Surviving intimate terrorism

It is increasingly clear that America’s political institutions will not protect our democracy if the GOP regains power. Trump’s impeachment , the (eventual) transfer of power between administrations, and the current House select committee hearings are often cited as examples that our respective institutions can stand their ground and act as a bulwark against right-wing fascism . However, such institutions are only as ethical, productive, and robust as the stewards who are entrusted to maintain them. In our two-party system, the Republican Party counts as an institution (even if the party itself is a private entity) whose members are elected to public office to represent their constituents, defend the country, and uphold the Constitution. But how can a democracy survive when the GOP has been devoured by a right-wing extremist movement whose members are advancing Christian nationalism, promoting antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ conspiracy theories, and willing to purge and … [Read more...] about No, Our Institutions Didn’t Hold After Jan. 6—Just Look at the GOP

In early 2016, at the height of the refugee crisis in Europe, I travelled to Greece to set up Amna, an organisation which provides psychosocial care for people displaced by conflict. Our work began in a small village on the Greek-Macedonian border, where 15,000 refugees had been stranded by the recent EU/Turkey deal. The camp looked as if it had sprouted overnight. Children and families were stuck, with nowhere to go. There were no facilities. People burned garbage to keep warm and every small task, from having a shower to making a meal, was an ordeal for the people who had ended up there. Our aim was to set up a safe space. We weren’t offering anything other than a listening ear. We set up a tent and outside we put a simple invitation in several languages: “You are welcome to come in and talk to us.” On the first day, I held my breath. I wasn’t sure if anyone would come in when they had so much else to deal with. But to my surprise they did. First it was a few men, … [Read more...] about You’d need to have a heart of stone not to be moved by the stories of refugees

Formula 1’s rising popularity driven by Netflix series Formula 1 legends Sir Jackie Stewart and David Coulthard have urged Lewis Hamilton to ‘step aside’ and ‘retire’ from the sport to avoid the ‘pain’ of not being able to compete as he used to behind the wheel. Hamilton has struggled to adapt to Mercedes new W13 car in 2022 only finishing on the podium twice in nine races and has repeatedly been out-driven by teammate George Russell. He sits almost 100 points behind rival Max Verstappen in the standings and the Silver Arrows are still coming to terms with their car being the third-fastest on the grid. Stewart explained that he feels Hamilton is finding it difficult to handle the skill of his new teammate and doesn’t believe the seven-time wolrd champion can make it back to the top level of the sport saying: “He’s now struggling a little bit because he’s had a new teammate who’s been quicker than him in qualifying so far, which is gonna be difficult for him to handle. … [Read more...] about F1 news LIVE: Lewis Hamilton urged to step aside and retire from Formula 1

There are few true American dynasties. The Rockefellers, Mellons, Astors and DuPonts come to mind. The Gettys, too, are on that list. Founded by oil baron J. Paul Getty who moved under the radar until his "outing" as the richest American by Fortune magazine in 1957, the subsequent four generations of his family have been in the spotlight navigating fields from environmentalism to fashion to business, music, digital archives, arts, LGBTQ rights and politics. With five wives, the patriarch of the dynasty, J. Paul Getty, fathered four sons who lived to adulthood, and the family tree has flowered to some 19 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and 15 great-great-grandchildren. Family scandals and internal squabbles such as Getty's son Gordon's (unsuccessful) seven-year court challenge over the family trust in the 1960s and the kidnapping of his eldest grandson in 1973, as well as subsequent battles with drug addiction, depression, adultery and internal squabbles over the sale of … [Read more...] about The surprising Newsom, Pelosi and Harris ties with the Getty oil dynasty

In October, the residents of Newtok, Alaska, are expected to begin relocating because of climate change. And it’s not just the people who are moving. The town is packing up everything—including its school and airport —and starting over on higher ground nine miles away. Sitting between two rivers on the state’s southwestern coast, Newtok voted to move in 1996 , but governmental red tape and the project’s high cost, more than $100 million, have contributed to the delay. As rising tides claim their land and record-breaking heat melts the permafrost beneath their homes, Newtok’s 354 residents hope to complete their move by 2023. “We cannot wait anymore,” the village’s relocation coordinator told Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska in August . Residents of other Alaskan towns and villages may soon be saying something similar, if they aren’t already. Ninety-two miles east of Newtok, the 350 people who live in Napakiak are retreating from the Kuskokwim River, moving back their houses … [Read more...] about Nature Writing That Sees Possibility in Climate Change

