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'Rust' shooting lawsuits motivated by money

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'Rust' shooting lawsuits motivated by money

Alec Baldwin is speaking out about the slew of lawsuits filed over the fatal shooting on the set of his film “Rust,” suggesting that those suing are only after money.

Multiple lawsuits have been filed, including by the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was shot and killed last October when a prop gun wielded by Baldwin went off. Brian Panish, a lawyer for the victim’s husband of 16 years and the couple’s 9-year-old son Andros, has accused Baldwin and the film’s producers of “major breaches of industry protocols” that “led to the senseless and tragic death of Halyna Hutchins.”

But at Boulder International Film Festival on Saturday, Baldwin said those who have filed lawsuits are targeting “people that they think are deep pocket litigants” instead of suing people responsible for the misfire.

“Their attitude is ‘Oh, the people who likely seem negligent have no money, and the people who have money are not negligent. But we’re not going to let that stop us from doing what we need to do in terms of litigation,’ ” the actor said in a video of his festival appearance published by CNN on Sunday. “Why sue people if you’re not going to get money? That’s what you’re doing it for.”

Baldwin also deflected blame for the incident, insisting he was following appropriate safety protocol and that responsibility lies with those in charge of checking the prop gun before handing it to him. Director Joel Souza, who was also shot and injured in the incident, told investigators that guns on the set were checked first by armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and again by assistant director David Halls, who would hand the firearms to the actor using them. 

“All my career, without incident, I’ve relied on the safety experts there to declare the gun is safe and hand me the gun,” Baldwin said. “Never had a problem. And this happened, and, of course, to me, sometimes it’s so surreal I don’t even know what to say.”

‘I just felt so angry’: Halyna Hutchins’ husband wanted Alec Baldwin to accept responsibility

But Baldwin also noted he’s received support following the incident, saying that the “overwhelming majority” of people he’s encountered have “been very kind.” He also remembered Hutchins as a “lovely woman” and talented cinematographer. 

Baldwin added that he expects the entertainment industry to change its safety protocols regarding weapons moving forward.

“I was involved in a situation where somebody was killed. It’s changed my life, just in terms of the function of weapons in films and television,” he said. “They will probably in all likelihood eliminate nearly all live weapons … and they’ll CGI the explosion, and they’ll lay in the sound.”

Last month, Hutchins’ husband Matthew sat down for an interview with the “Today” show, in which he reacted to Baldwin saying he doesn’t feel guilt over the shooting.

“The idea that the person holding the gun, causing it to discharge, is not responsible is absurd to me,” Hutchins said in the interview. “But gun safety was not the only problem on that set. There were a number of industry standards that were not practiced and there’s multiple responsible parties.”

Alec Baldwin, ‘Rust’ sued for wrongful death by Halyna Hutchins’ family after fatal shooting

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The New Fashion Arrivals We’re Excited to Shop This Week

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The New Fashion Arrivals We’re Excited to Shop This Week

Cuup launched new additions to its best-selling swim collection, with two new hues (Fern, a deep green, and Orchid, a dark magenta) and a new brief bottom for mid-range coverage. The brand has become a favorite in the swim category primarily for its laser focus on fit. With spring ahead, this new range comes at a perfect time.

The Yellow World and TL180 have teamed up on a fun collection that includes a lurex dress and matching bolero cardigan, and ruched button-up shirts. The assortment is perfect for dressing up a pair of trousers for a day at work and a night out right afterward.

The Yellow World Lana cardigan

The Yellow World Lana dress

The Yellow World yellow shirt

The Yellow World chocolate shirt

Mugler and The Webster have teamed up on a capsule composed of Mugler’s instantly recognizable silhouettes but in shades of blush as an ode to The Webster’s signature hue of pink.

Mugler x The Webster Illusion sports bra

Mugler x The Webster sheer spiral leggings

Mugler x The Webster techno jersey corset dress

Mugler x The Webster Illusion shaping bodysuit

Judy Turner has been making a splash with inventive, fun, and polished designs. The latest from the brand just went on site, which includes exciting spring pieces like checkerboard printed knits and a hand-crocheted, made-to-order tank top.

Judy Turner Cicco crocheted paillette top

Judy Turner Noble track jacket

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Motorist allegedly plows into Polish embassy in DC amid tensions with Russia

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Motorist allegedly plows into Polish embassy in DC amid tensions with Russia

A motorist reportedly drove a car into the Polish embassy in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night.

A passerby said she did not witness the event but “heard a huge boom and saw smoke” from her apartment. The witness went on to say that the driver was still alive, as was the driver of another car that was involved in the wreck.

The cause of the wreck remained unclear, but the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia told Fox News Digital that the U.S. Secret Service had taken over the investigation into the incident. The U.S. Secret Service did not immediately respond to request for comment.

POLAND THROTTLES UP SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE WITH OFFER TO HAND OVER FIGHER JETS; PENTAGON PUMPS BRAKES

The crash came amid reports that the United States is sending two Patriot surface-to-air missile batteries to Poland amid tensions with Russia.

Poland offered to give its entire fleet of MiG-29 fighter jets to the U.S. in exchange for a chance to buy American F-16s as part of a deal to bolster the Ukrainian air force while upgrading the Poles’ with NATO aircraft.

“The authorities of the Republic of Poland, after consultations between the President and the Government, are ready to deploy – immediately and free of charge – all their MIG-29 jets to the Ramstein Air Base and place them at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America,” the Polish Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

“At the same time, Poland requests the United States to provide us with used aircraft with corresponding operational capabilities. Poland is ready to immediately establish the conditions of purchase of the planes.”

