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Antonio DAngelo, 63, fell backward onto a knife in his apartment Tuesday, and thats all you need to know.The post Antonio DAngelo appeared first on The Onion.

Foregoing any flowery language about reigniting the passion in your marriage, were just going to come out and say this secluded vacation rental is perfect for fucking in. Loudly!Reference #90210The post We Want You To Fuck Here appeared first on The Onion.

HONOLULUCalling his portrayal of a Native Hawaiian chief straight out of the 1700s, critics, scholars, and fans alike praised Chief Of War star Jason Momoa this week for the historical accuracy of his ass. Of all the period dramas that have come out in the past two decades, this is by far the most realistic historical ass Ive seen, said University of Hawaii historian Douglas Hale, who stated that Momoa had evidently spent hundreds of hours studying 18th-century sketches, lithographs, and texts depicting and describing the asses of great warriors like Kaiana, whom he plays in the new Apple TV+ series. Normally, you expect Hollywood to take a lot of creative liberties with this type of story, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much care and research had clearly gone into authentically representing those cheeks. My hope is that Chief Of War will get a lot more people interested in studying the asses of the past. At press time, the series was facing backlash after fans had reportedly become frustrated by the shows historically inaccurate lack of full swinging hog.The post Jason Momoa Praised For Historical Accuracy Of Chief Of War Ass appeared first on The Onion.

CORAL SPRINGS, FLEmphasizing the importance of violent, ligament-shredding torque in achieving pro-caliber pitch velocity, regional baseball scout Phil Jenson told pitching prospect Gio Aguilar this week that he would like to see him mutilating his elbow a bit more. Youre clocking high-90s on the radar gun, but you really need to be making that UCL pop more to get the spin rate required to fool hitters, said Jenson, adding that the 19-year-old lefty still lacked the herky-jerky mechanics and frayed tendons that teams look for in high-ceiling arms. Look at the greatsyour deGroms, your Verlandersthey all wreck the shit out of their elbows by age 21. You should be chasing that kind of extreme damage if you want to go in the first round. According to sources, Jenson went on to show Aguilar how to adjust his shoulder rotation to maximize the intramuscular trauma in his delivery.The post Scout Would Like To See Pitching Prospect Mutilate Elbow A Little More appeared first on The Onion.

AURORA, ILPausing to confirm she had read that correctly, local woman Liz Jackson reported Wednesday that the main character in the novel she was reading straight up said she hoped to be played by Nicole Kidman in a miniseries based on the book. I cant believe what came over me back thereits going to be a really juicy scene for whoever gets to play me in the HBO Max adaptation, preferably Nicole Kidman, who would really knock it out of the park, says Allegra Winthrop, Newport, RI, housewife and protagonist of the buzzy new novel Three Cliffs, following a scene in which she has a heated confrontation with her fictional investment banker husband over the fate of their former foster child who disappeared two decades ago. The monologue I just delivered would be absolutely perfect for Nicoles Emmy reel. Besides, Im described as an icy blonde with a lot going on behind the eyes. Who else could they possibly cast? Anyway, I better get back to the dinner table. I need to propel this plot forward. The character went on to narrate that while Kidman was her first choice, Kate Winslet could also be great if the producers opted for a grittier tone.The post Book Character Straight Up Says She Hopes To Be Played By Nicole Kidman In Miniseries appeared first on The Onion.

