We have lost over 470,000 people to COVID in the United States, but those are not the only victims of the racist and murderous Trump administration. Because Trump continually called COVID “The China Virus” and emboldened domestic terrorists, there has been a substantial uptick in hate crimes against Asian-Americans. Between just March and May of 2020 over 1,800 hate crimes were committed against Asian-Americans, likely because people were led to believe by Trump that COVID was unleashed purposefully by China. That is not thought to be the case, according to an investigation by the WHO.

Despite the appalling numbers of hate crimes being committed, the national news has failed to highlight them until recently. Over the last month, three different attacks against elderly people in the Asian community were caught on tape in Chinatown in Oakland, CA. The lack of public concern or politicians raising the alarm has led several high profile Asian-Americans to come forward to offer a reward for any information. In an interview with CBS News, Daniel Dae Kim and Daniel Wu offered $25,000 to anyone who can lead authorities to arrest the assailants caught on tape along. They also issued a plea to public officials to bring awareness to this issue. Below is more information from CBS News:

“We’re looking for help from our [district attorneys]. We’re looking for help from our community organizers. We’re looking for help from our legislators and politicians,” Dae Kim told CBSN anchor Elaine Quijano.

More than 1,800 racist incidents against Asian Americans were reported between March and May of 2020, according to a United Nations report. The report linked the violence and other incidents to the coronavirus outbreak, which was first discovered in China.

“This is a growing problem,” Dae Kim said. “These are numbers we’ve never seen before.”

Last month, three violent attacks targeting elderly Asian Americans in Oakland’s Chinatown were caught on video. The incidents prompted Wu and Dae Kim to offer a $25,000 reward for information on the suspect.

“Those of us who have been following these issues since COVID started have seen these kinds of incidents in our news feeds pop up almost daily, and yet we see very little being done about it,” Dae Kim said.

A suspect was arrested Monday in connection with the assaults, according to Oakland Police. Yahya Muslim, 28, was charged with assault, battery and elder abuse among other charges, according to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.

[From CBS News]

I am very upset about what is going on in America. The blatant racism that was incited by Trump and the Republicans is going to take years to fix. The fact that the Republicans are refusing to right this wrong is even more infuriating. At this point I feel that the Democrats need to take a stand and speak out against this terrorization of a community that has nothing to do with COVID. Just because the virus was found in China does not mean China created it and this needs to be made clear. Where we are right now as it concerns Asian-Americans is reminding me of the first few years after 9/11 when being Muslim was synonymous with being a terrorist (and still is). There was a massive uptick in Islamophobia and hate crimes against Muslim Americans and anyone who looked Muslim or Arab during that time. This also happened again after Barack Obama was elected but this time the target was Black Americans.

At some point we will have to acknowledge that hate against those who are non-white or who are deemed as outsiders in this country has always been a part of the foundation of the United States. It is something that we will have to come to terms with – that this nation was built on and is continually built on terrorism. I am glad they have caught one of the three terrorists in connection with these attacks in Oakland. I am also glad that high profile people like Daniel Dae Kim and Daniel Wu are lending their voices to raise awareness around what is happening to an innocent community in our nation. Hopefully, the other two assailants are tracked down and brought up on charges. And hopefully politicians and other public officials will begin to ring the alarm about what is happening and make sure that it does not continue. The other thing that I hope is that anti-hate crimes laws continue to be passed and more stiffer penalties enacted. A good place to start if anyone is listening is passing that anti-lynching bill that was blocked by Republican lawmakers.