The Poles also requested any other NATO member countries that have MiGs of their own take similar action. Those may include Bulgaria and Slovakia.

Fox News’ Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.

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Fox News Poll: McCormick tops Dr. Oz in Pennsylvania GOP senate primary poll

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Fox News Poll: McCormick tops Dr. Oz in Pennsylvania GOP senate primary poll

Former hedge fund CEO David McCormick has a clear advantage in Pennsylvania’s Republican primary for U.S. Senate, including besting television celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz — although many primary voters remain undecided.

A Fox News survey of Pennsylvania GOP primary voters finds McCormick tops Oz by 9 points (24%-15%).  Others receive support in the single digits, including Kathy Barnette and Jeff Bartos (9% each), and Carla Sands (6%).  Nearly one-third (31%) are unsure which candidate they will support in the May 17 primary. 

However, McCormick’s lead is not rock solid: only 22% of his backers are certain they will support him at the ballot box, while 77% may change their mind.  Nearly twice as many Oz supporters, 40%, feel sure to back him (59% could change).

“McCormick has a lead and he’s running well across the state,” says Daron Shaw, a Republican who conducts the Fox News survey with Democrat Chris Anderson. “But the main feature of the contest right now is that Republican voters have not yet honed in on the candidates.”

DR. OZ SAYS COVID-19 ‘STEELED’ HIM TO RUN FOR OFFICE, CALLS ON FAUCI TO RESIGN

When choosing their senate candidate, more of these primary voters say economic (59%) and immigration issues (53%) will be “extremely” important to their decision than say the same about social issues (38%) or COVID-19 policies (29%). 

GOP Sen. Pat Toomey announced his retirement in Oct. 2020, creating the open seat.  Republican primary voters in the Keystone State have mixed feelings about him:  45% favorable vs. 41% unfavorable.  It’s notable that 15% of GOP primary voters are unable to rate the two-term senator.

PENNSYLVANIA SENATE CANDIDATE: I’M RUNNING TO CONTINUE TO SERVE VOTERS’

Former President Trump is much more popular, with 82% having a favorable view of him — including 65% feeling “strongly” positive. 

Primary voters who view Trump favorably are 28 points more likely to be interested in the upcoming election than those with a negative opinion of him (82% vs. 54%).

Trump hasn’t made another endorsement in the senate primary since his preferred candidate, Sean Parnell, dropped out last November. 

CLICK HERE FOR TOPLINE AND CROSSTABS RESULTS 

McCormick received endorsements from Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Trump’s former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Oz picked up the backing of Pennsylvania State Sen. Mike Regan in early March.

In the gubernatorial contest, there’s no clear front-runner to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf.  Four candidates receive double-digit support:  Lou Barletta (19%), Doug Mastriano (18%), Dave White (14%), and Bill McSwain (11%).  One-quarter (25%) are undecided.

Conducted March 2-6, 2022 under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes telephone interviews (landline and cellphone) with live interviewers among 960 Pennsylvania Republican primary voters and has an overall margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.  Randomly selected from a statewide voter file of registered Pennsylvania voters, respondents were screened to identify potential participants in the Republican primary elections.

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Europe must do more to end gender-based violence

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Europe must do more to end gender-based violence

Those of us working in European politics know how difficult it is to bring 27 member states together.

It is even more difficult in a political system that is still dominated by patriarchal structures, with latent misogynist tics that emerge now and then.

That is why we should not be surprised by Sofagate-type scenes in which European Commission President, Ursula Von der Leyen, is ignored and patronised by foreign leaders.

It is just the tip of the iceberg.

Unequal treatment is a daily reality for most women and even though we are improving in areas like equal pay and breaking the glass ceiling, the most brutal form of misogyny – gender-based violence – is often the most hidden, and therefore the hardest to eradicate.

In recent years, we have made important achievements for equality thanks to the tireless insistence of progressive forces.

We now have women heading the commission, the parliament, and the European Central Bank. We have a gender-balanced college of commissioners, and compulsory quotas for women on boards.

But we have some crucial unfinished business: a duty towards the most vulnerable women, those who are victims of violence just because they are women.

Every day seven women die in the EU as victims of gender-based violence, most often killed by their partners.

Between 12% and 15% of women live in hell on a daily basis. They don’t make the front pages but they need help to escape that circle of despair: they need psychological, financial, and judicial support.

For years, the Socialists and Democrats have been calling for a European strategy against gender-based violence, including a binding instrument.

This is why when our political group in the European Parliament backed the working programme of President Von der Leyen, we demanded a legislative proposal to end this scourge.

More than two years have passed and at last, the commission has announced that on 8 March it will present a directive to prevent and fight violence against women and domestic violence.

Due to the opposition of some governments in the council, we have not been able to include gender-based violence as a crime in Article 83 of the treaty.

Violence against women is a serious offence and it should be considered alongside human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of women and children.

The new directive will pay special attention to prevention, support, and protective measures. It should also oblige member states to ensure that violence by an intimate partner is a decisive factor when examining custody cases.

This directive is one more element in a global strategy in need of many other legal instruments, as well as other coordinated actions aimed at changing mentalities, exposing the injustice and anachronism of subordinating half of the world’s population, wasting their talents, and denying them their dignity.