Gamescom, one of the biggest video game industry trade shows in the world, used AI to book meetings for attending publishers, developers, and media even if they didnt want them. Attendees complained about random meetings showing up on their calendars, prompting Gamescom to turn off the feature and apologize.Gamescom is a video game trade fair and convention in Germany that brings together journalists, developers, and studio executives for a week of networking and announcements. Since the death of E3, Gamescom is now the biggest video game convention in the world.Its a place where people take a lot of meetings, but usually ones they requested and set up weeks in advance by talking directly to human public relations represenatives. Those plagued by AI-generated meetings shared their frustration on social media. Ive got 9x AI-created meetings that have all been accepted by the other attendee but after speaking to one theyve confirmed they didnt know about it either, Graham Day, a Twitch partner, said on X.Screenshots of Days Gamescom app showed a block of 30 minutes 1-on-1 meetings had been confirmed and that the meeting had been "generated based on profile similarities.Anyone elses #gamescom app booked in meetings without your knowledge?Ive got 9x AI-created meetings that have all been accepted by the other attendee but after speaking to one theyve confirmed they didnt know about it either.How do I stop this @gamescom?! pic.twitter.com/DvHnbHF91k Graham Day @ gamescom (@Graham_Day) August 18, 2025The Gamescom app AI-generating meetings you have to manually decline is absolutely heinous shit, Chris Schilling, the editorial director of Lost In Cult, said on Bluesky.Developer JC Lau shared screenshots of the message she received from the app. Our meeting generator has sent you a meeting suggestion with a person who matches your interests, the app said in the screenshot. Dont miss an opportunityaccept requests!The message implied that guests would need to accept the AI-generated meetings to confirm them. But a follow up from Lau showed that wasnt the case. One of their friends had 9 different push notifications from the app, all for confirmed AI-generated meetings.Yuppppp one of my friends shared this, mine wasnt that bad but I dont know how Informa keeps getting stacks of money for a conference and roll out something this screwed up JC Lau Dev/Gamescom! (@drjclau.bsky.social) 2025-08-18T16:06:57.323ZGamescom's app added an AI feature this year and it did not go well. Folks were overwhelmed with automatically generated meeting requests that they did not want. It generated a lot of stuff, but not value, freelance product and UX designer Robiny-Yann Storm said on Bluesky. AI is on Storms mind. Hes giving a talk about Gamescom titled: Old news, new package: AI, Procedural Generation, UGC, In-Game Trading, Crypto, and the Metaverse. It's targeted towards games-adjacent folks, not just game-devs, in how to recognize, discuss, and prevent the 'bamboozle' of things that sound new, but are actually much older, he told 404 Media.On Bluesky, Henry Stockdale, a senior editor at UploadVR, said that the AI-generated meetings gave him a minor panic attack as he was boarding his plane. Two meetings were scheduled that already clashed with appointments made outside of the Gamescom platform, so I would not have attended them, he told 404 Media. I don't use generative AI and am actively put off by platforms forcing that functionality in.Gamescom backtracked. It disabled the AI and sent attendees an apology. Its unclear how long the service was active and generating unwanted meetings and Gamescom did not return 404 Medias request for comment. We tested a new feature todaythe AI meeting generator. The Aim was to suggest suitable business contacts based on your profiles and make it easier for you to plan your trade fair contacts, Gamescom follow up said.However, your honest feedback shows us that this feature does not provide the desired value. We have therefore decided to completely remove the automatically generated meetings from your profiles, it added. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.Many of the affected attendees posted copies of the apology across X and Bluesky. I think they handled it well, quickly realising this was a bad idea and apologising, though the fact they even thought to try this days before the event is, put politely: poor, Stockdale said.Right now, companies are forcing generative AI into everyones life, whether they want it or not. It might be a bubble, one so big that its propping up the U.S. economy, but were stuck with it until it bursts.Gamescom attendees who escaped AI-generated meetings will not be escaping AI during their time in Germany. NVIDIA is there with Project G-Assist, an AI assistant it says will let PC users dial in their gaming settings. Chris Hewish, the CEO of payment company Xsolla, told Variety that AI would be one of the big focuses of the conference. And Microsoft will host a roundtable for developers about how AI can make them more efficient.

Support expands for local journalism in five major cities through funding for 48 outlets, including four News is Out publishers and affiliates. PHILADELPHIA (August 20, 2025) Today, theLocal Media Association(LMA) andComcast NBCUniversalannounced the launch of the 20252026 Economic Opportunity Lab, a groundbreaking initiative supporting local journalism covering stories of economic mobility and opportunity in cities across the United States.The Lab will support a cohort of 48 local newsrooms and 10 NBC and Telemundo owned television stations in producing original, in-depth multimedia stories that examine how geography, policy, and socioeconomic factors shape individuals access to opportunity. Reporting will be grounded in new and emerging data fromOpportunity Insights, a Harvard-based research organization focused on economic inequality and mobility. Journalists will use tools like theOpportunity Atlasto analyze and illustrate how neighborhood conditions, public school systems, housing access, and city policies influence economic outcomes.Read the full release at localmedia.org. The post Local Media Association and Comcast launch Economic Opportunity Lab to spotlight local stories of mobility and change appeared first on News Is Out.

