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CNN —Harry Belafonte, the dashing singer, actor and activist who became an indispensable supporter of the civil rights movement, has died, his publicist Ken Sunshine told CNN. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Belafonte, left, plays a school principal in a scene from the film "See How They Run" in 1952. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Belafonte poses with the Emmy Award he won in 1960 for the musical special "Tonight With Belafonte." Fred Sabine/NBCU/Getty Images Belafonte and other recipients of Albert Einstein Commemorative Awards display their medallions after being honored in 1972. He is survived by his wife Pamela, his children Adrienne Belafonte Biesemeyer, Shari Belafonte, Gina Belafonte, David Belafonte, two stepchildren Sarah Frank and Lindsey Frank and eight grandchildren.

☆ Harry Belafonte, 96, Dies; Barrier-Breaking Singer, Actor and Activist
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Peter Keepnews | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

He provided money to bail Dr. King and other civil rights activists out of jail. His spacious apartment on West End Avenue in Manhattan became Dr. King’s home away from home. The suit was settled the next year, with Mr. Belafonte retaining possession.) In an interview with The Washington Post a few months after Dr. King’s death, Mr. Belafonte expressed ambivalence about his high profile in the civil rights movement. In Atlanta for a benefit concert for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1962, Mr. Belafonte was twice refused service in the same restaurant.

The Supreme Court temporarily halted court orders that would have impacted the availability of an abortion drug. A Supreme Court decision Friday to keep available — for now — the widely used abortion pill mifepristone was met with relief from one side of the debate, disappointment from the other and a vow from both to keep fighting. Maura Healey of Massachusetts called the court’s decision a “victory” for abortion patients and providers. While statements of muted celebration poured in from elected Democrats and groups supporting abortion rights, comment from Republicans and anti-abortion groups was noticeably sparser. Attorney General Andrew Bailey of Missouri, who opposes abortion, said through a spokesman that the decision was a disappointment.

☆ Trump is privately warning religious leaders that Republicans risk 'losing big' over abortion stance, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Donald Trump tells religious leaders that Republicans risk "losing big" due to its abortion stance. Three sources told the outlet that they heard Trump complain that the GOP is "getting killed on abortion." Trump has previously blamed Republicans' handling of the "abortion issue" for the party's poor performance in the 2022 midterm elections. During recent off-the-record meetings with religious leaders, Trump has tried to emphasize his previous anti-abortion record and framed himself as the "most pro-life" president in US history. There has been no bigger advocate for the movement than President Trump," he said.

☆ Protesters shout down Macron on visit to the Netherlands
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Christian Levaux | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

THE HAGUE, April 11 (Reuters) - Anger against an unpopular pension reform in France followed President Emmanuel Macron to the Netherlands where protesters interrupted a speech he was giving on Tuesday at the start of a two-day state visit. Other protesters in the audience targeted the pension law and climate change, while one displayed a banner that read: "President of violence and hypocrisy". During his speech, he defended the pension law, which will delay retirement age by two years to 64. "I will pass (retirement age) from 62 to 64," he said, speaking in English. "When I compare, they (French protesters) should be less angry with me, because in your country it's much higher, and in a lot of countries in Europe, it's much higher than 64."

☆ Iowa's GOP AG has stopped funding for emergency contraception and abortion for victims of sexual assault, say reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Iowa AG Office has paused funding emergency contraception and abortion for victims of sexual assault. The Iowa decison comes as abortion access across the US may become even more inaccessible. Under Iowa's previous Democrat attorney general, Tom Miller, the state provided funding for Plan B – the emergency contraceptive pill – and in rare cases, paid for abortions. However, it was announced on Saturday that Republican Attorney General Brenna Bird, elected last fall, had decided to pause the funding. JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty ImagesThe move comes as abortion access across the US may become even more inaccessible.

April 7 (Reuters) - The federal judge who on Friday suspended approval of the abortion pill mifepristone is a former Christian legal activist whose small courthouse in Amarillo, Texas, has become a go-to destination for conservatives challenging Biden administration policies. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of former Republican President Donald Trump, had a long track record of opposing abortion and LGBTQ rights before the U.S. Senate confirmed him in 2019 to a life-tenured position as a federal judge. FAVORED VENUESince then, his courthouse has become a favored venue for conservative legal activists and Republican state attorneys general pursuing lawsuits seeking to halt aspects of Democratic President Joe Biden's agenda - often with success. In October, Kacsmaryk vacated Biden administration guidance requiring employers to allow transgender workers to dress and use bathrooms consistent with their gender identities. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi, Bill Berkrot and Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A teacher who refused to call trans students by their preferred names because of his Christian beliefs can't have his job back, says court
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A US court has ruled that a high school did not violate the First Amendment rights of a music teacher. John Kluge refused on religious grounds to use transgender students' preferred names. "Kluge "stigmatized" transgender students, causing them "demonstrable emotional harm," said a judge. Music teacher John Kluge refused to use the student's preferred name and pronouns due to his Christian religious beliefs, according to a civil complaint filed in 2019, which said Kluge "believes encouraging students to present themselves as the opposite sex by calling them an opposite-sex first name is sinful." Students and fellow teachers complained, and the decision was reversed, according to court filings.