We must tackle sexual harassment in new spheres, from sports – where we still see some outdated behaviour unacceptable in the 21st century – to the internet and new technologies, where women are 27 times more likely than men to face harassment.

This year on 8 March we will take one more step with the European directive, but we still have a long way to go in Europe, and in the world. We can’t forget the Afghan women, some of whose representatives I recently met with in Brussels and I promised we would keep up our support.

Neither can we forget the girls who are victims of genital mutilation or early arranged marriages.

At this time, our thoughts are especially with the women in war zones and our hearts are with both the Ukrainian women who decided to stay and fight for their country and those who have escaped, many with small children or elderly relatives, trying to find a safe refuge.

_Iratxe García Pérez is the president of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament. _

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Universal Music Group is suspending all operations in Russia

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Universal Music Group is suspending all operations in Russia

Universal Music Group have announced they are cutting ties with Russia, one of many companies to have shuttered their operations in the country since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine last month.

“Effective immediately, we are suspending all operations in Russia and closing our offices there. We urge an end to the violence in Ukraine as soon as possible,” reads a statement from Universal, as Variety reports.

“We are adhering to international sanctions and, along with our employees and artists, have been working with groups from a range of countries… to support humanitarian relief efforts to bring urgent aid to refugees in the region.”

According to Variety, a source has revealed that while the company’s staffers will continue to receive their salaries for an indeterminate amount of time, artists will likely see their recording activity frozen.

Universal are the latest business to announce their withdrawal from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, with the attack drawing widespread condemnation around the globe.

Earlier this month, Live Nation announced they would not be promoting shows in Russia or doing business with the country, saying in a statement they were joining “the world in condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”.

Spotify, meanwhile, shuttered its Moscow office in response to the invasion, and said it would restrict the discoverability of content owned and operated by Russian state-affiliated media. They stopped short of shutting off service to Russian users, saying they believe it’s “critically important to try to keep our service operational in Russia to allow for the global flow of information”.

One company who has suspended their service in Russia is Netflix, who shut down streaming in the country last week. “Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia,” commented a spokesperson at the time.

Meanwhile, artists including My Chemical Romance, Yungblud, Green Day, Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, Placebo and Russian rapper Oxxxmiron are among those who have cancelled planned shows in Russia in the fortnight since the invasion of Ukraine began.

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Alfa Romeo F1 team owner Sauber Group names new managing director

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Alfa Romeo F1 team owner Sauber Group names new managing director

Lawyer Alunni Bravi has been involved with the team as its general counsel and as a board member since 2017.

The Italian is also well known in the F1 paddock as the manager of former McLaren driver Stoffel Vandoorne, who is currently racing for Mercedes in Formula E, while he has also worked with current Alfa reserve driver Robert Kubica.

Previously he operated alongside Nicolas Todt at All Road Management, whose stable of drivers included Felipe Massa, Charles Leclerc and Pastor Maldonado.

He has also worked closely with current Alfa F1 boss Fred Vasseur as the legal advisor to the ART F2 and F3 operation since 2010.

Sauber says that Alunni Bravi will focus “on marketing, communications, sales, legal, IT and finance.”

The Swiss company has been keen to maintain the Sauber brand as a separate entity alongside the Alfa-badged F1 team, in order to emphasise that it is also an engineering and technology business, highlighted by its wind tunnel facility.

In 2021 the organisation was nearly sold to Michael Andretti, but main shareholder Finn Rausing was ultimately unwilling to let it go and opted to remain in charge.

Guanyu Zhou, Alfa Romeo C42

Photo by: Alfa Romeo

“Alessandro has been an integral part of the growth of our company, on and off the track, in the last few years,” said Vasseur.

“I am excited about the contribution he will make in his new position. Few can match his knowledge of motorsports with that of business and the complex legal landscape in which we operate, and this makes Alessandro the right person for this challenge.”

“It’s an honour to take on the challenge of being managing director of a company with the successful history that Sauber has,” said Alunni Bravi.

“I am also aware of the responsibility that this position brings towards the more than 500 people employed by Sauber, a commitment I will meet with hard work, passion and dedication.

“I’d like to thank Frederic Vasseur and the Sauber Group shareholders, as well as all those who have been by my side these last years, making it possible for me to achieve this next step. There is much work ahead but I’m excited to begin this new adventure.”

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This Is Us’ Kate and Toby Reach a Breaking Point as Divorce Looms

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This Is Us’ Kate and Toby Reach a Breaking Point as Divorce Looms

With every new episode of This Is Us, Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Toby (Chris Sullivan) inch closer to divorce, and the Pearsons were present to witness the latest setback for the couple.

The family gathered during the Tuesday, March 8, episode — titled “Taboo” — to celebrate Thanksgiving together at the cabin. Toby and Kate bickered from the moment they arrived, with one touchy topic being what they fed their kids.

In front of all the Pearsons, Kate confronted Toby during dinner about whether he feared their son, Jack, becoming overweight. He retorted that she acted like he wasn’t allowed to have an opinion about the kids because he moved away for work. Toby also accused Kate of being overly sensitive about everything he said to her. He told her he was not an absentee father and he worried about overfeeding Jack because of his and Kate’s weight issues.

Kate and Toby later acknowledged that they were having the same argument repeatedly — they were both upset that he was not around more often. Kate also noted that she didn’t want their kids to feel shame over what they ate, and she couldn’t believe that Toby didn’t know how much thought she put into their meals.