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Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve member Lisa Cook, speaks during a conversations with leaders from organizations that include nonprofits, small businesses, manufacturing, supply chain management, the hospitality industry, and the housing and education sectors at the Federal Reserve building, Sept. 23, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)2025-08-20T15:09:10Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook to resign after a member of his administration accused Cook of committing mortgage fraud.Bill Pulte, director of the agency that oversees mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, urged the Justice Department to investigate Cook, who was appointed to the Feds governing board by former president Joe Biden in 2022. She was reappointed the following year to a term that lasts until 2038. Pulte alleged that Cook has claimed two homes as her principal residences -- one in Georgia, the other in Michigan -- to fraudulently obtain better mortgage lending terms.The allegation represents another front in the Trump administrations attack on the Fed, which has yet to cut its key interest rate as Trump has demanded. If Cook were to step down, then the White House could nominate a replacement. And Trump has said he would only appoint people who would support lower rates. The Federal Reserve declined to comment on the accusation.Trump has for months demanded that the Federal Reserve reduce the short-term interest rate it controls, which currently stands at about 4.3%. Trump says that a lower rate would reduce the governments borrowing costs on $37 trillion in debt and boost the housing market by reducing mortgage rates. Yet mortgage borrowing costs do not always follow the Feds rate decisions. The Trump administration has made similar claims of mortgage fraud against Democrats that Trump has attacked, including California Sen. Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James. CHRISTOPHER RUGABER Rugaber has covered the Federal Reserve and the U.S. economy for the AP for 16 years. He is a two-time finalist for the Gerald Loeb award for business reporting. twitter mailto

This illustration provided by W.M. Keck Observatory depicts the insides of an exploding star. (Adam Makarenko/W. M. Keck Observatory via AP)2025-08-20T15:00:38Z NEW YORK (AP) Scientists for the first time have spotted the insides of a dying star as it exploded, offering a rare peek into stellar evolution.Stars can live for millions to trillions of years until they run out of fuel. The most massive ones go out with a bang in an explosion called a supernova.Using telescopes that peer deep into space, researchers have observed many such explosions. The cosmic outbursts tend to jumble up a dying stars layers, making it hard for scientists to observe the inner structure.But that wasnt the case for the new discovery, a supernova called 2021yfj located in our Milky Way galaxy.The collapsing stars outermost layers of hydrogen and helium had peeled away long ago, which wasnt surprising. But the stars dense, innermost layers of silicon and sulfur had also shed during the explosion.We have never observed a star that was stripped to this amount, said Northwestern Universitys Steve Schulze, who was part of the discovery team that published the research Wednesday in the journal Nature. The finding lends evidence to ideas scientists have about how large stars look near the end of their lives, organized into layers with lighter elements on the outside and heavier ones close to the core. Because so many of the layers had been stripped off this star, this basically confirmed what those layers were, said Anya Nugent, who studies supernovas at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. She was not involved with the new research. Its not yet clear how this star got so whittled down whether its layers were flung off violently in the final stages of its life or yanked away by a twin star. Future research may yield clues, though scientists acknowledged such an event may be tough to capture again.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN Ramakrishnan is a science reporter for The Associated Press, based in New York. She covers research and new developments related to space, early human history and more. twitter mailto

Out Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) slammed Donald Trump for saying that museums shouldnt discuss how bad Slavery was in an attempt to justify how he will be applying legal pressure on museums to rewrite history.Trump ranted about how Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are WOKE because they try to teach about history. He called out the Smithsonian museums in particular which his administration has been trying to control and said that everything discussed [in those museums] is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been. Related Donald Trump orders ideological purge of Smithsonian museums in new executive order Trump said that museums should instead talk about Success, Brightness, and the Future, even though history museums, by definition, focus on the past. Trump wrote that he has instructed my attorneys to go through the Museums and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities, referring to how his administration has threatened to potentially illegally withhold funds from universities in order to force them to roll back internal policies on diversity, campus protests, and transgender students. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Congresswoman Balint, who taught middle school history and social studies for years, rebuked Trump for wanting to rewrite history.Im a former history teacher so let me make it clear that attempting to rewrite and white-wash museums will not change the truth about the past, Balint wrote on X in response. Trump has always had a complicated relationship with facts and the truth.Im a former history teacher so let me make it clear that attempting to rewrite and white-wash museums will not change the truth about the past. Trump has always had a complicated relationship with facts and the truth. https://t.co/XlMXnoSp4w Rep. Becca Balint (@RepBeccaB) August 19, 2025 Others pointed out that Trump is incorrect about the museums presenting historically marginalized communities as unaccomplished. RawStory pointed out that the National Museum of African American History and Culture in D.C. makes it a point to hold up the abolitionist movement, the successes of civil rights, and celebrate those who continue to fight for equal rights.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