Dear Gossips, BTS has been pretty quiet the last few weeks. Not entirely off the grid, and still releasing treats for their fans, but in terms of major announcements that get circulated beyond ARMY awareness, it’s been pretty low-key. This week though, ahead of Lunar New Year, there is big news: My…

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We learned the identity of Eugene Goodman just after the January 6th terrorist attack on the Capitol. Footage was widely circulated of Goodman, the sole Capitol Police officer at one of the doors to the Senate chamber, thinking fast on his feet and using himself as bait to distract a mob of terrorists. He lured the mob away from the Senate chamber and likely saved the lives of many senators just with that one fast-thinking scheme. This is the footage we had one month ago:

During the second day of the impeachment trial, the House impeachment managers began laying out the tick-tock, minute by minute, of what was happening as terrorists breached the Capitol and how close so many Capitol staffers, senators and representatives came to being murdered. The managers introduced never-before-seen footage of so many heroic acts by Capitol Police officers, who were under-resourced and outnumbered in many situations, but still managed to evacuate civilians and help people evade the terrorists. Which led to even more remarkable revelations about Officer Goodman:

It is completely incredible that Mr. Goodman saved the lives of nearly every senator, Mike Pence, Pence’s family, and numerous Capitol staffers with his quick thinking. Apparently, Mitt Romney didn’t even know that Goodman was the one to tell him to turn back and move away from danger. Reportedly, Romney found Goodman yesterday to personally thank him, and Romney was quite emotional about it. Senators have introduced a bill to give Eugene Goodman the Congressional Gold Medal as well. Goodman should be in charge of the Capitol Police, or perhaps he should be appointed the new Sergeant at Arms.

God bless Officer Eugene Goodman. ?? pic.twitter.com/2EIzD3D1kk

— Willie Geist (@WillieGeist) February 10, 2021

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Photos courtesy of Getty.

Bethan Holt is the “fashion news and features director at The Telegraph,” and she’s written a new book about the Duchess of Cambridge and her evolving style. While I rarely admit this, Kate’s style has evolved from the cuter sportswear and inexpensive party dresses she wore as a single woman, to the first years of her royal life when she didn’t know what she was doing sartorially, to the pregnancy years where she was cosplaying her late mother-in-law a lot, to the current version, where she’s cosplaying Meghan a lot. Her clothing has gotten much more expensive, and much of Kate’s style can and should be viewed through the prism of “who is she copying and cosplaying these days.” Bethan Holt doesn’t say it that way, of course. Holt gave an exclusive interview to Vanity Fair about Kate’s style and what goes into putting together Kate’s wardrobe. Some highlights:

The Issa engagement dress: “Would any dress have had the same effect? No. There was something about the Issa. It made Kate look glamorous yet respectful; she wasn’t trying to seem more mature than she was, but nor did the dress depict her as a slave to fashion.”

Kate’s glam team: “She’s found this circle of people that she obviously really trusts. If you go to anyone in that inner circle they don’t want to talk about their relationship with her because it is quite a sacred thing.”

Holt claims that Kate’s wardrobe is nearly entirely composed from off-the-rack outfits from high-street brands. “Diana was often telling a story with her clothes, and she had a big evolution of her own personal life. Whereas the queen, the whole point of her is to remain basically the same. The public mood now is much less towards wanting royals that are very distant in their palaces. People want to be able to relate, and I think the royals realize that clothing is a way that they can do it.”

What Kate no longer wears: “It feels like a gradual change, but there are certain things she no longer wears. She doesn’t wear those big wedges anymore, perhaps because it’s more of a younger thing or doesn’t look quite as current. She has started wearing many more trousers, which lots of women, when they become more professional and confident in themselves, experiment with. She’s adding in interesting new things that signal she’s getting a bit older, a bit more sophisticated, and a bit more senior. Like any of us, we hope in our careers that we become more senior as we get older. She’s becoming more senior in her career as a princess.

The snoozefest India tour: “I also think it’s the scrutiny that these outfits are under, and I’m sure they read some of the feedback as well. One of the outfits that I really remember from that India trip was a £50 dress from a brand called Glamorous, and it looked like the kind of thing that you could have bought at a market in India. But obviously it was from a British brand. Because it was very inexpensive, thus possibly not with the best labor standards, there was a bit of an uneasy feeling about that. She was always really good, on that India trip, at incorporating Indian patterns, but I think the whole conversation in fashion moved on. We talk about cultural appropriation so much more in fashion now. it’s called out a lot more, which is a really good thing…. By wearing pieces designed by Pakistani designers, it was a very safe bet that actually looked very brilliant.