In other Thanksgiving drama, Rebecca (Mandy Moore) shared some of her final wishes with Kate, Kevin (Justin Hartley) and Randall (Sterling K. Brown). The matriarch wanted Miguel (Jon Huertas) to be the point person for her medical decisions if she could no longer make choices for herself. She selected Kate as the backup in case something happened to Miguel before her. Rebecca later explained that she picked Kate because her daughter was her best friend and had always been by her side.

Meanwhile, Kevin showed the family the construction site for the Pearson compound, which was set to include wings for each of the Big Three’s broods, a main suite for Rebecca and a guest house for her caretakers. Randall, for his part, struggled as he tried to preserve memories with Rebecca while she was still in good health. Rebecca ultimately told her children that they should not let her illness hold them back from living their lives to the fullest.

In a flashback, Rebecca and Miguel’s chemistry was apparent two years after Jack’s (Milo Ventimiglia) death, even though they were dating other people. Kevin (Logan Shroyer) warned Miguel not to act on his feelings, leading Miguel to announce to a heartbroken Rebecca that he was moving to Houston for work and to be closer to his kids.

This Is Us airs on NBC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.

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Behind the Scenes of Daisy Ridley’s Epic and Artsy Paris Fashion Week

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Behind the Scenes of Daisy Ridley’s Epic and Artsy Paris Fashion Week

Stella McCartney’s fall 2022 show was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The collection, unveiled at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, was a meeting of the minds between McCartney and art legend Frank Stella. Those lucky enough to snag a seat in the front row were treated to the sight of models walking through the building’s famous Renzo-Piano- and Richard-Rogers-designed clear tubes as British experimental band Jockstrap’s latest hit played in the background. For actress Daisy Ridley, that energy and atmosphere was half the fun. “My favorite part was just taking in the clothes with the music blaring and Paris as the most spectacular backdrop,” she shared post-event. 

Ridley, who returns to the big screen later this year in the indie drama, Sometimes I Think About Dying, entered the venue in style. Clad in dark sunglasses with her dark hair cropped into a pixie cut, she embraced a bold new look, accentuated by McCartney’s designs and styled by Samantha McMillen. With a colorful patterned trench from the brand’s pre-fall collection layered over her pleated dress and a pair of black cowboy boots completing the look, Ridley was modern and fresh. 

The luxurious wardrobe was a plus, but the highlight of the star’s trip was refreshingly down to earth. While in Paris, Ridley likes to grab a croissant, hit the streets, and work on her pronunciation. “I’m trying to speak French as much as possible—even though I’m not great,” says Ridley. “The Parisians I spoke to were amazingly patient!” 

Below, a glimpse into Ridley’s Paris experience from her high-tech pre-show beauty routine to taking in one of the week’s most artistic collections. 

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Californians may get tax rebate to combat soaring fuel prices.

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Californians may get tax rebate to combat soaring fuel prices.

As political leaders across the country scramble to address soaring gas prices, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California announced on Tuesday that he would seek to give residents relief.

“No one’s naïve about the moment we’re living in with high gas prices, and the geopolitical uncertainty fueling them,” he said in his annual State of the State address.

Inflation, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other factors have sent gas prices climbing, with the average price per gallon of regular unleaded fuel in California reaching $5.44 on Tuesday — the highest in the country and the most expensive ever recorded in the state, according to AAA.

Mr. Newsom noted that in January he proposed pausing a state gas tax increase that is supposed to go into effect in July. “But now, it’s clear we must go further,” he said.

The governor said he was working with lawmakers on “a proposal to put money back in the pockets of Californians to address rising gas prices.” According to the governor’s office, the relief would take the form of a tax rebate that would be introduced as quickly as possible.

The state is flush with cash and the governor, who is running for re-election this year, has been eager to ensure residents feel it in their bank accounts.

California consistently has some of the most expensive gas in the nation, in large part because of strict environmental standards. Mr. Newsom has sought to position the state as a leader in confronting climate change by setting aggressive emission reduction goals, planning to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars and calling for an end to its fossil fuel production.

On Tuesday, he reiterated his desire to move away from fossil fuels, not just as an environmental imperative but as a way of relying less on foreign oil producers, like Russia. Earlier in the day, President Biden announced a ban on importing Russian energy into the United States.

“We need to be fighting polluters, not bolstering them,” Mr. Newsom said, “and in the process of so doing, freeing us once and for all from the grasp of petro-dictators.”

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Attack on Turkish Restaurant Lands Two Men in Prison

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Attack on Turkish Restaurant Lands Two Men in Prison

Two California men were sentenced this week to federal prison terms for attacking five employees of a Turkish restaurant in Beverly Hills, Calif., in November 2020 because of their anger at Turkey’s support of Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia, federal prosecutors said on Tuesday.

The men, William Stepanyan, 23, of Glendale and Harry Chalikyan, 24, of the Los Angeles neighborhood of Tujunga, had each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of committing a hate crime, federal prosecutors said.

A federal judge on Monday sentenced Mr. Stepanyan to five years in prison and Mr. Chalikyan to 15 months, according to a statement from federal prosecutors. The men were also ordered by Judge Stephen V. Wilson of U.S. District Court to jointly pay $21,200 for damage to the Beverly Hills restaurant, officials said.

Prosecutors had sought a sentence of seven years for Mr. Stepanyan and nearly five years for Mr. Chalikyan, according to court documents. Prosecutors wanted a longer sentence for Mr. Stepanyan because of his criminal history, which included a conviction for assault with a deadly weapon, according to court documents.