A new analysis from the Williams Institute estimates that 2.8 million people ages 13 and over identify as transgender in the United States, including 724,000 children.Using data from federal surveys conducted between 2021 and 2023, the authors also found that the youngest age groups of adults are significantly more likely to identify as transgender than members of the older age groups. Related Gender-affirming care improves trans mens quality of life The report says 76% of trans people over 13 are under 35, compared to 34% of the overall U.S. population in this age category. Additionally, 25% of trans-identifying people are between the ages of 13 and 17, compared to 8% of the general U.S. population falling in this age group.The youngest age group, then, has the highest percentage of trans people, with 3.3% of youth ages 13 to 17 identifying as transgender. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today In comparison, 0.8% of adults in the United States identify as trans, as do 1% of people 13 and over, 0.3% of those over 65, 0.4% of those 35 to 64, 1.4% of those 25 to 34, and 2.7% of those 18 to 24. True to their reputation as being more comfortable with fluidity, young people were also more likely to identify as nonbinary.Dr. Andrew Flores, Williams Institute distinguished visiting scholar, associate professor of government at American University, and a co-author of the report, told The Guardian that there are several factors to explain the larger percentages of young people identifying as transgender. For one, young people are more likely to respond to survey questions about gender, Flores explained, but there is also more to it. Younger people are growing up among other younger people who already hold more accepting attitudes toward LGBT and transgender people more broadly. In this generation, they might be more willing and safe to identify that they are transgender, because they dont see as much of a harm or threat as older generations.Report co-author Jody Herman, senior scholar of public policy at the Williams Institute, told The Guardian that the trans population in the country exceeds the total populations of over 12 states. This is a substantial population that has unique concerns and barriers to getting their needs met, and lawmakers need to keep that in mind, Herman said. The authors explain in the report that the data is the best they have ever had when it comes to youth, though the shifting collection methods over the years for both youth and adults make it difficult to compare the numbers to previous years. But most worrisome for the authors is the fact that this could be the last time they have access to data like this for at least a decade. In its quest to eliminate trans people from public life, the current administration is removing questions on gender identity from CDC, Census Bureau, and Department of Justice surveys. We didnt really have decent national data until around 10 years ago, so we just very recently got a grasp on how many people identify as trans in the US and what their characteristics are, Herman said. For these data sources to just suddenly disappear, it is a major setback. The population is not going to go away, were just not going to know more about them than what we have from our current sources. Flores emphasized that the stakes are high. In some policy circles, they say if you cant be counted, you dont count. And for members of the LGBTQ+ community, to be able to see numbers that reflect their lived experiences is quite important.Indeed, government survey questions are critical in determining everything from equal employment and civil rights enforcement to the kind of public assistance certain communities need.We can learn about health, economic, housing and other outcomes that might be worse for LGBT people because of the stigma and discrimination that they face, economics professor M. V. Lee Badgetttoldthe Associated Press in 2023, and we can track changes over time to see if laws and policies are leading to more equality. Even if the survey questions are reinstated by a future administration, the gap in data could have major consequences. But Flores said researchers are working to find alternate ways to collect the information.Were not just going to close up shop. Were going to try to find a way to keep telling these stories and be persistent.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Nature, Published online: 20 August 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02438-5Carbon emissions from plastics production are no surprise. But when plastic turns to dust, it also affects how the planet absorbs carbon from the air, on land and in the oceans.

Nature, Published online: 20 August 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02623-6Advances in climate modelling are clarifying accountability for global warming.

Nature, Published online: 20 August 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02321-3From AI-powered bee monitors to genetically modified yeasts that make protein, here are some solutions that are set to revolutionize the future of food.

Nature, Published online: 20 August 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02629-0Output of the powerful greenhouse gas by Chinas energy sector peaked in 2014, an inventory shows.

Nature, Published online: 20 August 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02588-6Chemical profiling traces the source of water in one of the brightest known comets to keep returning to the Solar System.

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Stilton is a special type of blue cheese that can be made in only three English counties. There are just four producers of Stilton left, but this one was crowned best cheese in the world, according to one of the industrys top awards last year. Eshe Nelson, a business reporter for The New York Times, went to Clawson Farms, the producer of the award-winning Stilton, which is trying to expand its business in the United States, despite the higher costs imposed by the Trump administrations tariff policy.

