Month: March 2022

Milo Winslow was a trans rights advocate in Lincoln, Nebraska. Winslow, who was 30, passed away on March 3. He made a name for himself recently on TikTok where he spoke candidly to his 19,000 followers about his transition and his advocacy work for trans rights. He was the only trans person to testify in support of Lincoln City Council’s Fairness Ordinance to expand protection for the LGBTQ+ community.

The intersection of mental health and advocacy is not talked about much outside of advocacy circles. And that’s part of why it’s so important for us to tell Milo’s story, the legacy he leaves behind and what we can do to ensure other vulnerable people can live happy, safe and healthy lives.

The ordinance would update Title 11, which is a city code that concerns equal opportunity. There were multiple changes to the Fairness Ordinance, but the one that Winslow was specifically advocating for concerned inclusion and sexual orientation and gender expression. This would deem transgender and nonconforming people as protected members of the community against discrimination. The ordinance passed 5-0, but shortly after it was passed, a referendum petition gathered more than 18,000 signatures to contest the protections. The petition only needed 4,137 signatures to rescind the ordinance or put it to a vote.

This was not Winslow’s first time testifying in support of an ordinance designed to protect members of the LGBTQ+ community from discrimination and harmful practices. In March 2021, he testified to support the ordinance that would ban conversion therapy on youth. Winslow was known for his conversation style advocacy, connecting with listeners on a deeper level and engaging with them with honesty and empathy. His friend Sarah Cohen Walker said he would “meet people where they were, finding ways to help them understand.”

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Walker highlighted Winslow’s heartfelt online content and his style of presenting “in a way that brings people along. To lead with the heart. I think leading with the heart is the hard work that a lot of people don’t have patience for.”

Another of his friends, Khalisha Casey, told the Lincoln Journal Star that Winslow experienced a lot of trauma in his life including not being accepted by his family when he came out as gay before he began transitioning. Once he began to transition, the support he found in the gay community waned, leaving him isolated once again until he was accepted by friends he met through his advocacy work.

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It was a devastating blow to Winslow when more than 18,000 people signed the petition to contest Lincoln City Council’s ordinance that he had fought hard to support. He took to TikTok in tears to express his disbelief and exasperation at the whole ordeal. He made a follow-up video explaining that it was too emotionally taxing and he would be taking a step back from advocacy work. He cited not feeling that he had the support system he needed to continue that work.

The next day, Milo Winslow succumbed to his depression. Tributes on TikTok continue to pour in, while his closest friends mourn his loss in private but continue to push his message out into the world. A GoFundMe has been set up in Winslow’s memory and the donations will go to a local organization that supports and advocates for trans/nonbinary/gender-expansive individuals and families.

If you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community and struggling, you can reach out to The Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386.

If you are having thoughts about taking your own life, or know of anyone who is in need of help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (273-8255) or text “HOME” to the Crisis Text Line: 741741.

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Emily’s mom begins to ramble off one of those typical convoluted Starbucks orders.

“Can I get a grande latte … with one shot of espresso, and 2% milk…”

Emily seems thoroughly confused at first that mom is making such theatrics. But that’s because mom isn’t finished yet.

She continues, “and one pump of CAR T and 100 percent cancer-free please.”

@emilylorraineee Finding out my 13 year old sister is cancer free at work @Starbucks #childhoodcancer #cancer #leukemia ♬ original sound – Emily Mejia

Emily’s 13-year-old sister Megan Mejia had previously been diagnosed with leukemia and added in the comments that she was resistant to chemotherapy.

CAR T-cell (chimeric antigen receptor) therapy alters a patient’s white blood cells in a lab so that they fight cancer cells. According to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, CAR T-cell therapy is a “major breakthrough” to treating both cell lymphoma and leukemia, adding that the hope is it could replace chemotherapy (and stem cell transplants) altogether.

It certainly brought a miracle to the Mejia family.