“These defendants were driven by hate, and their actions were deplorable,” Tracy L. Wilkison, the United States attorney for the Central District of California, said in the statement. “The physical injuries and emotional trauma to the victims cannot be understated. We hope that the sentences handed down today will help vindicate those harms.”

Tensions have long existed between the Armenian and Turkish communities over the mass killings of Armenians more than a century ago, and the frayed relations have played out intensely in Los Angeles, which is home to a large Armenian population.

In April 2021, President Biden broke with predecessors and declared the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the former Ottoman Empire a “genocide,” a classification that was largely symbolic but that had been sought by Armenian-Americans for decades.

Months earlier, on Nov. 4, 2020, the defendants and other men met in a supermarket parking lot to “discuss a string of violent acts that had been committed against the Armenian community in the preceding days,” according to a sentencing memorandum by Jilbert Tahmazian, Mr. Chalikyan’s lawyer.

Mr. Chalikyan was drunk during this meeting and fired up over a six-week war between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region that had erupted in late September and had killed thousands, according to the memorandum.

Prosecutors said the fighting caused heightened tensions in Turkish and Armenian communities in the United States and led to numerous protests and counterprotests in Los Angeles and elsewhere.

After a rally in Glendale, the two men and others drove to the Turkish restaurant — which was not named in the indictment — because they thought it was symbolic of Turkey and believed Turkish people would be there, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said in an indictment that each defendant threw at least one chair toward the victims, and one of them — it wasn’t clear from the indictment who — shouted, “We came to kill you! We will kill you!” They both smashed glassware, Mr. Stepanyan ripped out computer terminals, and both men fled before the authorities arrived, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors said the attack caused at least $20,000 in damages, and the victims suffered injuries, including when an object struck one person on the back and when some victims fled, but details on the extent of injuries were not available in the indictment.

Lawyers listed for both men could not immediately be reached late Tuesday. But Mr. Tahmazian, Mr. Chalikyan’s lawyer, said in the sentencing memorandum that many Armenians in Los Angeles are descendants of families who fled the genocide, and that some might have been triggered by the “eerie parallels” of Turkey’s rhetoric during the Azerbaijan conflict” to that of the Ottoman Empire during the genocide.

Mr. Chalikyan’s actions, he argued, were “an aberration” in contrast to his usual demeanor and “due to world events which evoked a frenzied hysteria within him.”

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Pressing for Evidence, Jan. 6 Panel Argues That Trump Committed Fraud

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Pressing for Evidence, Jan. 6 Panel Argues That Trump Committed Fraud

WASHINGTON — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol on Tuesday laid out its theory for potential criminal charges against former President Donald J. Trump, arguing before a federal judge that he and the conservative lawyer John C. Eastman were involved in a conspiracy to perpetrate a fraud on the American public as part of a plan to overturn the 2020 election.

The allegations, which the committee first leveled against the men last week in response to a lawsuit filed by Mr. Eastman, could determine just how deeply the panel can dig into emails, correspondence and other documents of lawyers close to Mr. Trump who have argued that such material should be shielded from scrutiny because of attorney-client privilege.

They also form the core of the panel’s strategy for potentially holding Mr. Trump and his allies criminally liable for what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, one that turns on the notion that they knowingly sought to invalidate legitimate election results.

“We’re talking about an insurrection that sadly came very close to succeeding to overturn a presidential election,” Douglas N. Letter, the general counsel of the House, told Judge David O. Carter of the United States District Court for the Central District of California, during arguments in Mr. Eastman’s case.

The House committee’s argument is a risky one. If Judge Carter were to reject its claims, the inquiry’s legal team would be less likely to win support for a criminal prosecution unless investigators unearthed new evidence.

In court on Tuesday, Mr. Letter repeatedly chastised Mr. Eastman for writing a memo that some in both parties have likened to a blueprint for a coup. The document encouraged Vice President Mike Pence to reject electoral votes from swing states won by President Biden, even as Mr. Eastman conceded that the maneuver was likely illegal.

“Violate the law — and let them sue,” Mr. Letter said, characterizing Mr. Eastman’s counsel. “Boy, that’s not legal advice that I’ve ever given.”

The committee in recent weeks has issued subpoenas to lawyers, including Rudolph W. Giuliani and Sidney Powell, who worked closely with Mr. Trump as they pursued various efforts to keep the former president in power despite losing the election. They offered up false slates of electors claiming Mr. Trump had won politically competitive states that he had lost, and explored the seizure of voting machines.

Among them was Mr. Eastman, whom the committee says could potentially be charged with criminal violations including obstructing an official proceeding of Congress and conspiracy to defraud the American people.

Charles Burnham, Mr. Eastman’s lawyer, said the committee’s accusations against the former president are “groundbreaking criminal allegations,” but he argued that both Mr. Eastman and Mr. Trump genuinely believed the claims of a stolen election — despite being told repeatedly that such statements were false.

“Dr. Eastman and others absolutely believed that what they were doing was well-grounded in law and fact, and was necessary for what they believed was the best interest of the country,” Mr. Burnham said.

In a filing in Mr. Eastman’s case last week, the committee first revealed the basis of what its investigators believe could be a criminal referral to the Justice Department against Mr. Trump. Central to the case is the argument that, in repeatedly rejecting the truth that he had lost the 2020 election — including the assertions of his own campaign aides, White House lawyers, two successive attorneys general and federal investigators — Mr. Trump was not just being stubborn or ignorant, he was knowingly perpetrating a fraud on the United States.