Kate’s stylists half-ass their job too: “I interviewed the owner of the boutique where they source a lot of the clothes, and the trip was in October, but the owner of the boutique only heard from Natasha [Archer, Kate’s assistant] in September. It was a really quick turnaround. When I interviewed Anita [Dongre, a Mumbai-based designer], she said, “It was just those few weeks, and it was such a rush working on it constantly.” I had always thought that these things were really planned far in advance!… They’re kind of like swans, aren’t they? They just make everything look so easy while they’re scrambling to pull a wardrobe together.

How Kate will dress when she’s Queen: “It probably depends on when it is, but when you think back, she has a lot of these plain block-colored dresses. Most of them were made by Emilia Wickstead, and there’s a lavender one that she’s worn quite a few times. The one I’m thinking about recently hasn’t been identified, but it was a blue dress that she wore to meet the Ukrainian ambassador in London in October. What you can see coming through is this very defined silhouette, kind of taking a lesson from the queen, who has that colorful coat that she wears. Kate you can see doing it with a nipped-waist, knee-length dress in a block color. I can imagine her having a whole wardrobe of those, which she wheels out for different occasions.

[From Vanity Fair]

I feel like there’s some shady stuff in here, or at least “accidentally revealing the truth” stuff. “Nor did the dress depict her as a slave to fashion…” is particularly weird because Holt is trying to say that Kate is the biggest style influencer in the world or whatever, while simultaneously arguing that the silky Issa dress was not, in fact, all that stylish. And the stuff about how Kate’s style team is only planning ahead by a few weeks – lord, they’re as lazy as Kate. And Kate only began wearing proper trousers when Meghan did it. For those keeping track, Kate veers wildly between cosplaying Jecca Craig, Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth, Carole Middleton and Meghan. She just adds buttons and doily lace to everything and there we go! Oh, and Kate’s wardrobe is half High Street and half bespoke designer now.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Avalon Red, Backgrid.

On Wednesday, the House impeachment managers began laying out the case against Donald Trump. While we complained about the time frame post-insurrection, it’s quite clear that the nine House impeachment managers – Jamie Raskin, Joaquin Castro, David Cicilline, Madeleine Dean, Diana DeGette, Ted Lieu, Joe Neguse, Stacey Plaskett and Eric Swalwell – used the past five weeks to build a comprehensive, airtight case against Trump for inciting an insurrection. All nine managers are lawyers and they are a f–king legal dream team as far as I’m concerned. They’ve built such a smart case, using Trump’s own public statements and tweets to show a pattern of inciting, encouraging and praising violent acts against his enemies (real or imagined). Here are just some clips of what went down yesterday:

As the prosecution laid out the case for incitement of an insurrection, they detailed specific instances of the terrorists violently assaulting Capitol Police officers as the terrorists surged past barricades and began breaking into the Capitol. Again, these terrorists murdered a police officer and left some-odd 140 Capitol Police officers injured, with broken ribs, head injuries, burns, cuts and injuries from explosives and projectiles. The prosecution has also made it abundantly clear that the terrorists were there to murder Democrats AND Republicans, and even more specifically, to murder Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi, the first and second people in the line of succession for the continuity of government. And that entire time, Senator Josh Hawley sat in the Senate Gallery, with his feet up, reading other materials.

Senator Josh Hawley, a bellwether of Donald Trump’s “stop the steal” movement to overturn the 2020 election results, was watching the second day of impeachment proceedings against the former president from the gallery above the chamber. The Trump loyalist, a first-term Missouri Republican, was seen at various points with his legs crossed, his feet propped up on the chair in front of him, and reviewing some sort of paperwork in a manila folder, according to several reporters with a view of the room from their seats in the press gallery.

All other 99 senators were seated at their desks on the Senate floor, except for Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the president pro tempore of the chamber who is presiding over the trial from the top perch atop the dais.

Mr Hawley later explained his decision to sit in the gallery instead of at his desk in a brief interview with NBC. “The gallery is — I feel had a little bit better view,” he said. “Where I sit over in the Senate chamber is kind of in the corner. So, here you can sit head on. I can also space out a little bit more and it’s just not quite as crowded.”

