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We’re closing in on a year since the 2020 election, which means it’s been almost that long since the Trump team has been peddling voter fraud nonsense. The former president still insists, without proof, that his second term was stolen from him. But one key detail has only been made public: At least part of the Trump campaign knew that one of the biggest conspiracy theories, that has gotten a lot of his associates in hot water, was pure balderdash.

As per The New York Times, an internal memo from within the campaign was recently made public, which examined the claims made by lawyers such as Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani. It alleged a massive, byzantine plot involving financier George Soros, Venezuela, the voting machine company Dominion Voting Systems, and a separate company, Smartmatic. And they concluded that it was garbage.

Among the findings, as listed by NYT:

• That Dominion did not use voting technology from the software company, Smartmatic, in the 2020 election.
• That Dominion had no direct ties to Venezuela or to Mr. Soros.
• And that there was no evidence that Dominion’s leadership had connections to left-wing “antifa” activists, as Ms. Powell and others had claimed.

It’s unclear how widespread the memo was disseminated internally, much less if Trump himself ever saw it. But some knew. In a court filing last week from former Dominion director Eric Coomer — who filed defamation suits against Powell, Giuliani, the Trump campaign, and many more — alleges that the Trump team “continued to allow its agents” to “advance debunked conspiracy theories.” (Dominion itself has also filed lawsuits against Powell, Giuliani, and My Pillow guy Mike Lindell. They recently did the same to the Trumpist news networks OANN and Newsmax.)

Though, again, it’s unknown who saw the memo, when news of it broke, people on social media posited that those who were already screwed were now extra-screwed.

And that includes Trump.

And the My Pillow guy, of course.

Powell, Giuliani, and Lindell all continue to allege voter fraud, although the former at least admitted that “no reasonable person” would have believed her Dominion claims anyway.

(Via NYT)

Overwatch 2 has gone through a rather tumultuous development cycle since it was first announced at BlizzCon in 2019. At the time, director Jeff Kaplan stated that they would be shifting the majority of their work on the series away from Overwatch so they could focus on Overwatch 2. While an anticipated release date was never announced, it was assumed that the usually very transparent Blizzard branch of Activision Blizzard would provide regular updates on the sequel.

Those updates have, for the most part, not been happening. Obviously, a global pandemic impacted many video game developers, but everything around Overwatch 2 has created concern for fans, including the departure of Kaplan from the company. They did eventually host an event to show all the new features that will come in Overwatch 2, and announced some major changes to the series in the process, but fans were still weary about the direction of the sequel.

Those concerns only continue to grow with the report from Jason Schreier of Bloomberg that Chacko Sonny, the executive producer of Overwatch 2, is leaving the company. Per Schreier, Sonny was expected to play a major role in the future of Overwatch 2 following Kaplan’s departure. Despite his departure, though, Activision Blizzard maintained in a statement to Bloomberg that the game is entering the “final stages of production” and more information will be available soon.

Chacko Sonny, executive producer of Overwatch, told staff he will leave the company on Friday, according to people familiar with the situation. A spokesman for parent company Activision Blizzard Inc. confirmed his departure.
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Several Blizzard employees, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to talk with the press, said Sonny was well-respected and that they weren’t aware of any allegations against him. Sonny was perceived as a stabilizing force on the Overwatch team following the departure of director Jeff Kaplan earlier this year, the people said.

Sonny’s departure comes during a period in which Activision Blizard is being carefully observed by everyone. Multiple allegations and lawsuits have been filed against the company ranging from ignoring sexual harassment, gender disparity in pay, and unfair labor practices. His reason for leaving was not mentioned, but Bloomberg’s report stated that the lawsuits and investigations were not mentioned in his email when he announced his departure.

Overwatch 2 has now had two major leaders for the game leave in the middle of production. This is not normal, as most developers do their best to stay on until a game is complete or in a state where they can feel confident that it can be finished without them. Currently, the director of the game is Aaron Keller who took over for Kaplan in April.

Parents of young children who are of the opposite gender face a perplexing question: which bathroom do I take my kid into when they need to go? It’s even more difficult for men with young daughters because if they take them into the women’s bathroom, they might be seen as a predator.

However, men’s rooms rarely have any changing tables for dads that need to put on a fresh diaper.

Parenting blogger and self-proclaimed dad-vocate, Muhammed Nitoto, has no problem taking his young girls, Zendaya and Zuri, into the women’s restroom.