The panel turned over to the court hundreds of pages of arguments, exhibits and court transcripts from Trump advisers telling him there was no widespread fraud in the 2020 election. But Mr. Burnham also said that Mr. Trump was given conflicting legal advice.

“Multiple presidential advisers were counseling the president that there were issues with the 2020 election — fraud, illegality, and so forth,” he said.

Mr. Burnham cited a book recently published by former Attorney General William P. Barr, who recounted how he tried to break through to Mr. Trump to tell him his wild fantasies about election fraud weren’t true, even as others informed the president he was right.

“After the election,” Mr. Barr wrote, “he was beyond restraint. He would only listen to a few sycophants who told him what he wanted to hear. Reasoning with him was hopeless.”

The arguments in court were prompted by Mr. Eastman’s attempt to shield from release documents he said were covered by attorney-client privilege. The committee responded that under the legal theory known as the crime-fraud exception, the privilege does not cover information conveyed from a client to a lawyer if it was part of furthering or concealing a crime.

Capitol Riot’s Aftermath: Key Developments

Mr. Burnham tried to shoot down that argument Tuesday, telling the judge that there was no overt evidence of a crime or a conspiracy to commit one.

“There’s not going to be an email where anybody involved in the campaign effort says, ‘We’ve got to have some ruffians rush the Capitol if the vice president doesn’t make the decision we want.’ It’s not going to be there,” he said. “There’s not going to be an email that says, ‘We all know that the election had no fraud or illegality, but we’ve got to come up with something.’ That’s not going to be there.”

But Mr. Letter noted that Mr. Eastman had acknowledged in an email obtained by the House committee that he was encouraging Mr. Pence to break federal law in rejecting legitimate electors for Mr. Biden — something he referred to as a “relatively minor violation.”

“He wanted the vice president to do something that was plainly against the Constitution,” Mr. Letter said, adding sarcastically, “It would have been so minor, it could have changed the entire course of our democracy.”

At one point, Judge Carter focused on part of Mr. Eastman’s memo in which he encouraged Mr. Pence to reject electors “without asking for permission.”

Mr. Letter said that part of the memo was further acknowledgment that the Trump campaign was trying to hold onto power through any means necessary.

“It shows that what Dr. Eastman was proposing was: Do this — and basically damn the consequences,” he said.

The judge did not give an immediate indication of how quickly he might rule.

[tattlepress]

Do not sabotage Iran deal with new conditions, West tells Russia

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Do not sabotage Iran deal with new conditions, West tells Russia

Western powers on Tuesday warned Russia against wrecking an almost completed deal on bringing the United States and Iran back into compliance with the 2015 nuclear accord, as Iran’s top negotiator was set to return from consultations in Tehran.

Eleven months of talks to restore the deal which lifted sanctions on Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear program have reached their final stages.

REPUBLICANS TROUBLED BY ONGOING TALKS TO REVIVE IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL: ‘RUSSIA SHOULD NOT BE AT ANY TABLE’ 

But they have been complicated by a last-minute demand from Russia for guarantees from the United States that Western sanctions targeting Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine would not affect its business with Iran. 

U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland said Russia was seeking to reap extra benefits from its participation in the effort to restore the nuclear agreement, but it will not succeed.

“Russia is trying to up the ante and broaden its demands with regard to the (nuclear deal) and we are not playing ‘Let’s make a deal’,” Nuland, the No. 3 U.S. diplomat, told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

Iran’s top negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani is due back in Vienna on Wednesday after unexpectedly returning to Tehran on Monday for consultations, an Iranian and a European official said.

The talks’ coordinator, Enrique Mora of the European Union, said on Monday the time had come for political decisions to be taken to end the negotiations.

“The window of opportunity is closing. We call on all sides to make the decisions necessary to close this deal now, and on Russia not to add extraneous conditions to its conclusion,” Britain, France and Germany said in a joint statement to the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s 35-nation Board of Governors.

Iran has sought to remove all sanctions and it wants guarantees from the United States that it will not abandon the agreement once more, after then-U.S. President Donald Trump walked out of the deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions.

Diplomats have said until now that several differences still needed to be overcome in the talks, including the extent to which sanctions on Iran, notably its elite revolutionary guards, would be rolled back and what guarantees Washington would give if it were to again renege on the deal.

Two Western officials said there was now a final text on the table and those issues had been resolved.

While they couldn’t rule out further last-minute surprises, they said the last big open question was whether Russia’s demands were manageably narrow and limited to nuclear cooperation spelled out in the agreement, as Moscow’s envoy to the talks has told other parties, or much broader, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has described them.

RUSSIA TIES POSSIBLE IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL REVIVAL TO UKRAINE SANCTIONS

“We are very close to an agreement. It is essential we conclude while we still can,” France’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre told reporters in a daily briefing.

“We are concerned by the risks that further delays could weigh on the possibility of concluding,” she said.

COMMON INTEREST

Moscow threw the potential wrench in the works on Saturday, just as months of indirect talks between Tehran and Washington in Vienna appeared to be headed for an agreement, with Lavrov saying the Western sanctions over Ukraine had become a stumbling block for the nuclear deal.

The EU’s Mora and Russia’s top negotiator Mikhail Ulyanov held talks in Vienna on Tuesday evening, exchanging views on the “current developments and way ahead,” Moscow’s envoy said on Twitter.