He elaborated to Fox News. “It’s a better viewpoint because I can look right at the impeachment managers and see them in the face. When I’m sitting in the chamber, I kinda look at the back of their head,” he said.

[From The Independent]

Josh Hawley is a coward, a traitor and an idiot. He didn’t even have the stones to sit there and fulfill the barest duties of his oath of office, which is simply to listen in good faith to the impeachment proceedings. Josh Hawley doesn’t care about cops being murdered. Josh Hawley didn’t care about an armed mob hunting for the Vice President and Speaker. Piece of sh-t.

New on @MSNBC: Republican Josh Hawley wasn’t paying attention for parts of the trial. He was sitting with his legs up on the seat in front of him, reading unrelated materials, according to @GarrettHaake.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 10, 2021

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

I drew the comparison between how Princess Eugenie has been treated regarding the birth of her first child versus the way the Duchess of Sussex was treated regarding the birth of her first child. The whole delivery thing was strikingly similar – Eugenie and Meghan gave birth at the same hospital, neither woman announced that they had given birth for hours after the fact, and both women posted something on social media as part of the announcement. But only one of those women was ripped apart by the media. Still, Harry and Meghan are still close to Eugenie and Jack, and Town & Country reports that H&M have “congratulated Jack and Eugenie privately.” There’s still a lot of speculation about what exactly happened with Jack & Eugenie moving out of Frogmore too. I’ve shared my theories.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussex is still stealing Eugenie’s thunder. Forever! This week should have been about a general royal happiness about Eugenie’s baby and maybe we’ll even hear the little guy’s name by Friday. But now all eyes will be on a London courthouse and a virtual hearing where Justice Warby hands down his decision on Meghan’s request for a summary judgment on her lawsuit against the Mail on Sunday.

Meghan Markle could soon find out if she might one day face her dad across a London courtroom. Meghan, 39, is suing the Mail on Sunday’s publishers Associated Newspapers for invasion of privacy, infringement of data protection rights and copyright infringement for printing extracts of what her lawyers describe as a “private and confidential” letter sent to her father, Thomas Markle, in August 2018 — three months after her wedding to Prince Harry.

On Jan. 19, Meghan applied to have the case decided by a summary judgment – a legal step which would see her claim resolved by a judge’s ruling as opposed to a full trial – during a remote hearing at the High Court in London, where a previously unpublished line from the five-page letter she sent her father was read aloud: “I ask for nothing other than peace and I wish the same for you.”

On Thursday afternoon in London, the Duchess of Sussex may find out if her application has been successful.

Should Judge Justice Warby rule in Meghan’s favor, then the outcome of the case will hinge on his private legal deliberations, meaning that her friends, family, and former Kensington Palace staff will not have to testify in court.

If the application fails, then the exact opposite happens – opening up the possibility that Meghan may find herself sitting in London’s High Court opposite her father, Thomas Markle, in the fall of 2021.

To further complicate matters, the exact nature of Justice Warby’s Thursday ruling is currently a closely guarded secret. Theoretically, he could decide to go one step further and rule on certain elements of the case. Alternatively, he could simply decide to postpone his ruling on the summary judgement to a later date.

[From People]

The hearing (or whatever we’re calling it) is supposed to happen at 4 pm London time (GMT), which is 11 am EST. Still, these things never happen on time and who even knows. I feel like Warby is kind of a drama king for making us wait! I do think that his ruling will be very interesting, because recent developments have led me to believe that Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace would very much like to shut this down, and I’m sure pressure is being exerted all over the place.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

I got the KF94 breathable face masks we talked about a couple of weeks ago that I keep seeing everywhere. While they’re said to be slightly less protective than the KN95 masks, they still seem really good. My family and friends who got them really like them too. They definitely feel lighter and are easier to wear. Here are some more things Hecate and I are looking at!