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The first time he had to take his daughter to a restroom, he chose the men’s, and it was the last time he’d ever make that decision.

“Now I’ve been to a men’s bathroom millions of times but walking in with your daughter makes you look at it completely different,” he wrote on Instagram “Men’s bathrooms are DISGUSTING. They smell like pee and nothing is set up for a woman or a person with a child. The changing table was right next to the urinal which means my child literally would be next to where men pee while she’s being charged. Not to mention that there are men going in and out while you’re in there.”

Now, Nitoto only takes his daughters to the women’s room or a family room if the establishment has one.

“After doing that one time I decided I’d never take my daughter’s to the men’s bathroom again. I use the women’s bathroom when I’m out with them,” he wrote.

Nitoto says that when he enters a women’s restroom, being respectful is his number one concern.

“I try to be as respectful to women as I can while doing so which consists of knocking on the door before entering and announcing myself. Making sure if someone is inside that they know I am a dad coming in with his daughter and making sure they are comfortable with that,” he wrote.

He also makes sure that he announces himself whenever any women enter the bathroom.

“Now once inside our stall, I still am aware of the door and whenever I hear it open and someone new is coming in I announce myself again and make sure they know I’m inside with my child so that they aren’t surprised,” he wrote.

Nitoto wouldn’t have to take his daughters to the women’s restroom if men’s rooms were designed with fathers in mind. But sadly, most of them aren’t. It’s pretty sexist to assume that men aren’t interested in having a safe, clean place to change their children. The lack of facilities for men also makes it so women have to take on most of the public changing duties.

His post also highlight the fact that men often have to deal with facilities that aren’t as clean as those provided for women. Men deserve to have clean bathrooms, too.

“Women’s bathrooms are so much cleaner and set up perfect just in case they have children,” he wrote. “The changing station is usually inside a stall instead of just in the open and it’s always clean. As a girl dad, I can’t help but want to protect my daughters from all things that aren’t for them and the men’s bathroom is 100% one of those things.”

When we hear about hospitals running out of ICU beds and having to ration care, we may erroneously picture Hollywood movie scenes with frantic healthcare workers hustling constantly with patients and crash carts being frantically wheeled around.

That kind of hectic scene might happen in a single mass tragedy event in an emergency room, but a real ICU isn’t like that, even when it’s full. The ICU (Intensive Care Unit) is where patients go when they are severely ill or have sustained injuries that require ongoing, life-saving care. Saving lives in the ICU is a days, weeks, and sometimes even months-long endeavor, where nurses and doctors get to know patients a little before sending them home (which is always the hope) or saying goodbye (which has happened far too often in the past 18 months).

A crew from 4 News Now in Spokane was granted rare access to the ICU at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, where COVID-19 is taking a toll on doctors and nurses.

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“We have 54 beds for adult critical care at Sacred Heart; 26 are in our general medical neuro-trauma ICU and 28 are in our cardiac ICU, but we have had to use the cardiac ICU beds also for COVID patients,” ICU nurse manager Deb Gillette told 4 News Now. The hospital has also designated two additional floors for COVID patients who aren’t sick enough to need ventilators.

You can hear the weariness in the voices of the doctors and nurses as they explain what they do to keep COVID patients alive and how hard the pandemic has been, even for people who are accustomed to critical care.

Watch this rare glimpse inside an ICU:

Inside the ICU: An exclusive look inside Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center’s intensive care

www.youtube.com

The nurses interviewed pointed out that the age of those being admitted to the ICU has dropped from earlier in the pandemic, when it was mostly older patients. Now they’re mostly seeing people in their 30s to 60s.

And the message they are sending is the same one we are hearing from ICU staff across the nation: “Get vaccinated.”

“We’re really trying here and the best thing our community can do is get vaccinated. We really have nothing else,” nurse Emily Crews said. “That’s our only solution and the more that people do that, the less time we’ll spend in here, and the less time at home I’ll be thinking about these people who are never going home.”

This is the kind of coverage we need to see more of. When the overwhelming tragedy of the pandemic is happening inside hospital rooms where average Americans don’t have access, it’s far too easy to ignore numbers and pleas because it feels like it’s not that bad.

It is that bad. Hospitals across the country are telling us it’s bad. ICU workers are telling us it’s bad. The past year and a half has been exhausting, but we can relieve some of the burden on healthcare workers by getting vaccinated as soon as we are able.