District of Columbia National Guard soldiers patrol on the National Mall, Thursday, August 14, 2025, in Washington. The U.S. Capitol is seen in the distance. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)2025-08-20T15:12:40Z WASHINGTON (AP) A National Guard vehicle collided with a civilian car less than a mile from the U.S. Capitol on Thursday morning as troops continued to take up positions around the city during President Donald Trumps crackdown. One person was trapped inside the car after the accident and had to be extricated by emergency responders, according to D.C. fire department spokesman Vito Maggiolo. The person was transported to a hospital with minor injuries. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash. A video posted online showed a tan-colored armored vehicle and a silver SUV with a crushed side. The military vehicle was twice the height of the civilian car.You come to our city and this is what you do? Seriously? a woman yelled at the troops in the video. The driver was conscious and breathing, and the injuries were not considered life threatening, police said. An estimated 1,900 troops are being deployed in D.C. More than half are coming from Republican-led states that are responding to requests from Trump administration officials. Attorney General Pam Bondi said more than 550 people have been arrested so far, and the U.S. Marshals are offering $500 rewards for information leading to additional arrests.Together, we will make DC safe again! Bondi wrote on social media. LINDSAY WHITEHURST Whitehurst covers the Supreme Court and legal affairs for The Associated Press. Shes won multiple journalism awards in a career thats spanned two decades. twitter mailto CHRIS MEGERIAN Megerian covers the White House for The Associated Press. He previously wrote about the Russia investigation, climate change, law enforcement and politics in California and New Jersey. twitter mailto