Shoe inserts with arch support to help treat and avoid plantar fasciitis

From CB: My mom has plantar fasciitis and she swears by these shoe inserts. She even uses them in her slippers. These shoe inserts by Nazaroo have 4,600 ratings, 4.6 stars and an A on Fakespot. My mom said you have to remove your insoles to insert these, which is what reviewers say too. “I bought a pair at the podiatrist that cost a fortune. I found these and they are the same quality for 1/4 of the doctor’s office price. They fit perfectly and they feel great!” “I have plantar faccitis in both feet along with fallen arches. These inserts have helped tremendously with my overall foot / heel pain during the day.” “These are the best insoles I’ve ever used. Nothing I have ever tried comes close to helping as much as they do.”

A liquid exfoliator with 2% BHA that smoothes and clears skin

From CB: Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Salicylic Acid is among the top twenty bestsellers on Amazon in beauty and personal care. You can get five ounces for $36.50 in both a 4 ounce and 1 ounce bottle or 4 ounces for $29.50. Please be aware that the $10 product is just one ounce. This has 4.7 stars, 356 ratings and an A on Fakespot. Women say it really works to clear their skin, that it doesn’t bother sensitive skin and that it has a soothing effect. “I was struggling with what I thought was milia on my forehead. I have tried exfoliating with all sorts of different products. I read a review on reddit and though I would give it a try. So glad I did. I put this on and saw results in on night.” “This has revolutionized my skin, my skincare and my self-confidence. I swear by this product!! I have repurchased 3 times and tell everyone I know about this.” “I first ordered the small to test and it worked wonders for my skin! Visibly reducing texture, and making my skin smooth!”

A fume free drain clog dissolver that really works

From CB: We have a lot of clogged sinks in my house, I think the stopper type makes the hair get stuck in them easier. I’ve had to use Draino gel every few weeks because they get stopped up again. This odorless, eco-friendly drain cleaner by Green Gobbler has over 48,000 ratings, 4.2 stars and an A on Fakespot. People say it works on showers, sinks and even in toilets that get stopped up frequently. “My bathtub was so bad that when I showered I would be standing in almost a foot of water. I used other products all to no avail and was to the point of calling a plumber when I came across this product… I used half the bottle and within a couple hours the clog was totally gone and no evil odor.” “Works fast, without any horrible chemical smell and 1 application (I think I used a half bottle) has lasted for 2 months without any additional applications!”

A slim RFID blocking card wallet for under $3.50

From CB: This little RFID blocking card wallet has room for 7 cards plus your driver’s license and there’s also a slot for cash. It comes in 14 different colors, all under $3.50, and has 4.6 stars, over 2,000 ratings and a B on Fakespot. It would be a great option for when you don’t feel like carrying a full wallet. These are so affordable you could get some as gifts to have on hand. Reviewers say they’re surprisingly durable and that they’re excellent wallets. People also like that it has a loop where you can attach it to your key chain. “It’s like really nice! It has a great leathery feel not like cheap crap, everything fits perfectly, it’s super thin, it’s easy to get cards in and out but nothing falls out accidentally and seems just very well made.” “This works perfectly. I like the clear pocket for my license with a hole to easily slide it in and out when needed. I also like the finger grove where I keep my credit card to easily remove it.”

Lipcolor with extra gloss that lasts all day

From Hecate: This Revlon gloss boasts a 16 hour wear time for its 27 colors, practically all of which I love. But it also comes with an extra clear gloss overlay for extra drama. Now I know that as a woman over a certain age, some stylists would tell me to stay away from a glossy lip but guess what, I rarely do what I’m told. These tubes are normally about $10.50 for a one time purchase (you can also do Amazon’s subscription if you want) but they are on sale this week for $7.99. It’s Revlon so of course it has a ton of reviews, over 11,000 and has 4.5 stars, that ReviewMeta confirmed. Customers said the color really does stay on all day, one even said, “ This is pretty damn good. I have yet to find a product that stays on like this.” And once you apply it, it doesn’t get on everything else, “It’s not sticky and it does not transfer to other things like your glass or napkin.” I think I’m going to start with the Non Stop Cherry and Bare Maximum and work my way through them from there. Prepare for drama lips.