Michael Stipe put a damper on R.E.M. hopes of a reunion today. The band’s frontman appeared on WNYC’s All Of It and directly addressed rumors that they might be getting back together in honor of their ten-year anniversary. All Of It host Alison Stewart directly brought up a recent Rolling Stone piece that gave the chance of their reunion a 30% chance, but Stipe wasn’t having it.

“That’s wishful thinking,” he began. “We will never reunite. We decided when we split up that that would just be really tacky and probably money-grabbing, which might be the impetus for a lot of bands to get back together.” Well, there’s very little wiggle room in an answer like that so fans are just going to have to take him at his word. Then again, plenty of artists do get to a point decades down the road where money or nostalgia does reach a boiling point, and even the most staved off reunions have eventually happened. So even if Stipe feels that way now, it might be worth checking back in after another five or ten years have passed.

Check out the entire interview above or tune in to hear his response for yourself around 24:25.

The Weeknd has made it clear that a new era is on the horizon, but so far all he’s done is tease the next installment of music with very specific clues. Abel initially began letting fans know that something new was on the way at the Billboard Music Awards when he cryptically said “the dawn is coming” during an acceptance speech. Then again, what else could come after After Hours but the dawn itself?

On Instagram today the R&B star seemed to reference his next phase again, with a comic book style image that shows Abel sleepily rubbing his eyes in bed while a butler of sorts opens the curtains saying “The dawn is here master Tesfaye.” The flip side of that fairly straightforward post is a clip from American Psycho where Christian Bale is walking through his office. In Tthe original, “Walking On Sunshine” is the music playing the background but for his post today Abel swapped it for something else, namely a clip from “Range Brothers” by Baby Keem featuring Kendrick Lamar.

Perhaps this means K. Dot will be prominently featured in the new music Abel is prepping. That’s a match up that would definitely be comic book worthy. Either way, keep your ears out for new music from The Weeknd, it’s coming soon.

If a feel-good docudrama about the life of a decidedly not PC civil-rights leader is what audiences were hoping for when seeing Malcolm X for the very first time, director/co-writer Spike Lee immediately made it clear that this was not the film for them. The first thing we see onscreen as the film begins is the American flag slowly becoming engulfed in flames and forming the letter X, which is intercut with the familiar footage of Rodney King being viciously beaten by officers of the L.A.P.D in May of 1991. And as we’re looking at these images,we hear Denzel Washington as Malcolm X giving a speech as he charges the white man for his numerous crimes and offenses against Black people over the past 400 years.

Malcolm X opened in theaters on November 18, 1992, twenty months after Rodney King was attacked, and six months after the Los Angeles riots that occurred largely (but not entirely) as a result of all four officers being acquitted by a jury. But before audiences got to see the film for themselves, Spike had to overcome many obstacles in order for the film to be made. He had to convince Warner Bros. that he was the best choice for directing an adaptation of The Autobiography of Malcolm X and not their original choice, Norman Jewison, whose involvement could have resulted in a backlash that would be even greater than what the studio had experienced back when they hired Steven Spielberg to direct The Color Purple.

Lee also had to convince Warner Bros. that the story he was telling could not be done in a two-hour-and-fifteen-minute-long film with a $20 million budget (which was what they wanted) and needed a longer runtime and more money, just like Oliver Stone’s JFK. And he had to speak with Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam who made it very clear that, under no circumstances was he to be portrayed negatively in the film in any way that would make audiences think he was involved in the assassination of Malcolm X. Or else.

In his book with Ralph Wiley, By Any Means Necessary: The Trials and Tribulations Of The Making Of Malcolm X, Spike explained why it was important that no half-measures would be taken when it came to this film, and why he was the only man for the job:

Everything I’ve learned up until now made me feel able, ready to do what needed to be done. Malcolm X. Big in scope. Big in scale. Blow it up to 70 millimeters, put it on a thousand plus screens…This story had to be more. Much more. I knew it had to be done by an African-American director, and not just any African-American director, either, but one to whom the life of Malcolm spoke very directly. And Malcolm had always been my man.

Lee also had no interest in making a film about Malcolm X that would have Malcolm becoming a supporting character in his own story — his white allies getting all of the attention just because movie studios didn’t (and still don’t) believe that films with Black subject matter hold appeal for white moviegoers. But if there’s any director who is familiar with putting in work and not caring about the white gaze, it is Spike Lee. His talents as a writer and director made his films impossible to ignore when it came to how they highlight Black people — their stories and the struggles they face in the worlds that they live in. All of which made him the ideal choice for directing Malcolm X.

