation into SVB’s collapse, not involving Bialek, faulted Fed supervisors.

☆ The trans soccer team that’s making history
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Hannah Ryan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

On the rainy evening of March 31, 2023, he captained what he says is the first ever all trans masculine soccer team in Europe in a match. “I was quite nervous before the match,” Webber told CNN. They now also aim to make soccer a more inclusive sport and connect the trans community. “After the all trans feminine team played their game and once I’d played with the all-gender team, she took me aside and said she’d been thinking about what we could do next and asked if I’d be interested in captaining an all trans masc team,” Webber said. “One day, there’ll be hundreds of trans people playing football all over the country at all levels.”

☆ Drag queens and the long, vibrant history of drag in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Barbara Alper/Getty ImagesDrag has become increasingly visible in recent years through mainstream shows like “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and popular public events such as drag brunches, drag bingo and drag queen story hours, in which drag performers read children’s books to young audiences, often at libraries. Some trans drag queens who received hormone injections were “strongly deplored by stage impersonators who (said) that the whole point of female impersonation depends on maleness,” Newton wrote. But “Drag Race” has also skewed viewers’ definition of drag – no drag kings have ever competed on the series, Testa noted, and the judges have long imposed somewhat traditional beauty standards upon contestants. Pickle reads from a book during the Drag Queen Story Hour program at a Los Angeles library in 2019. These lawmakers falsely claim that drag performers “groom” or sexualize children, of which there is also no evidence.

☆ U.S. judge in Texas will soon rule on the abortion pill mifepristone. Here's what could happen
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The Alliance For Hippocratic Medicine wants Judge Kacsmaryk to nullify the FDA's medical approval of mifepristone, which would effectively ban the abortion pill across the US. Senate Judiciary Committee | YouTubeA Texas judge will soon issue a pivotal ruling in a closely watched case challenging the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. It's also possible that Kacsmaryk could order the agency to impose tighter restrictions on access to mifepristone but stop short of completely halting sales. Abortion rights groups and legal experts expect the judge will rule against the FDA in some form. Possible injunctionIf Kacsmaryk issues an order to withdraw mifepristone from the market, there are several ways such a ruling could be drafted.

☆ The US Navy is changing the name of a warship to honor a former slave who escaped to freedom on a stolen Confederate ship
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The ship, formally known as USS Chancellorsville, will be named USS Robert Smalls. Robert Smalls was born into slavery but went on to become a prominent sailor and politician. Del Toro on Monday said he is "proud" to rename the ship after Robert Smalls. "Robert Smalls is a man who deserves a namesake ship and with this renaming, his story will continue to be retold and highlighted." The USS Chancellorsville was commissioned in 1989 and is assigned to Carrier Strike Group Five in Japan, although it is scheduled to leave active service in 2026.

Police officers involved in the deaths have become an intense focus of investigation, protest, and media coverage. Despite being at the heart of some of the most defining incidents in modern policing, most of the officers involved continue to live their lives under the radar. Insider's review of 72 cops involved in two dozen of the most notorious police killings of the past 30 years shows the many different paths officers have taken. There's no nationwide view into what happens to officers involved in egregious incidents of violence. In rare cases, cops involved in these killings have tried to publicly rehabilitate their image rather than seek out anonymity.

☆ British police investigate whether murder of trans girl was a hate crime
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LIVERPOOL, England, Feb 14 (Reuters) - British police on Tuesday said they were investigating whether the murder of a transgender teenage girl in north-west England at the weekend was a hate crime, ahead of a planned vigil in her memory. Police arrested two teenagers on Saturday on suspicion of murder after the body of 16-year-old Brianna Ghey was found on a path in a village near Warrington, 200 miles north-west of London. Police initially said there was no evidence to suggest the circumstance's around Ghey's death were hate related. "All lines of enquiry are being explored, including whether this was a hate crime," Cheshire Police said. LGBTQ campaign group Stonewall UK said "our thoughts are with Brianna Ghey, a young trans woman, and her loved ones, following her tragic murder in Cheshire."