After understanding exactly what mom is saying (little sis is gonna be okay!), Emily’s voice instantly gets tiny.

“Really? Really? Actually? Are you serious? Mom, you’re gonna make me cry at work,” she squeaks, overcome with emotion.

Mom and daughter share a beautiful moment of laughing, crying, then laughing some more. That was until mom added, “can I really get that latte though?” She was still uncaffeinated, after all.

Emily shared that her mom said it was the best latte she ever had. Happiness really is the best sweetener.

@emilylorraineee

It’s extremely rare to have multiple matches. We found out after this that our oldest sister Brianna is also a match. 3/6 siblings🎗💛

♬ 3 IS THE MAGIC NUMBERRRRR – Nxgan

There’s even more good news: Emily posted a follow-up video that showed three of the six Mejia siblings are a match for Megan’s bone marrow transplant. Considering that doctors told the family that there was only a 25% chance of that, it’s no wonder the Mejias are jumping for joy.

Congratulations to Megan, and special thanks to Emily for sharing your family’s precious moment with the world.

(And, of course, to Emily’s mom for delivering the news in style.)

Adele ended 2021 with a bang thanks to her fourth album 30. She released the project on November 19 and it was preceded by her No. 1 single “Easy On Me,” a record that spent more than a month at the top of the charts. Prior to the album’s long-awaited release, Adele held a special on CBS where she performed songs from the album and sat down for an interview with Oprah. It was at this performance that she also helped a man propose to his girlfriend. Shortly after that special, she held another concert in the U.K. called An Audience With Adele.

The special aired exclusively on U.K.’s ITV channel and it’s currently only available to watch on ITV Hub’s on-demand platform. Thankfully, it’s about to make its debut in the United States. On March 20 at 9 pm EST/PST, An Audience With Adele will air on NBC, and the following day, the concert special will be available to stream on Peacock, a platform you can sign up for here.

The concert special was produced by The Fulwell 73 and executive produced by Adele herself as well as Jonathan Dickins, Ben Winston, and Sally Wood. In it, Adele performs a combination of new and old songs in front of an audience that she describes as her “own personal heroes and heroines, fellow musicians, artists, actors, sportsmen, sportswomen and more.” It was this special that produced a viral video of Adele tearing up on stage as she learned that her former English teacher Miss. McDonald appeared at the show. Adele credits McDonald with increasing her interest in literature and making her excited for her English lessons.

In January 2019, Jussie Smollett (falsely) reported a police report in Chicago. The Empire actor claimed that he had been a victim of a hate crime, and quickly, law enforcement began to point towards holes in his story and discrepancies in evidence, including surveillance footage (actually, the absence of it) to prove his story. Years later, he bizarrely testified that he’d had carnal relations with at least one of his alleged attackers (two of whom he apparently paid to help stage this crime), and long story short, this turned into a real fiasco. In December 2021, Smollett was found guilty on five counts (of Class 4 felonies) involving his false police report.

Fast forward to this week, and Smollett has now been sentenced to 150 days in jail, along with 30 months of probation. He’s also been ordered to pay $145,000 in combined restitution and fines. The actor maintained his innocence while addressing the judge in open court, and he took a moment to warn everyone that he felt his life would be in danger behind bars. Via CNN:

After the judge announced his sentence, Smollett lowered his face mask and said he was innocent. “Your honor, I respect you and I respect the jury, but I did not do this,” the actor told the judge, before turning to the court. “And I am not suicidal. And if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself. And you must all know that.”

Just before he was taken into custody, the actor yelled again that he was innocent and raised a fist in the air.

The Recount posted video footage of Smollett’s statement:

All things considered, Smollett did get off lightly considering the circumstances. The New York Times previously reported each guilty count could have brought a three-year sentence and additional fines, all of which could have potentially added up to fifteen years in prison. If Smollett’s released on good behavior following today’s sentencing, he’ll probably serve less than three months behind bars.