Malcolm X shows us the crucial moments that made Malcolm X the man that he became. From experiencing the murder of his father at the hands of Klansmen to his time in prison, his discovery of and eventual separation from The Nation Of Islam, and the vividly captured scene at the Audobon Ballroom in Harlem, New York when Malcolm was assassinated by radical members of the Nation Of Islam in February of 1965.

Throughout, we get to see and understand all sides of Malcolm and who he truly was. Malcolm Little, the slick-talking, zoot-suited hustler who loves having a white woman on his arm, money in his pocket, and a reputation that keeps others in check. Malcolm X, the Nation of Islam spokesman who made it clear with every speech and every interview that Black pride and Black power were of greater importance to him than white people’s feelings. El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, the human rights activist who became more open to integration between Black people and white people, but remained passionate and outspoken about wanting to uplift his people. And all of it was flawlessly brought to life onscreen by Denzel Washington. It still remains one of the most masterful works of his entire career, with Washington using the charisma, intelligence, and ferocity in his arsenal to show us all what he was truly capable of as an actor. But despite Washington receiving an Academy Awards nomination for Best Actor, he ended up losing to Al Pacino for his performance in Scent Of A Woman, an infuriating slight that still lingers to fans of the actor and the film.

Malcolm X was released in theaters during a decade when Afrocentrism became much more visible and present in art and entertainment. This included books that were written by Black authors, as well as films and television shows with largely Black casts that were made by Black writers and directors eager to get through the door that Spike Lee and his fellow Black filmmakers had kicked open in previous years, helping to create a space where they could tell the stories that needed and deserved to be told.

When Lee needed additional money to complete production on Malcolm X, money that neither Warner Bros. nor the bond company they were working with were willing to provide, Lee’s impact paid dividends, with the writer/director turning to several Black celebrities (Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Prince, Janet Jackson, Oprah Winfrey, Tracy Chapman, and even Bill Cosby before his conviction for sexual assault) for financial assistance so that the film would be completed without sacrificing quality. This made it possible for Lee to finish what he started, and to do his part in living up to the words that Ossie Davis said in his eulogy for Malcolm X: “…if you knew [Malcolm X], you would know why we must honor him. Malcolm was our manhood, our living Black manhood. This was his meaning to his people, and in honoring him, we honor the best in ourselves.”

Malcolm X was never someone who concerned himself with the feelings and concerns of white people when it came to speaking up on behalf of Black people and fighting for their rights. So it was only right that his story was told by Spike Lee, who has always been someone who takes that same approach when it comes to his art. Unlike most biopics, Malcolm X doesn’t shy away from who the subject of the film really was. Lee knows how important it is to give just as much attention to Malcolm’s vices as well as his virtues. (It does the same regarding Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his marital infidelities, and he’s not even a character in the film.) More importantly, Malcolm X doesn’t make the same mistake that a lot of Black entertainment has been accused of making in recent years: it doesn’t spend its runtime educating white people in the audience about Black culture and its importance. Instead, it’s a story that simply is Black culture, one that refuses to hold your hand and explain Blackness in a simplified manner as if it needs to be understood by all.

There is a reason why more people are willing to quote Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when discussing issues of race as opposed to Malcolm X. And it’s mainly because Dr. King and his philosophy of “I have a dream that one day, my four children will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character” is seen as being more comforting and welcoming than Malcolm X’s philosophy of “If you stick a knife in my back nine inches and pull it out six inches, there’s no progress. If you pull it all the way out, that’s not progress. The progress is healing the wound that the blow made.”

Whether it’s about the man or the film that is about him, you can love or hate what is being said by (and about) Malcolm X, but it can’t, won’t, and shouldn’t be ignored. Or watered down.

For decades, the actress, writer, and singer Cassandra Peterson has been better known as her alter ego: Elvira, the horror hostess with the big hair and Mae West quips. She became a household name with the ‘80s horror movie show Movie Macabre. But there’s something else she kept close to the vest: In her new memoir, Yours Cruelly, Elvira, Peterson reveals she’s been in a relationship with a woman for the last 19 years.