☆ The Proud Boys crashed my story hour: A drag king recounts a joyful but 'terrifying' showdown at a NYC library
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Proud Boys protested Drag Story Hours on 18 occasions across the US last year, new data shows. 'Oliver H,' a NYC drag king, read to 50 kids during 2022's 'terrifying' but joyful final protest. Outside the library, some three-dozen Proud Boys, neo-Nazis, and religious activists were shouting "groomer!" Drag performer Oliver H prepares for Drag Story Hour at Queens Public Library in Jackson Heights on December 29, 2022. See Insider's interactive US map of what happened each of the 53 times the Proud Boys joined or led anti-LGBTQ+ protests last year.

☆ Anti-LGBTQ+ protests are at an all-time high. A Proud Boys war on drag is a big reason why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Once a week on average in 2022, Proud Boys joined or led anti-LGBTQ+ protests held across the US. Proud Boys joined in seven anti-LGBTQ+ protests in September, 10 in October and 6 in November. In December, they protested at 13 anti-LGBTQ+ protests, more than in any other month last year, ACLED data shows. And the group's anti-LGBTQ+ push is continuing, said Kaufman, who tracks the Proud Boys' estimated 119 chapters in 46 states. Proud Boys are turning up these days at nearly half of all anti-LGBTQ+ activity across the country, she told Insider.

☆ Bed Bath & Beyond just missed another debt payment. See the full list of stores it will close, including Harmon and Buybuy Baby locations.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Avery Hartmans | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

In addition to 87 more Bed Bath & Beyond stores, the company now says it will close all of its remaining Harmon health and beauty stores, and five Buybuy Baby stores. San Leandro: 15555 East 14th St., Suite 24015555 East 14th St., Suite 240 Burbank: 201 East Magnolia Blvd. Marina: 117 General Stilwell Drive117 General Stilwell Drive Vallejo: 105 Plaza Drive, Suite 107105 Plaza Drive, Suite 107 * Palm Desert: 72459 Highway 11172459 Highway 111 * Visalia: 3125 South Mooney Blvd. Arterial * Coralville: 2515 Corridor Way Suite 5Kansas:Lawrence: 3106 S. Iowa St., Suite 2153106 S. Iowa St., Suite 215 Manhattan: 425 3rd Place425 3rd Place * Olathe: 15335 W. 119th St.Kentucky:Elizabethtown: 1998 N. Dixie Ave.1998 N. Dixie Ave. New Hartford: 4805 Commercial Drive4805 Commercial Drive Kingston: 1187 Ulster Ave.1187 Ulster Ave. Plattsburgh: 73 Centre Drive, Suite 10073 Centre Drive, Suite 100 Farmingdale: 251 Airport Plaza Blvd.

☆ Church of England apologises to LGBTQI+ people for 'shameful' treatment
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Muvija M | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Church of England refuses to allow same-sex marriagesLeader of the church: 'It's a long journey'LGBTQ+ campaign group says church not inclusive enoughLONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Church of England bishops apologised to LGBTQI+ people on Friday for the rejection and hostility they have faced, with the Archbishop of Canterbury acknowledging that the religious body was still "very divided" on the subject. The Church of England, central to one of the world's oldest Christian institutions, the Anglican communion, stood by its teaching that marriage is between "one man and one woman" in the proposals. A spokesperson for gay and transgender lobby group Stonewall said the Church of England had "once again" fallen short on being inclusive and supportive of LGBTQ+ Christians. The Church of England and the Anglican Communion are very divided," Welby told reporters on Friday, ahead of a meeting of the synod next month where the proposals will be deliberated further. But this is an enormously important point, not only within the Anglican Communion and the Church of England, but also across the global church," he added.