Pool via REUTERSApril 8 (Reuters) - The federal judge who on Friday suspended approval of the abortion pill mifepristone is a former Christian legal activist whose small courthouse in Amarillo, Texas, has become a go-to destination for conservatives challenging Biden administration policies. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of former Republican President Donald Trump, had a long track record of opposing abortion and LGBTQ rights before the U.S. Senate confirmed him in 2019 to a life-tenured position as a federal judge. When anti-abortion groups in November filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's more than two-decade old approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, they filed in Amarillo, guaranteeing the case would be heard by Kacsmaryk. FAVORED VENUESince then, his courthouse has become a favored venue for conservative legal activists and Republican state attorneys general pursuing lawsuits seeking to halt aspects of Democratic President Joe Biden's agenda - often with success. While the district's chief judge could order cases be reallocated, he has not.

Circuit Court of Appeals said. Kluge said his Christian religious beliefs barred him from complying with a school policy requiring faculty to use students' preferred names and pronouns. Federal law only requires employers to accommodate workers' religious beliefs if it would not cause them an undue hardship. The 7th Circuit on Friday disagreed, upholding an Indiana federal judge's ruling that dismissed the case. "Kluge's last-names-only practice stigmatized the transgender students and caused them demonstrable emotional harm," Circuit Judge Ilana Rovner wrote for the court.

☆ Ancient Egyptian zodiac symbols were found in a temple after archaeologists cleared away 2,000 years' worth of grime
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ancient Egyptian star signs were found under a thick layer of soot and dust in the Temple of Esna. The colors in the full set of Egyptian zodiac symbols are vivid after being protected by the grime. The set is just one of three full sets of ancient Egyptian zodiac signs uncovered in Egyptian temples, said Dr. Daniel von Recklinghausen, a Tübingen Egyptologist who worked on the project. These zodiac symbols were uncovered in the latest series of renovations, which revealed the designs in brilliant colors. Ancient Egyptians adopted astrology late in their reignThese symbols show the decans, which are zodiac symbols representing the 12 hours of the night.

UFC 286 will stream live on March 18, with the main card starting at 5 p.m. How to watch UFC 286You can watch the main event of UFC 286 on ESPN+ at 5 p.m. Ways to save on the UFC 286 pay-per-view priceIf you're signing up for ESPN+ to watch UFC 286, you can take advantage of a special discounted bundle. New members can buy a year-long ESPN+ membership with access to UFC 286 included for a total of $124.98. Here's the fight card for UFC 286: Edwards vs. UsmanESPNEarly Prelims — 12:30 p.m.

"The amount of energy BEVs need is so enormous that I see a strain on our grid that ultimately it can't fulfill." Daimler Truck will invest up to 15 billion euros ($16 billion) on fuel cells over the next decade, Daum said. Symbio, which supplies fuel cells for Stellantis vans, expects global fuel cell vehicle sales to reach 2 million units annually by 2030 and wants a 10% share. Both General Motors (GM) (GM.N) and Toyota (7203.T) are testing fuel cells for larger vehicles including semi-trucks and trains to build scale and lower costs. While Volkswagen is not currently investing in fuel cells, it has hundreds of patents around the technology.

"It's judge shopping on steroids," said Sarah Lipton-Lubet, executive director of the progressive legal advocacy group Take Back the Court. The Biden administration has called the lawsuit "unprecedented" and urged Kacsmaryk to not deprive women of a long-approved safe and effective drug. At least eight have led to rulings blocking Biden policies, with several more pending. The chief judges of Texas federal courts have the authority to reallocate cases to other judges, but have largely not done so, he said. Absent a change, litigants have every right to take advantage of that structure to seek a favorable judge, he said.

☆ Jason Miller returns as Trump advisor for campaign struggling to generate much excitement compared to 2016
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jason Miller will advise Donald Trump on the strategy of his 2024 presidential bid. He previously left the Trump campaign to become CEO of the right-wing social media platform Gettr. Miller is joining a team that is struggling to generate the same excitement as past campaigns. "It was always a matter of when and not if I returned to help re-elect President Trump in 2024," Miller said in a statement, per Politico. Former Trump White House press aide Sarah Matthews described the campaign launch in a tweet as "low-energy" and "uninspiring."

☆ Pope Francis says laws criminalising LGBT people are a 'sin' and an injustice
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Sunday that laws criminalising LGBT people are a sin and an injustice because God loves and accompanies people with same-sex attraction. Persons with homosexual tendencies are children of God. Criminalising people with homosexual tendencies is an injustice," Francis said. He noted that the Catholic Church's catechism, or book of teachings, says same-sex attraction is not a sin but homosexual acts are. Francis mentioned his now-famous phase from soon after he became pope in 2013 that he could not judge people with same-sex tendencies who are seeking God.