(Via CNN & The Recount)

Kanye West has been a busy man as of late. Between promoting and finishing his eleventh album Donda 2 and keeping us updated on his life through numerous Instagram posts, Kanye is the epitome of active nowadays. While his future moves remain to be seen, one of them will certainly result in him going to court. According to the Chicago Tribune, Kanye was subpoenaed to testify in the upcoming trial of his ex-employee Arjun Dhillon who is currently facing federal fraud charges. Prosecutors accuse Dhillion of “falsely representing his association with Kanye West to secure a $250,000 payment” from a Florida philanthropist more than two years ago.

Before the subpoena was issued, Kanye was identified as “Musician A” in court documents. Despite this, prosecutors agreed to reveal his name as potential jurors will have to share any pre-disclosed notions that they have against Kanye. Additionally, the court’s security will need to know when Kanye will appear in court as his arrival will probably attract a large crowd.

Court documents say that Dhillion was “briefly affiliated” with Kanye, but that he was fired sometime in October 2018, about a year before the alleged incident took place. In addition to his attempt to scam the philanthropist, which was thwarted thanks to the victim’s ability to stop the transfer after altering their bank, Dhillion is also accused of creating fake email accounts to convince the victim that he was still in close contact with Kanye.

Jury selection for the trial begins on April 9 and the prosecution and defense have until March 24 to submit their full witness lists for the trial.

Ted Cruz’s tolerance to humiliation knows no bounds. He’s perfectly game to tweet about Fight Club and endure “Cancun” comebacks, and the Princess Bride superfan even once feuded with Cary Elwes (Cruz did not win this fight), and yet, the much maligned senator from Texas still comes out swinging. He wasn’t even phased when people pounced on him for claiming that airline employees love to hug him.

Yet now, Ted’s ostensibly surrounded by friends — while on the road with the “People’s Convoy” of anti-vaxxing truckers — and it’s still not going too well for him. When he spoke with reporters during a trucker-flanked press conference, someone shouted, “Ted Cruz sucks!” Of course, Ted couldn’t resist responding, and he did, while taking a moment to declare, “God bless you.”

Mind you, this did not sound like a Southern-style “bless your heart” with passive-aggressive airs. Nope, Ted seemed to want to sound like he was taking the higher ground here, but he also did something else. When a reporter inquired whether Ted believed that lives have been saved by vaccines, he went squirrelly. “Look, I hope so. I’m not a doctor. You know what, why would you take medical advice from me?” he asked (via Mediaite). “I wouldn’t take medical advice from me. I’m not in the business of giving medical advice. Go talk to your physician if you wanna figure out whether you should take the vaccine or not.”

The People’s Convoy’s been circling the beltway with no signs of heading back to work. There’s no word on how long the fully vaccinated Ted will continue to honk the horn. Can you imagine seeing him while driving down the highway?

(Via The Recount, Mediaite & ABC News)

Being an NHL goalie seems incredibly difficult, as the best hockey players in the world rip shots at you, sometimes in excess of 100 miles per hour, all while others try desperately to screen your vision.

However, there are certain times when goalies get a little too much dip on their chip and make life more difficult on themselves when it comes to handling the puck, because having borderline irrational confidence in all of your abilities is part of being a professional athlete. On Thursday night, we saw a rather hilarious example of this when Detroit Red Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic saw a puck bounding towards his end and decided he should take a mighty swat at it, rather than letting it go behind the goal. That turned out to be a disastrous decision, as he somehow whiffed and shot the puck backwards between his own legs and into the goal.

I can only imagine the helpless feeling as soon as the puck started going between his legs and he had no chance of stopping it from going in his own net. Happily for Nedeljkovic, his teammates picked him up and regained a 3-2 lead after the end of the first period despite his error, but maybe next time just let the puck go or hold it up rather than trying to make a big play in that situation.