Western officials say there is common interest in avoiding a nuclear nonproliferation crisis, and they are trying to ascertain whether what Russia is demanding regards only its commitments to the Iran deal. That would be manageable, but anything beyond that would be problematic, they say.

The new agreement would lead to Russia taking in excess highly enriched uranium that would be taken out of Iran to bring Tehran back into compliance with the original deal’s caps on the purity and amount of the enriched uranium it is stockpiling. 

Rosatom, a state-run company formed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2007, is key to that and has still not been added to Western sanctions.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken played down the issue during a visit to Estonia on Tuesday and said Russia and the United States still shared a desire to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

European negotiators from France, Britain, and Germany had already temporarily left the talks as they believed they had gone as far as they could go and it was now up to the two main protagonists to agree on outstanding issues.

Additional reporting by Dubai Newsroom, Simon Lewis and Andrius Sytas in Tallinn; Writing by John Irish and Dominic Evans; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Nick Macfie and Richard Pullin

[tattlepress]

Bob Dylan announces new collection of essays, 'The Philosophy Of Modern Song'

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Bob Dylan announces new collection of essays, 'The Philosophy Of Modern Song'

Bob Dylan is set to release a collection of more than 60 essays in a new book, The Philosophy Of Modern Song, which is set to be released on November 8 via Simon & Schuster.

According to a press release, Dylan began work on The Philosophy Of Modern Song in 2010. The book will compile dozens of essays that the folk legend wrote about songs by other musicians, including Nina Simone, Elvis Costello and Hank Williams.

“[Dylan] analyses what he calls the trap of easy rhymes, breaks down how the addition of a single syllable can diminish a song, and even explains how bluegrass relates to heavy metal,” the press release reads. “These essays are written in Dylan’s unique prose.

“While they are ostensibly about music, they are really meditations and reflections on the human condition.”

“The publication of Bob Dylan’s kaleidoscopically brilliant work will be an international celebration of songs by one of the greatest artists of our time, said Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp in a statement.

“The Philosophy of Modern Song could only have been written by Bob Dylan. His voice is unique, and his work conveys his deep appreciation and understanding of songs, the people who bring those songs to life, and what songs mean to all of us.”

Dylan signed a six-book publishing deal with Simon & Schuster back in 2011. He published his memoir, Chronicles: Volume One, in 2004. In 2016, the songwriter won the Nobel Prize in literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”. His acceptance speech was later turned into a book, The Nobel Lecture, also published by Simon & Schuster.

In January, Dylan announced a run of North American tour dates, which kicked off earlier this month. Earlier that month, it was revealed that Sony had acquired Dylan’s back catalogue in a new deal.

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[tattlepress]

Android’s archive feature will partially uninstall apps until you need them again

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Android’s archive feature will partially uninstall apps until you need them again

Google is working on a tool that should let you “archive” certain apps to help free up space on your device. In a blog post, Google explains any app with the feature will let you partially uninstall it, shrinking the app down by about 60 percent without removing it completely.

Archived APKs are much smaller and “preserve user data until the app is restored”

It does this by creating a new type of APK (Android Package) — otherwise known as the guts that make an app functional on your device — that it calls archived APKs. As Google points out, archived APKs are much smaller and save all your data until you restore it, bringing it back to its original size. The feature will become available to developers with the Bundletool 1.10 release, but it won’t be functional until Google launches the feature to the general public “later in the year.” Developers can also choose to opt-out of archived APKs, which Google also goes over in the blog post.

There still aren’t any details on how the feature will present itself on Android — perhaps it will appear alongside the uninstall option when you long-press an app’s icon. Either way, archived APKs seem like they could be great for anyone (specifically, me) who has a graveyard of seldom used apps and isn’t fully committed to letting go of them just yet (but also doesn’t want them to take up tons of storage space). Archiving and then restoring them should be much quicker than reinstalling an app, and will likely consume a lot less mobile data when you’re not on Wi-Fi.

[tattlepress]

Zverev’s Swings Merited More Than a Slap on the Wrist

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Zverev’s Swings Merited More Than a Slap on the Wrist

Monday’s soft punishment of Zverev likely did little to change her view, but its relevant to remember that Williams also avoided suspension in 2009 after a profanity-filled tirade against a lineswoman during her U.S. Open semifinal loss to Kim Clijsters. Williams, despite threatening to shove the ball down the official’s throat, was fined $82,500 and placed on probation for two years.

Zverev, ranked No. 3, already has competed since the incident in Acapulco, representing Germany in a Davis Cup match in Brazil last week. The Germans won, but Zverev complained afterward that the crowd had crossed a line by directing personal abuse at his family and support team.

Sharypova, a Russian player, has not brought formal charges against Zverev since her accusations of domestic abuse were first reported by Racquet Magazine in November 2020. He has denied abusing her, and the ATP did not announce its investigation until nearly a year later. The inquiry is, according to ATP officials, being conducted by an outside party.

It has been a tense time for quite some time for Zverev, but he has managed to produce some brilliant tennis: He won the gold medal in singles at last year’s Summer Olympics, pushed Novak Djokovic to five sets in the semifinals of the 2021 U.S. Open and then defeated Djokovic and Medvedev to win the prestigious season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, in November.

But this season has not begun auspiciously for a player who has yet to win a Grand Slam tournament singles title. One of the big favorites at the Australian Open, he was upset in the fourth round by Shapovalov in three error-strewn sets, demolishing a racket in frustration in the second.