☆ Biden's classified records mistakes are serious and so far largely unexplained
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The closet where Biden's lawyers found classified documents was inside of a shared "general suite." A second batch of classified documents was discovered by aides at a separate location Biden had used, NBC News reported on Wednesday. He expressed concern about the two-month delay between Biden's lawyers discovering the documents and the White House's public announcement. Trump repeatedly (and foolishly) tried to stonewall Archives and the FBI, which then discovered additional records in the August search; Biden's lawyers say they are cooperating. Ozio confirmed that the Penn Biden Center shared a "general suite" with another Penn entity that uses the same address.

☆ Bed Bath & Beyond is closing dozens of stores in 2023 — see the full list
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Bed Bath & Beyond released an updated list of store closures set to take place by March. San Leandro: 15555 East 14th St., Suite 24015555 East 14th St., Suite 240 Burbank: 201 East Magnolia Blvd. ArterialKansas:Lawrence: 3106 S. Iowa St., Suite 2153106 S. Iowa St., Suite 215 Manhattan: 425 3rd PlaceKentucky:Elizabethtown: 1998 N. Dixie Ave.1998 N. Dixie Ave. New Hartford: 4805 Commercial Drive4805 Commercial Drive Kingston: 1187 Ulster Ave.1187 Ulster Ave. Plattsburgh: 73 Centre Drive, Suite 10073 Centre Drive, Suite 100 Farmingdale: 251 Airport Plaza Blvd. Wisconsin:Mequon: 11110 N. Port Washington RoadPuerto Rico:Bayamon: Plaza Del Sol, 725 West Main Ave.Do you work for Bed Bath & Beyond?

☆ 2 years after the Jan. 6 insurrection, election deniers are still in the building — and holding the speakership hostage
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A group of 20 ultra-conservative Republicans continues to stonewall his leadership ambitions. More than half denied the 2020 election result and a handful are mentioned in the now-dissolved January 6 committee's report. But several of the political personalities at the heart of that attack are the same ones now holding the speakership hostage. All three lawmakers denied allegations that they were involved in planning the event. Meanwhile, the FBI seized the phone of Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania in August of last year.

☆ The Year in Pictures 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +57 min

Every year, starting in early fall, photo editors at The New York Times begin sifting through the year’s work in an effort to pick out the most startling, most moving, most memorable pictures. But 2022 undoubtedly belongs to the war in Ukraine, a conflict now settling into a worryingly predictable rhythm. Erin Schaff/The New York Times “When you’re standing on the ground, you can’t visualize the scope of the destruction. Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 25. We see the same images over and over, and it’s really hard to make anything different.” Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb 26.

☆ Confederate monument set to be removed from Virginia capital
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

RICHMOND, Va. — Work to relocate Richmond’s final city-owned Confederate monument should start this week after a judge refused a request to delay the removal of the statue of Gen. A.P. The city, a onetime capital of the Confederacy, began removing its many other Confederate monuments more than two years ago amid the racial justice protests that followed George Floyd’s murder. The monument of confederate General A.P. But efforts to remove the Hill statue have been complicated because the general’s remains were buried beneath the monument in 1891. In the most recent hearing, Cheek denied their motion to stay the removal of the Hill monument while the descendants press an appeal with the Virginia Court of Appeals.

Come next year, Democrats will have unilateral subpoena power in many committees to compel investigative targets to provide documents and testimony — without needing GOP support. “Our committees will have greater oversight ability, subpoena power. Subpoena power can deal with corporate corruption and inequities, and other problems throughout the country,” he said. “And if using subpoena power becomes necessary, then that’s something we can do.”Other Democrats floated industries that could be the targets of the party's subpoena powers. “But having subpoena power for CEOs and billionaires who think they don’t have to come to Congress to explain themselves will be very valuable.”

☆ NYC honors historic gay bar with landmark status
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Zachary Schermele | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

One of the earliest sites of gay rights activism is officially New York City’s newest landmark. Located at 159 West 10th St., just a short walk from fellow historic gay bar Stonewall Inn, Julius’ has been open since the 1860s. It started attracting gay patrons in the mid-20th century, and, according to the conservation nonprofit group Village Preservation, it’s the city’s oldest existing gay bar. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016 for its significance in the gay rights movement. A photo of the moment went down in gay rights history.