A snakeskin bomber jacket to update your look for spring

From Hecate: I saw this on Buzzfeed over the weekend and thought it was so cute, so I thought I’d share. This lightweight print snakeskin bomber jacket comes in three colors, light and dark amber versions and a pink version, each for only $28. The sizes run XS-XL and run true to size, according to Amazon. It has already gotten 154 reviews and earned 4.4 stars according to ReviewMeta. One reviewer said to get ready for others to acknowledge how cute you look, “walking into work today I received numerous compliments on the jacket.” Another said it’s good for being on the go, “Great great silky fabric that seems like it’s wrinkle free! Would be great for travel!” Now I just have to decide which color (hint: I’m thinking the pink).

An adjustable light that sits on your neck for reading, studying and crafting

From Hecate: I usually read my physical books during the afternoon because 1) I am too tired at night to hold up a book and 2) I have terrible lighting in all my normal reading spots. I’m thinking about this neck light so I can make my way through some of my bedside stack. It comes in three different colors, grey, blue and pink, each for $19. This rechargeable light has three light modes and six brightness settings. Plus, the beam focuses on what it’s directed so it won’t disturb those around you. Bonus: they are rechargeable. These got 4.7 stars, that ReviewMeta confirmed, from over 23,000 reviews. A lot of knitters and embroiderers use these because the arm length doesn’t get in their way, “The arms are of the appropriate length, they are very easy to manipulate, and the unit is well made and lightweight.” Others really like how flexible the design is, “It is flexible, you can bent it, twist it to different direction and fit to different size and head (for kids).”

A bracelet with inspirational sayings to help motivate you

From Hecate: I don’t know if this is just a me thing, but I thought these were great. I love cuffs, so I like the design of this bracelet. But it comes with these awesome sayings engraved inside, like “Wake Up. Kick @ss. Repeat.” and “You’re A Bad@ss” and I love this one, “Whenever you are feeling overwhelmed… remember whose daughter you are and straighten your crown” In all, there are about 90 different fun sayings for you to choose from. These would make amazing bridesmaids gifts when we get back to bridal parties. They are about $15 each so you can get a couple phrases that work for you. Plus they are adjustable so they’ll fit a variety of wrists. The bracelets got over 18,000 reviewers, earning 4.8 stars and Fakespot gave them a B. Apparently they hold up really well, “I am a preschool teacher and I wear it every day. I wash my hands a million times a day. I have had it for over a month. It has not scuffed or scratched.” A bunch of customers bought them for someone going through a tough time that needed something to pick them up. Especially if you find just the right person, “This bracelet may not be appropriate for some, but it sums up my life perfectly.”

When I saw #FireGinaCarano trending on Twitter yesterday, I sighed and wondered what kind of transphobic crap she was saying now. Last year, that hashtag was being used by thousands of people who were justifiably mad at all of the dumbf–k sh-t she was saying on Twitter, from mocking trans-inclusion to spreading deadly conspiracies about mask-wearing and lockdown protocols. Yes, Carano revealed herself to be one of those people, a MAGA-type, and it would not surprise me at all if she was friends with a lot of the January 6th insurrectionists. As it turns out, #FireGinaCarano was trending this week because she posted this on her IG Stories:

did she just compare the holocaust to being a republican .. #FireGinaCarano pic.twitter.com/an3css7Kdr

— janet (@djarinculture) February 10, 2021

Consider this: she felt she had to post this deeply offensive, completely reprehensible crap on Instagram… because Parler was shut down for being “too Nazi.” Months ago, she was all about Parler. Anyway, that’s why everyone was justifiably disgusted about Carano this week, because holy sh-t she’s f–king contemptible. This time, Disney paid attention. All the transphobia and deadly mask conspiracies were fine with Disney. But the anti-Semitism and comparison between the Holocaust and people calling out modern dumbf–k Nazis was the bridge too far. So Carano was fired from The Mandalorian and fired from her agency:

Gina Carano will not be returning to The Mandalorian or the Star Wars galaxy after sharing a post on social media implying that being a Republican today is like being Jewish during the Holocaust.

“Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future,” a Lucasfilm spokesperson said in a statement. “Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.”

Carano has also been dropped as a client by UTA, an agency spokesperson confirms.

On Wednesday, the hashtag #FireGinaCarano was trending following an Instagram post from the outspoken conservative actor and former mixed martial artist that was met with severe backlash. The post has since been deleted, but screenshots were widely shared by users on social media who called for her firing from the hit Disney+ Star Wars show.

This is not the first time Carano, who played former Rebel Alliance soldier Cara Dune on The Mandalorian, has been the focus of social media ire for her political comments. Last November, she issued contentious tweets, one in which she mocked mask-wearing amid the novel coronavirus pandemic and another in which she falsely suggested voter fraud occurred during the 2020 presidential election.

“They have been looking for a reason to fire her for two months, and today was the final straw,” a source with knowledge of Lucasfilm’s thinking tells THR.

According to sources, Lucasfilm planned to unveil Carano as the star of her own Disney+ series during a December investor’s day presentation but scrapped those plans following her November tweets. Multiple Mandalorian spinoffs are in the works from executive producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, including Rangers of the New Republic, which could have potentially starred Carano. But after the latest round of social media posts, the decision to cut ties with the actor came swiftly.

[From THR]

While I’m glad that Disney fired her and that her agency dropped her, I wonder about this: “They have been looking for a reason to fire her for two months…” Like, they literally could have fired her for spreading anti-mask propaganda and deadly conspiracies in a pandemic? They literally could have warned her that she needed to delete her accounts when the transphobic sh-t happened even earlier than that? Instead, Disney chose to let her run wild until now.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson are one of three couples featured in People’s first ever Love issue, that hits newsstands tomorrow. The other two couples featured are Al and Deborah Roker and Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi. Mary was married to Malcom McDowell before Ted, and has two grown kids, Charlie and Lilly. Ted was married to actress Randy Danson and producer Casey Coates, with whom he has two grown daughter, Kate and Alexis. Ted and Mary met the first time when he auditioned to play Mary’s husband in the film Cross Creek. He didn’t get the role, but they were attracted to each other. However, they were also both still married at the time. Some time after they were divorced, and Ted had famously publicly imploded following his relationship with Whoopi Goldberg. They worked together on Pontiac Moon. This time, they did fall in love and married two years later. Together for 27 years, married for 25, Mary said she, “would sign up for a 100 more lifetimes,” with Ted if she could. What’s their secret? A good sense of humor.

Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen have learned a thing or two when it comes to spending quality time together.

The couple, who have self-quarantined amid the pandemic at their home in L.A., “have been alone except for today for the last nine months,” says the actress during the pair’s socially distanced photo shoot in January for one of this week’s PEOPLE cover stories. “And we’ve decided to stay together.”

Jokes Danson: “Every morning we get to choose. It’s a rule.”

When they were both cast in 1993?s Pontiac Moon, “we both had sworn off relationships,” Steenburgen says.

While Steenburgen admits she initially thought “that dude seems kind of complicated,” both felt an undeniable attraction. “I wasn’t ready for anything like a relationship,” she adds. “We just kept working together and becoming better and better friends.”

A canoe trip and picnic Danson planned in Mendocino, California, sealed the deal. “It was very magical,” he adds. “We came back in love, to be honest, or I’ll say smitten.”

“I want as long as possible in my life with Mary,” says Danson. “I know it will have all of its hard parts but I want to experience love in all those moments.”

“If you’re blessed enough to grow old with someone, you better have a good sense of humor,” the actress, 68, shares, with Danson, 73, who adds, “I’m madly, madly, gratefully in love.”