Earlier this month, Drake sought a restraining order against a woman who, for lack of a better phrase, just won’t leave him alone. Back in 2017, 29-year-old Mesha Collins was arrested for trespassing after she broke into the rapper’s home where she allegedly stole bottles of water, Pepsi, and Sprite. She was also found wearing one of Drake’s hoodies. Despite being convicted of the charges, Collins would reportedly continue to make visits to Drake’s house following the 2017 arrest. More recently, she allegedly sent threatening emails to Drake with one telling him to “put a bullet through your head now b*tch.” All of this prompted him to request the restraining order.

Thankfully for Drake, that order was granted to him. According to HipHopDX (who cites RadarOnline), a judge approved the order and it extends to Drake’s son Adonis and his parents Sandy and Dennis Graham. The exact terms of the restraining order are unknown at the moment, but it’s not the first one that’s been placed on Collins. Following her 2017 arrest, Collins was ordered to stay 100 yards away from Drake, his home, his family, and his workplace.

The approved restraining order comes after Collins attempted to sue Drake for $4 billion claiming that he defamed her about the trespassing incident through his songs and posts on Instagram. However, her lawsuit was thrown out after Drake proved that he did not know it was Collins that broke into his home until he received the $4 billion lawsuit.

The Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets square off in a heavily anticipated matchup on Thursday evening, with James Harden facing his old team for the first time and Ben Simmons expected to be on the Brooklyn bench at Wells Fargo Center. Beyond the magnitude of the event itself, the game is an intriguing test for both the Sixers and Nets on the floor. In particular, Harden and Joel Embiid have put together a very strong start to their shared tenure at the helm in Philadelphia, to the point where some pretty lofty comparisons are being tossed around.

One such comparison is to Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant from the early 2000’s Los Angeles Lakers, and Shaq was asked about that parallel in podcast form this week.

While he did say that Embiid and Harden were in the “honeymoon phase” of their relationship, Shaq left no doubt on the specific comparison, at least for now.

“No,” Shaq said when asked if Embiid and Harden could be “crowned” as the next Shaq and Kobe. “Me and Kobe had eight years of damage together. No, not even close. N-O. H-No. And F-No. Figure it out.”

This is obviously the correct answer, especially with Harden and Embiid playing for less than a month together. While both have achieved lofty heights, neither currently project as top-15 players all-time and, in short, that is the block on which Shaq and Kobe reside in basketball history. There will be time for Embiid and Harden to carve out a shared legacy if they can achieve lofty success, but this sentiment is something you should probably expect to hear from Shaq for a while, especially if the Sixers don’t bring the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Philadelphia this season.

Nope, fans of the Breaking Bad universe aren’t doing too well after watching Better Call Saul‘s sixth-season (and final-season) trailer. Not that this is new. As the spinoff’s timeline has grown ever closer to that of its franchise predecessor, anxiety has run high for Kim watchers, given that she clearly does not surface in Breaking Bad. Further, Jimmy/Saul/Gene’s Cinnabon fate looks utterly miserable, and there’s no Kim to be found in those scenes, either. So, what gives? No clues have been forthcoming. Bob Odenkirk got real about not feeling optimistic about his character’s fate, but he’s urged everyone to not assume Kim is dead. If not dead, though, where would she be?

Well, the new trailer obviously tells us nothing, and the reactions tell us that anxiety is running high, as Kim’s finger guns have seemingly led further into Saul Goodmanification by the looks of this shot.

And far above, Kim’s also questioning whether they’re “wicked,” and whether they’re being followed, and yup, even though Saul tells Kim that no one knows what they’re up to, this all feels incredibly ominous. Let’s just say that people are freaking the hell out and rightfully so. One of the best-written female characters in TV history has her fate on the line, and — given that it feels impossible for her to survive, and still never to be seen again after this season — the stakes are high. On social media, the nail-biting has commenced in earnest.

Yup, whatever happens, no one is ready for this.

Better Call Saul‘s final season begins (the first half, anyway) on April 18. The second half will arrive on July 11. And if you missed Season Five, head to Netflix on April 4.