☆ Man who helped stop the Colorado LGBTQ club shooting says he did it for 'family'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dennis-Romero-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Dennis Romero | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A second man who helped put an end to the deadly mass shooting in Colorado this month broke his silence Sunday, describing his actions as a defense of "family" at the LGBTQ nightclub and beyond. James, who has been stabilized at Centura Health's Penrose Hospital, subdued the suspect, helped disarm him and held him for authorities alongside decorated Army veteran Richard Fierro, 45, of Colorado Springs, Fierro and authorities said. Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez described Fierro and James at a news conference the day after the attack as "the two heroes who intervened inside of Club Q." James said nearly the same thing in his statement Sunday, but his definition of family seemed to be more inclusive. "Thankfully, we are family, and family looks after one another," he said.

Soccer’s global governing body has found itself at loggerheads with seven European nations over the threat of sanctions for any player wearing a “OneLove” armband during games. Kane (right) wears the "OneLove" armband during the Nations League game between England and Italy on September 23. So that’s why we chose to do this.”Belgian Foreign Affairs Minister Hadja Lahbib wears a "OneLove" armband in the stands. Germany's players pose with their hands covering their mouths prior to their World Cup game against Japan. The “OneLove” armband is not the only instance of attire being scrutinized at the World Cup.

☆ After Club Q attack, LGBT venues grapple with safety concerns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Jonathan Allen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Kendall Allen holds a sign as she attends a vigil with her wife Kaycie Franks after a mass shooting at the Club Q LGBTQ nightclub, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S., November 21, 2022. Those bars and other LGBT spaces around the country are again weighing how to keep their staff and patrons safe after a gunman killed five people and injured 17 more at an LGBT club in Colorado Springs. "It was definitely an eye-opening moment," said Eric Sosa, co-owner of C'mon Everybody and Good Judy in New York City. But as queer venues grapple with safety, several LGBT activists and club owners said no amount of security personnel or technology would protect them from the anti-LGBT rhetoric they blame for stoking such violence. Raimo still performs for adults, including a drag bingo night he was hosting on Tuesday at a Nashville gay bar.

☆ British comedian Joe Lycett did not shred $11,000 over David Beckham’s role as Qatar World Cup ambassador
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Zayn Nabbi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Lycett said he did not receive a response from Beckham, which led to him sharing a video of himself appearing to shred the money. A report from Human Rights Watch (HRW) published in October documented alleged cases of beatings and sexual harassment while in detention. According to victims interviewed by Human Rights Watch, security forces allegedly forced transgender women to attend conversion therapy sessions at a “behavioral healthcare” center sponsored by the government. The world is watching,” said Rasha Younes of Human Rights Watch. The World Cup got underway on Sunday, with host Qatar losing 2-0 to Ecuador.

TEHRAN–Iran said Thursday it has built a hypersonic missile capable of penetrating any air-defense system, as the United Nations atomic agency reported that Tehran continues to stonewall its investigation into Iranian nuclear activities. As senior officials lashed out at Tehran’s neighbors and other foreign foes they accuse of fomenting protests sweeping across the country, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh said the new missile could maneuver both inside and outside the atmosphere, according to state media. He provided no evidence to support the claims.

☆ Two Florida medical boards advance ban on gender-affirming care for minors
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Zachary Schermele | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Florida’s state medical boards voted Friday afternoon to approve the language of a first-of-its-kind rule banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors who don’t already receive it. The rule updates the medical standards of practice in the state to mostly prohibit health care professionals from starting treatment for gender dysphoria in those younger than 18. Gender dysphoria refers the stress and discomfort some experience when their gender identity doesn’t match their sex assigned at birth. The measure bans the prescription of puberty blockers or hormone therapy to new patients who are minors, and it forbids gender-affirming surgeries. In a statement Friday, Equality Florida said once the rule goes into effect, it will be the only ban in the country of gender-affirming care for minors instituted by a state medical board.

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