[From two articles on People]

Ack! I really like both Mary and Ted and I can’t argue with anything they’re saying. But I am so bad when it comes to any expression of feelings like this. Seriously, I watched their video through my fingers. (Yes, I know, my loved ones are lucky folks.) It’s actually nice to see someone as “jokey” as Ted be able to express earnest feelings like this. Many people I know *raises hand* use humor as a deflection. But you do get a sense of how deeply devoted he is to Mary and it is lovely. Of course, devotion was never Ted’s problem. He was devoted to Casey after she suffered a stroke giving birth to their first daughter, leaving her partially paralyzed. He cared for both mother and newborn. And even with all the bad choices that were made while he dated Whoopi, he was always devoted to her. Mary doesn’t really discuss her marriage to Malcom much, but I think it’s safe to say that Ted and Mary saw when the time was right for them and have never lost sight of how fortunate they are to get a second (or fourth) chance at love.

Like Mary said, it helps if you and your partner share the same sense of humor. I’ve been watching Ted’s Mr. Mayor show, which is pretty dated humor, if I’m being honest. However, they do have great cameos. One show has Ted falling for Andie McDowell in an extended gag that involves Andie playing a ridiculous parody of herself. Mary’s son, Charlie McDowell, aka Lily Collins fiancé, has a running joke on Instagram, in which he honors his mom but posts pics of Andie to troll folks. He started in 2014 with a Mother’s Day post and ratchets it up each year. Now he posts Andie’s pic every Mother’s Day and on his real mom’s birthday. So while filming for Mr. Mayor, Ted got Andie to film a video for Charlie’s IG saying he was her favorite child. Which makes that episode much funnier, as far as I’m concerned. Anyway, it sounds like the whole blended Danson Steenburgen McDowell family was lucky to find each other.

.@TedDanson & @MarySteenburgen are opening up about their on-set romance during the 1993 film Pontiac Moon, what they love most about each other, and the importance of gratitude throughout their 25-year marriage. ?? Watch the full @PeopleTV special: https://t.co/nq3b8FChJw pic.twitter.com/eIupSMl2IF

— People (@people) February 10, 2021

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This is horrible to admit, but when I saw the “Bruce Springsteen busted for DWI” headlines, I didn’t even read the story. I just thought “he’s the Boss, I bet he wasn’t plastered.” I know that’s terrible, that my first instinct was to immediately find a way to excuse a famous white dude. That’s how we’ve gotten into all of this. Turns out, it’s way more complicated than I even imagined. Bruce was charged with a DWI in New Jersey last November, but the circumstances around his arrest are… ridiculous.

Bruce Springsteen was allegedly busted in Sandy Hook, New Jersey when he pulled over to take pictures with fans — and then took a shot of tequila offered by one of them in full view of the cops, a music industry insider said.

The “Born to Run” icon, 71, had been riding his motorcycle on the peninsula on Nov. 14 when he “was spotted by fans who asked him to pull over and take some pictures,” according to a source close to Springsteen.

“Bruce stopped, took the pictures, then a fan offered him a shot of liquor, which he took, while sitting on his bike, which was stationary,” the source said. “Park Police saw what happened and they immediately pulled Springsteen over as he drove away.”

The Post has not been able to immediately verify this account with law enforcement. Springsteen was charged with DWI, reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a closed area, a spokesperson for the National Park Service said. The Asbury Park Press reported Springsteen’s blood-alcohol content was 0.02 — just a quarter of New Jersey’s legal limit — when he was arrested.

The legal threshold in New Jersey is .08, which the outlet said calls into question why Springsteen was charged with driving while intoxicated.

News of the bust broke just days after Springsteen appeared in and narrated a Super Bowl spot for Jeep, in which he implored Americans to move toward the political “middle” in the spirit of unity amid recent bitter division. The ad has since been yanked from Jeep’s YouTube page.

[From The NY Post]

Yeah. One shot of tequila does not make a grown man “drunk,” nor does it make him too impaired to drive. There’s a reason why there’s a legal limit – because most people feel like it’s fine to drive after one glass of wine, or one beer, or one shot. Because most adults don’t feel impaired in the least after that amount of alcohol. When I drank, years ago, all that would happen with one shot is a warm flush and a burning throat. That’s it. Again, Bruce wasn’t arrested for carrying an open container, and it’s not against the law to consume alcohol in front of a cop. This is over-policing. It also feels like… some people had a very specific grudge against Bruce.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.