A decade ago, Samantha (who requested a pseudonym to protect her privacy), 45, experienced a tragedy. Her husband was involved in a serious car accident that resulted in him becoming paralyzed from the neck down and permanently impotent. “Any other woman in my position could have left him when they knew they would never have a sex life again. But I stayed by his side because I love him,” she said. It wasn’t easy. “I mourned the loss of our sex life — not just the sex, but the intimacy that came with it,” she said. “There were times when I sat and cried my heart out.” Her husband was upset to see his wife struggling, so he suggested she find a friend with benefits. She contemplated the idea, but eventually decided not to do it. “I was worried that if I got a fuck buddy, feelings could become involved,” she said. “And if that happened, our relationship wouldn't survive.” Her marriage suffered regardless. The couple, who live in Australia, began sleeping in separate … [Read more...] about Male Sex Dolls: They’re Not Just For Sex, Actually

In the two years documentary filmmakers shadowed former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, the most jarring moment for them was in the kitchen of her Tucson, Arizona, home. As cameras were rolling, she and her husband, Sen. Mark Kelly, nonchalantly opened the freezer. Kelly grabbed a plastic container and revealed it holds the piece of Giffords' skull that had to be removed after she was shot. “This stays in here next to the empanadas and the sliced mango," Kelly said. Giffords' response was “Sera, sera," referencing the song “Que sera, sera” or “What will be, will be." The scene from the film is emblematic of Giffords' openness to reflect on but not languish in the 2011 shooting that changed her life. That desire is what led her to allow cameras into her life for two years — all as a pandemic was progressing. “For me it has been really important to move ahead, to not look back,” Giffords told The Associated Press while in Los Angeles to promote the film. “I hope others are … [Read more...] about Giffords documentary comes as gun debates stay center stage

Click here to read the full article. Ten projects by first- and second-time directors searching for European partners took the stage this week during the Transilvania Pitch Stop, one of the leading co-production and co-financing platforms for filmmakers from Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the wider Black Sea region. The forum’s ninth edition reflects a generation of up-and-coming filmmakers looking to find their voice through deeply personal storytelling, according to Dumitrana Lupu, who recently took over as the Transilvania Film Festival ’s head of industry. “People are really writing about their personal experiences,” she tells Variety . More from Variety Patra Spanou Film Acquires Paul Negoescu's Study of Modern Masculinity 'Men of Deeds' (EXCLUSIVE) Ukrainian Filmmakers 'Distraught' By Russian Presence in Transilvania Film Festival Competition Transilvania Festival Returns to Its 'True Spirit' With Provocative Selection: 'We Decided to Go Back to Our … [Read more...] about Emerging Filmmakers Bring Genre Twists to Transilvania Co-Production Forum

From the moment she was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016, Dame Deborah James has refused to give the disease an inch. When it moved to stage 4 and became incurable, the plucky former deputy head only dug her heels in further, ploughing on through rounds of agonising treatment - and managing to look fabulous at the same time! And now as Deborah cruelly faces the end of her life at the young age of 40, she's still as inspirational as ever. Not one to let a little thing like terminal cancer hold her back, since being discharged from hospital into at home hospice care she's been kicking goals like no other. And just like when she beat the eight per cent five-year survival odds, Deborah has once again laughed in the face of a grim prognosis, defying doctors who said she had just days left on May 9. Here, we take a look at the incredible star's amazing acts of bravery in the face of her most heartbreaking chapter yet. Putting her family first Deborah, pictured with … [Read more...] about Deborah James’ astounding acts of bravery and courageous plan for her final days

The man who allegedly planned the assassination attempt on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh over the leaked overturn of Roe v. Wade has pleaded not guilty in federal court. Earlier this month, police arrested California resident Nicholas John Roske, 26, near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s house in Maryland on Wednesday after he had allegedly traveled there to murder the sitting judge to protect Roe v. Wade . “A California man carrying at least one weapon near Brett M. Kavanaugh’s Maryland home has been taken into custody by police after telling officers he wanted to kill the Supreme Court justice,” reported the Washington Post at the time. “Two people familiar with the investigation said the initial evidence indicates the man was angry about the leaked draft of an opinion by the Supreme Court signaling that the court is preparing to overturn Roe. v. Wade ,” continued the Post. Police and court documents say that Roske had in his possession a Glock-17 pistol, a … [Read more...] about Man Who Allegedly Planned Kavanaugh Assassination Pleads Not Guilty