Beyonc performs during halftime of an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans, Dec. 25, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith, file)2025-08-20T13:02:38Z NEW YORK (AP) When Tre Little two-stepped in his cowboy boots at the BET Awards preshow this summer, he was overcome with joy and gratitude.I used to watch this on TV every year, and Im now performing, said the 22-year-old Atlanta-area resident. I started crying tears of joy.He joined Southern soul singer 803Fresh to perform his massive viral hit, Boots on the Ground. Released in December, the trail ride-inspired song and accompanying line dance have become an anticipated moment at African American gatherings, like family reunions, weddings, graduations, parties and cookouts.The Boots on the Ground dance, which includes the rhythmic clacking of folding hand fans as the South Carolinian belts Where them fans at?, was created by Little during a work lunch break. After hearing a snippet on TikTok, he played around with a routine and posted it, without much thought. I usually get my little six views from my family I took a nap and when I woke up, it was at 100K, said Little, who is now in demand nationwide teaching line dance classes and hosting events. He has even been approached to create new dances. Its bringing people together to do a dance and share laughter. Beyonc incorporated the dance into her record-breaking Cowboy Carter tour, and former first lady Michelle Obama and Shaquille ONeal have publicly participated. Popular line dances are not a new phenomenon, but several factors made this song, which hit No. 1 on both Billboards adult R&B airplay and R&B digital song sales charts, spread at an unprecedented pace. Bryson Cupid Bernard poses for a portrait Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) Bryson Cupid Bernard poses for a portrait Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More With the new energy toward country music and trail ride music and African Americans presence in it, I think that opened up Americas eyes to what weve been doing down in Louisiana and Texas and Mississippi and Alabama for years, said recording artist Cupid, known as the Line Dance King and creator of the popular Cupid Shuffle (2007) song and choreography. Their eyes have been opened to line dancing and the unity that it brings, he said. A new take on an old traditionLine dancing features individuals gathered to perform synchronized, repetitive dance moves, generally in lines, and is popular for both socializing and exercise. A major appeal is that there is no age limit or skill requirement, and dances can be learned in real time.There is no consensus on the origins of line dancing. Some historians trace it to African celebratory tribal dances, which extended to enslaved Black Americans who sang or moved in unison during field work. Other scholars trace it to European immigrants who brought traditional folk dances from their native lands. The country western style is performed to country tunes, while soul line dancing is backed by R&B, soul and hip-hop.Along with the Cupid Shuffle, routines to DJ Caspers Cha Cha Slide (2000) and V.I.C.s Wobble (2008) are canonized in soul line dancing, as well as the most recognized 1972 song, Electric Boogie (The Electric Slide) by Marcia Griffiths. But Boots on the Ground has introduced trail ride line dancing to many Americans outside of the Southeast. Trail rides are socialized horseback processionals traveling to a designated location. In Black Southern culture, it is a party atmosphere with food and dancing, including niche music genres like zydeco and Southern soul, which blends R&B, blues, gospel and country. People didnt really know about it. When something is trending, it makes everybody get on the bandwagon, said 28-year-old Jakayla Preston, who goes by the handle @_itsjakaylaa on TikTok. A professional dancer, the Houstonian began teaching line dance classes this year after persistent requests from her followers, which intensified following the Boots on the Ground boom. Leading classes across the country, she discovered attendance was about more than foot-taps and turns.I have people who are struggling and battling with a lot of things theyll even sometimes cry and thank me for hosting the class there, or just giving them the experience to be able come and express, she said. Its a feeling thats indescribable. Line dance with the Beyonc effect Beyonc probably had a lot to do with that, as far as her Cowboy Carter album, said Preston, referring to the attention on trail ride line dancing.The Grammys reigning album of the year sparked conversations about African American contributions to country music and Black cowboy culture, with Cowboy Carter tourgoers frequently dressing the part. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, one of the citys marquee events, broke its attendance record this year, and while there were several factors, many first-timers and social media users said they visited Queen Beys hometown to experience what she sang about. I never seen ever that many people that was out there line dancing, said Preston, who grew up attending the rodeo. Its an amazing sight to see. Beyonc performs during halftime of an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans, Dec. 25, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith, file) Beyonc performs during halftime of an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans, Dec. 25, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith, file) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Sharlene Sinegal-DeCuir, chair of African American and Diaspora Studies at Xavier University in New Orleans, said Beyoncs impact extends beyond music.Country western music: the sound, the banjo, the violin, all those things are African instruments, said Sinegal-DeCuir, who grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana, line dancing and listening to zydeco. Shes bringing it to the world to let the world know, no, were not just getting into country we are country.The political line (dance) in the sandSinegal-DeCuir believes the political climate may have indirectly contributed to the success of Boots on the Ground and interest in line dancing. She notes the 92% of Black women who voted against President Donald Trump, whose policies are disproportionately affecting Black Americans, including eliminating DEI programs, federal agency mass layoffs, and cuts to SNAP benefits, Medicare and Medicaid.We know how to survive these things because we lean on family, we lean on community, and this joy, said Sinegal-DeCuir. The world is burning down, and were sitting here learning a new line dance because were tired of the political atmosphere its a form of resistance. Cupid remembers a pivotal moment during the social justice movement, sparked by the 2020 killing of George Floyd, a Black man who was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer. He saw a video of a tense exchange between protesters and law enforcement at a rally, and Cupid Shuffle began playing to ease tensions. More social videos were uploaded during that era showing his song played at protests across America.I realized the importance of it, as far as connecting two people that dont even see eye to eye, said the Flex artist, who is readying a new album next month that he says will be the first all-line-dance album. If you had to pick three songs that could bring people on two opposite sides of the fence together for a moment, then line dancing is definitely those types of songs.I dont think theres any other genre more powerful than line dance, he added.___Follow Associated Press entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms. GARY GERARD HAMILTON Hamilton is an entertainment journalist primarily covering music, film and TV for both video and text. twitter facebook