Then came Acapulco and a much more serious failure to control his temper. It should have cost him more than a default, a middling fine and probation, but the ATP has missed the opportunity to send the right message to its public, to its players and — above all — to its officials.

“Umpires need to be protected in their workplace,” Ings said. “Player abuse of officials is growing based on recent incidents, and this soft sanction will do nothing to deter future misconduct.”

[tattlepress]

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle support Ukraine at NAACP Image Awards 2022

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Prince Harry, Meghan Markle support Ukraine at NAACP Image Awards 2022

Jonathan Landrum Jr.

LOS ANGELES — Jennifer Hudson was named entertainer of the year at the 53rd annual NAACP Image Awards that highlighted works by entertainers and writers of color.

After Hudson accepted the award Saturday night, the singer-actor thanked the NAACP for inspiring “little girls like me.” She beat out Regina King, Lil Nas X, Megan Thee Stallion and Tiffany Haddish.

“I was just standing here thinking ’It was here – the NAACP Awards – where I watched so many legends and icons that inspired me,” said the Oscar and Grammy winner. “Now, I’m standing here holding an award like this. It’s because of seeing the Arethas, the Patti LaBelles, the Halle Berrys, all these legends right here on this stand that inspired me.”

Hudson played her idol Aretha Franklin in the film “Respect.” She was summoned to meet with Franklin in 2007 to portray The Queen of Soul shortly after Hudson won an Oscar for “Dreamgirls.”

More:Jennifer Hudson reveals her final Aretha Franklin conversation and one condition of playing the legend

“Respect” follows Franklin from childhood through the 1972 recording of the gospel album “Amazing Grace.”

“This is for Ms. Franklin’s legacy,” Hudson said after she earlier won best actress.

Review:As Aretha Franklin, a soulful Jennifer Hudson keeps ‘Respect’ from hitting the wrong note

The awards ceremony aired live on BET in Los Angeles with some talent appearing in person while others watched virtually. There was no in-person audience.

Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, were honored with the President’s Award. He showed gratitude to the NAACP for welcoming him into their community before he spoke about those in Ukraine impacted by the ongoing Russian invasion.

“We would like to acknowledge the people of Ukraine who urgently need our continued support as a global community,” said Prince Harry while standing next to his wife. The couple was recognized for their outreach efforts in the U.S. and around the world.

“It’s safe to say I come from a very different background than my incredible wife,” he said. “Yet, our lives were brought together for a reason. We share a commitment to a life of service, a responsibility to confront injustice and a belief for the most overlooked that are the most important to listen to.”

More:Prince Harry launches new libel lawsuit against British tabloid months after Duchess Meghan’s win

Both talked about inspiring the next generation of activists through the NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award. It’s a newly created award that acknowledges leaders creating change within the social justice and technology realm to advance civil and human rights.

On Friday, the inaugural award was given to Dr. Safiya Noble, who Meghan called a “visionary.”

Samuel L. Jackson received the NAACP Chairman’s Award for his public service. The ceremony highlighted his acting achievements and activism including a moment when he was expelled from Morehouse College in 1969 for for locking board members in a building for two days in protest of the school’s curriculum and governance.

The video mentioned Jackson’s efforts to raise awareness toward cancer checkup for men and autism. It also spotlighted him and his wife, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, who created a performing arts center at Spelman College.

Jackson quoted activist Marian Wright Edelman after he accepted his award.

“I was fortunate to grow up in a lot of different eras where I had the opportunity to use my voice and my legs and my body to fight for things that were right,” said the 73-year-old actor. He has appeared in more than 100 films including Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” and Spike Lee’s “Jungle Fever.”

Jackson also starred in several other films such as “Do the Right Thing,” “Unbreakable,” “Snakes on a Plane,” and multiple Marvel films including “The Avengers” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

“We got it done,” he continued. “Right now, we still have things we need to do. The most important thing being the voting rights act. I know we can’t change that. But we can put our legs, our bodies and our voices to work to make sure that people do get out and vote – no matter what they do to keep us from doing it.”

It’s awards season! How to watch Sunday’s Screen Actors Guild Awards – and the A-list stars who will be there

The awards ceremony featured a performance by nine-time Grammy winner Mary J. Blige, who was a co-headliner at the Super Bowl halftime show this month. She performed her single “Good Morning Gorgeous” and “Love No Limit” from New York City’s Apollo Theater.

Anthony Anderson, who returned as the show’s host, won best actor in a comedy series. With his mother in attendance, the “black-ish” star screamed out “I told you I was going to win, Momma” before he ran on stage and chest bumped her.

“I would like to thank my momma for sleeping with my daddy and making me,” he jokingly said before turning serious. “I’m just a kid from Compton, California. If you dream and believe, anything is possible.”

Other top awards handed out include Will Smith who best actor for his role in “King Richard” and “The Harder They Fall,” which took home best film. Issa Rae won for best comedy series and Nikole Hannah-Jones was honored with the social justice impact award.

Sterling K. Brown shouted with joy when he won outstanding actor for a drama series. After Tiffany Haddish virtually presented him with the award, the “This Is Us” actor thanked the show’s network, NBC, before he joked about hanging out with Anderson’s mother.

“There’s way too many white people on my show for me to actually win this thing,” he said. “But I got to say ‘Thank you, Black people for voting for me. I really do appreciate it.’”