On Monday The Advocate teased out the tidbit that Peterson has spent nearly two decades with one Teresa “T” Wierson. Before, she had been married to Mark Pierson, a fellow singer who became her manager. But then she met Wierson. As per The Advocate:

Their relationship began, as all the best do, at the Hollywood Gold’s Gym when Peterson spotted who she thought at the time was the hottest bad boy in Tinseltown. “Often, when I was doing my preworkout warm-up on the treadmill, I couldn’t help noticing one particular trainer — tan, tattooed, and muscular — stalking across the gym floor, knit cap pulled so low over his long brown hair that it nearly covered his eyes,” she writes in the book. “Dark and brooding, he gave off such intense energy that when he crossed the enormous gym floor, the waters parted and people stopped in their tracks to stare.”

It wasn’t until they had a chance encounter in the ladies room that she realized her “bad boy” was really a “bad girl” and the two soon became close, albeit platonically.

Wierson became her friend as well as her trainer. They even lived together. But they didn’t start a relationship until after her 25-year marriage ended:

One night, after they were out at a movie, Peterson felt a sudden desire to kiss Wierson. “I think I was even more surprised. What the hell was I doing? I’d never been interested in women as anything other than friends. I felt so confused. This just wasn’t me! I was stunned that I’d been friends with her for so many years and never noticed our chemistry,” she writes. “I soon discovered that we connected sexually in a way I’d never experienced.” She quickly realized she was falling in love T.

That was 19 years ago. On top of being Peterson’s partner, Wierson is also her personal assistant.

When the news broke, people freaked out that Elvira — long a gay icon — acknowledged that she was with a woman.

Peterson has played Elvira off and on since 1981, having invented the character when she was part of the Groundlings comedy troupe in Los Angeles. Halloween, her big holiday, will surely be a bit different this year.

(Via The Advocate)

According to a blog post published by Disney earlier today, Friday, November 12, 2021 will be the company’s first annual Disney+ Day. While fans can look forward to Disney’s signature sneak peeks and special looks, the celebrations will also include a huge influx of new content on the streaming service as well and in-park perks for resort-goers. According to Bob Chapek, chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company:

“The inaugural Disney+ Day will be a grand-scale celebration of our subscribers across the entire company. This day of appreciation brings to life our mission to entertain, inform, and inspire fans and families around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, and will become an annual tentpole event to be amplified across our global businesses.”

Among the new movies and shows coming to Disney+ on November 12 are Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Jungle Cruise, Home Sweet Home Alone, Olfa Presents, Pixar’s Ciao Alberto, a new short from The Simpsons, a new season of The World According to Jeff Goldblum from National Geographic, and a Star Wars special celebrating the origin story of Boba Fett ahead of The Book of Boba Fett‘s premiere this December. There will also be a special presentation on Disney+ fans can watch that will offer “breaking news, first looks, new trailers, exclusive clips, and appearances from Disney+ creators and stars.”

For those choosing to spend the day away from the television, Disney also has plans for its parks and resorts around the world as well as its Disney Cruise Line. According to the blog post, on November 12 Disney will “roll out the blue carpet for Disney+ fans with some surprise and delight moments including photo opportunities, character moments and more” at its parks.

Lastly, starting on November 12, Disney+ will make its big debut in both South Korea and Taiwan, shortly followed by Hong Kong on November 16. This long-anticipated expansion into even more Asian and Pacific markets is part of Disney’s effort to bring “iconic characters and stories into the homes of new audiences around the globe.”

This summer Chicago rapper G Herbo let fans know his new album, 25 would be out in July, and he’s been steadily releasing videos and singles to support the record since. This new album follows up his 2020 release, PTSD, and both continue to build on his drill sound. Today he’s released a video for the 25 track “Stand The Rain (Mad Max),” a reflective song that details what the artist has gone through since he started to see some success. Rapping about the jealousy of haters and past traumas he’s been through, losing friends and how he feels like he’s lived “ten lifetimes” despite the fact that he’s only 25 years old.

In the green-tinted black and white visuals were shot by No More Heroes, and features the Chicago artist on the cover of Forbes, rapping on top of a truck, and visiting not only a basketball court, but also a shooting range and a church. Clearly, he contains multitudes. The song title references the film series, Mad Max, though the song itself doesn’t necessarily veer into the apocalyptic realm where the movie takes place, it definitely hones in on the survivalist attitude the film addresses thematically. Check out the fiery new clip above.