Lets be real for many hopeful LGBTQ+ parents pursuing IVF and surrogacy, the idea of having twins can sound like a dream. Two kids, only one intense journey, and then your family-building is complete. Who wouldnt love that?When my husband and I were building our family more than 15 years ago, we went the twin route, too. But in the years since we became parents, medical advice has shifted. Dramatically. Most fertility doctors are now advising against transferring two embryos. And its not because they dont want to help us build our families; its because their number one goal, like ours, is a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. And thats most safely achieved with one embryo, not two. Related Family-building while queer isnt easy. You dont have to do it alone. Heres what weve learned from some of the incredible doctors in the GWK Academy network like Dr. Allison Bloom of Main Line Fertility and our biological family-building medical advisor, Dr. Mark Leondires of Illume Fertility and why many of them are encouraging queer parents to think twice about trying for twins.Twins come with real risks Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today As Dr. Bloom explains, Many intended parents ask about having twins. While people often think this is an ideal way to complete their family, it does come with increased risks and potentially increased costs.Dr. Mark Leondires of Illume Fertility | Provided by GWK Academy The biggest concern? Preterm birth. Twin pregnancies are much more likely to result in babies being born early and preemies often face lifelong complications. These can include breathing issues, developmental delays, and even long-term hospital stays in the NICU.And the risks arent just for the babies they apply to your gestational carrier, too. Carrying twins increases the chances of serious pregnancy complications like preeclampsia (dangerously high blood pressure), gestational diabetes, and the need for a C-section (even if theyve delivered vaginally in the past). Theyll need more prenatal visits, more monitoring, and may need to stop working earlier than planned.Thats not only hard on the surrogate it can also lead to you incurring higher medical, insurance and agency-related costs than youd expected.The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) is the leading U.S. medical organization that develops clinical and ethical practice standards for reproductive medicine, including IVF and surrogacy. They issue Practice Committee and Ethics Committee guidelines that serve as the backbone for clinic protocols and provider behavior nationwide. Simply put, ASRM recommends a single embryo transfer as the standard to minimize the risks of multiple gestation for both carriers and babies when embryos originate from an egg source less than age 35 or if they have been tested to be chromosomally normal. The money-saving myth Heres a misconception we hear a lot: Twins will save me money because Ill only need one surrogate and shell carry both embryos in one journey.That might be true but only if everything goes perfectly. And we all know how rare perfect is on these journeys.If complications arise, or your babies need extended NICU care, or your gestational carrier requires extra support either before or after birth all these expenses can quickly eclipse the total costs involved for two separate singleton journeys. The mental health toll Plus, not all twin embryo transfers actually result in twins. Sometimes, one embryo simply doesnt implant. If youre using two sperm sources (which many of our families do), you might not know who the biological father is until the baby is born. That can carry its own emotional toll especially if one dads embryo didnt make it.Theres also the possibility of vanishing twin syndrome, when one embryo begins developing but miscarries early on. That can be heartbreaking, especially if both parents were expecting to have a biological connection to a child.Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Joey Guzman-Kuffel expresses, Twins bring double the joy, but also double challenges, especially when it comes to balancing identity, partnership, and parenting roles. When having twins, there is an increased risk for experiencing anxiety, stress, or even feelings of being overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for two babies at once. There is also the heightened risk for experiencing sleep deprivation which can trigger postpartum mood disorders in non-gestational parents, like gay dads.Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Joey Guzman-Kuffel | Provided by GWK Academy The surrogacy gap Fewer gestational carriers are open to carrying twins. Many agencies (including the ones we vet through GWK Academy) have specific requirements a carrier might need to have already carried twins to term, or she might need special medical clearance.That means it could take significantly longer to match with a surrogate willing to carry twins, slowing down your journey, often by many months. So whats the safest option?Single embryo transfer. Thats the answer youll hear again and again from the doctors we trust.Dr. Leondires says it clearly: As a fertility doctor, my goal is a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. A single embryo transfer and a singleton pregnancy is the safest way to achieve that goal. We always need to consider what leads to the healthiest childhood outcomes, and it is clear that is a singleton gestation.Dr. Mark Leondires | Provided by GWK Academy And while some clinics will transfer two embryos under certain circumstances (and after thorough counseling), most fertility clinics are making elective single embryo transfer their standard recommendation especially for gestational carrier journeys.What if you really want two kids close in age?Heres a creative and safer option that some GWK Academy families pursue: Two surrogates, each carrying one embryo, with the second surrogate starting her journey once the first surrogate has cleared her first trimester. Why separate the two journeys by three months? Because this way it will be much less likely that youll have two surrogates giving birth around the same time, which could be problematic, presuming your surrogates may not live anywhere near each other.Yes, this does prove to be more expensive up front, but it can help you have two children close in age without the medical risks of a twin pregnancy. Plus, take it from someone whose first baby was a singleton and whose second babies were twins: It is MUCH easier to care for one newborn baby those first three months than it is to care for two!At the end of the day, I know how tempting the twin dream can be. But as someone whos walked this path and now helps guide countless LGBTQ+ people through it I urge you to listen to your medical team, get informed, and think long-term.While the dream of twins can be tempting, the most important goal is a safe and healthy journey that results in you holding your baby in your arms.At GWK Academy, we help LGBTQ+ intended parents navigate the surrogacy process safely and confidently, connecting you with ethical, LGBTQ+-affirming clinics and agencies that follow best medical practices.You deserve a healthy baby and a smooth journey. And in almost every case, that means taking it one embryo at a time.Want to learn more about surrogacy & IVF? Join GWK Academy for free now for personalized coaching and access to a network of trusted, LGBTQ+ affirming fertility clinics and experts. Were here to guide you every step of the way.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Anti-LGBTQ+ Rep. Elise Stefanik(R-NY) was booed offstage during her speaking engagement in Pittsburgh, New York, on Monday, causing her to leave the lectern less than a minute after she began speaking.Stefanik, who is theHouse Republican leadership chair,appeared at a nonpartisan event to honor former John Zurlo,a clerk in Clinton County who served for eight terms until he died last December at the age of 86. The county named its government center after Zurlo; Zurlos family and county officials attended. Related Republican leader called Democrats pedo grifters for giving baby formula to immigrants But crowd members booed, shouting Traitor! and Shame! as Stefanik approached the lectern and began reading her opening comments. The heckling caused her to grimace and walk away less than a minute later.Before walking away, Stefanik said, This crowd is not being respectful of John Zurlo, and he was deeply respected, adding, Im going to turn it back to you,to the man who introduced her. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today When she returned to the lectern a second time, the crowd continued to boo her, with some shouting You sold us out! and Unseal the Epstein files! Boing Boing wrote.Rep. Elise Stefanik booed off stage at an event in Plattsburgh, NY. After a few uncomfortable seconds of screams and boos, she left the lectern rather than deliver her prepared remarks pic.twitter.com/sMlWDrLamR Joe Khalil (@JoeKhalilTV) August 18, 2025 Stefanik latercriticized the crowd via X, writing, Today [the district] witnessed shameful conduct by radical Far Left Democrat agitators who disgracefully attempted to drown out and silence a non-political event in Plattsburgh to honor the lifelong service of John Zurlo in Clinton County as the building was named in his honor.While Stefanik claimed that the attendees were far-left agitators, in her 2024 re-election race, 132,447 of her constituents voted for her Democratic opponents. A quick history of Stefaniks anti-LGBTQ+ stancesIn April 2023, Stefanikvoted in support of a billthat would require federally supported schools and colleges to ban transgender athletes from playing sports. She also opposed a New York State bill supporting public accommodation protections for trans people.Stefanik has voiced support forthe so-called Parents Bill of Rights, a bill that would out trans kids to their potentially unsupportive parents and would also require schools to list all library books and curricula online.In 2022, Stefanik was among 47 House Republicans who voted with Democrats to help pass the Respect for Marriage Act, a law that requires federal and state governments to recognize same-sex unions. In February 2021, she co-sponsored the Fairness for All Act, a law that sought to simultaneously prohibit discrimination against gender identity and sexual orientation while allowing exemptions for religious organizations and service providers to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people. Shewithdrew her support for the billone year later after religious and conservative groups criticized it for acknowledging the existence of trans people.In 2019, was one of eight Republicanswho voted in favor of the Equality Act, a law that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to federal anti-discrimination laws. However, in 2021, she voted against it even though the bills text hadnt substantially changed.In 2016, shevoted to add a provisionto the National Defense Authorization Act that would allow anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination in all federal agencies.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