[1/6] People wait before Pope Francis arrives for a meeting with priests, deacons, consecrated persons and seminarians at the Cathedral of Saint Therese during his apostolic journey, in Juba, South Sudan, February 4, 2023. REUTERS/Yara NardiJUBA, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Church of Scotland Moderator will meet people displaced by war in South Sudan and hear their stories on Saturday in one of the high points of their visit to the struggling African nation. South Sudan, the world's newest country, broke away from Sudan in 2011 but plunged into civil war in 2013 with ethnic groups turning on each other. There are 2.2 million internally displaced people in South Sudan, out of a total population of about 11.6 million, and another 2.3 million have fled the country as refugees, according to the United Nations. In his own speech, Kiir said his government was firmly committed to consolidating peace in South Sudan.

☆ Protect, advance women for a better South Sudan, pope says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A United Nations report on South Sudan issued last March condemned widespread sexual violence against women and girls in conflict and said it was "fuelled by systemic impunity". South Sudan broke away from Sudan in 2011 but plunged into civil war in 2013 with ethnic groups turning on each other. The pope responded by calling on everyone in South Sudan "to ensure that women are protected, respected, valued and honoured". Francis said that if women are given opportunities "they will have the ability to change the face of South Sudan, to give it a peaceful and cohesive development!" About 10% of 15-year-old girls and 52% of 18-year-old girls in South Sudan are married, she said.

Summary Pope received vibrant welcome in KinshasaAddressed DR Congo's struggles with war, exploitationNow heads to predominantly Christian South SudanArchbishop of Canterbury joins for South Sudan legKINSHASA, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Pope Francis wraps up an emotional visit to Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday and heads to neighbouring South Sudan, another nation struggling to overcome decades of conflict and grinding poverty. On Wednesday, he heard harrowing stories from victims of conflict in eastern Congo who had witnessed the killings of close relatives and been subjected to sexual slavery, amputation and forced cannibalism. The pope will be joined for the whole of his visit to South Sudan by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, leader of the global Anglican Communion, and by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields. It is the first joint foreign trip by the three Christian leaders, who have called it a "pilgrimage of peace". South Sudan broke away from Sudan to become independent in 2011 after decades of north-south conflict, but civil war erupted in 2013.

Congo has some of the world's richest mineral deposits, but its abundant resources have stoked conflict between ethnic groups, militias, government troops and foreign invaders. He led the stadium in an impromptu chant of "no to corruption" in French, Congo's lingua franca. "The pope is right," said Joel Muhemereri Amani, 21, an art student. The United Nations says African economies lose nearly $150 billion to corruption each year. The 86-year-old pope, who arrived in Congo on Tuesday, flies to neighbouring South Sudan on Friday.

☆ Lebanese MPs denounce top prosecutor's moves against judge probing port blast
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Aziz Taher/File PhotoBEIRUT, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Some 40 Lebanese lawmakers on Friday became the latest group to back the judge investigating the catastrophic 2020 Beirut port blast and call for the country's top prosecutor to be held accountable for steps taken against the judge and his probe. Judge Tarek Bitar on Monday resumed his probe into the blast that killed more than 220 people after a 13-month suspension caused by legal wrangling and high-level political pressure. He issued charges against senior security, political and judicial officials, including top public prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat. It said judges who have "sold themselves in service of political authorities" should resign and be held accountable. The Beirut Bar Association, representing lawyers, said that Oueidat's decisions "constituted an abuse of power and a violation of the law".

Rooted in the Middle Ages, the Binche carnival, a UNESCO World Heritage event, is one of Europe's oldest surviving street carnivals and the biggest in Belgium. The costumes include ostrich-feather hats, wooden clogs, bells and wax masks, elements which the Kersten family have been designing and making for five generations. "This year, we are celebrating the 120th anniversary of the start of the 'Gilles de Binche' costumes production", said 57-year-old Fanny Kersten, who has been making costumes with her father for 33 years. The Binche carnival's cancellation in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic was a "black hole" for the business, Kersten said, adding "we couldn't even imagine a future for the carnival." It was the first time the carnival was cancelled since World War Two, significantly reducing costume makers' income from renting out their pieces.

☆ Donald Trump accused evangelical leaders of disloyalty for not yet endorsing his 2024 presidential bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former President Donald Trump accused evangelical leaders of disloyalty for not yet endorsing him in 2024. Evangelical Christian leaders appear to be holding back on supporting Trump for the GOP nomination. In October, Trump praised evangelicals for being more "appreciative" of his work than American Jews. During an interview on the right-wing fringe network Real America's Voice, Trump was asked about the lack of endorsements from evangelical leaders for his 2024 presidential campaign. In 2021, Trump also told an Israeli journalist that "evangelical Christians love Israel more than the Jews in this country."

☆ On King’s holiday, daughter calls for bold action over words
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Bernice King, who leads The King Center in Atlanta, said leaders — especially politicians — too often cheapen her father’s legacy into a “comfortable and convenient King” offering easy platitudes. The service, organized by the center and held at Ebenezer annually, headlined observances of the 38th federal King holiday. ... A prophetic word calls for an inconvenience because it challenges us to change our hearts, our minds and our behavior,” Bernice King said. At Ebenezer, Warnock, who has led the congregation for 17 years, hailed his predecessor’s role in securing ballot access for Black Americans. But, like Bernice King, the senator warned against a reductive understanding of King.

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