We swear, every time we turn around, there is a new type of lesbian out there. From futches to Hey Mamas to the old standbys: butches and femmes, there is a type of sapphic for every taste, and no matter your personality in or out of the bedroom, there is probably a term you can identify with, including stem lesbians.No, were not talking about a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math lesbians (although smarty pants queer ladies are out there). Stem lesbians are Black and Latinx sapphics who fall somewhere between studs and femmes.To explain what the term means, how its different from studs, and if gender plays a role, we talked to Sofie Roos, a bisexual licensed sexologist, relationship therapist, and author at relationship magazine Passionerad.What is a stem lesbian, and where did the term originate?Sexuality and gender expressions is not binary (despite what conservatives want you to believe) and stem lesbians are Black and Latinx sapphics who arent 100% butch or 100% femme.The term stud was coined in the 1960s for Black butches, but over time the word the words stud and femme morphed into the portmanteau stem to describe the gray area between masculine and feminine presenting queen women.How does it present?No two stem lesbians are alike, just like any other type of sapphic out there, but they tend to mix masculine and feminine clothing.According to Roos, one stem might sport a feminine pair of jeans shorts and mix it with a baggy masculine sweater, black nail polish, and little makeup, or they can combine a masculine cap, short hair and big boots with a dress and tie.While others might choose to wear a fully masculine look one day with baggy jeans, an oversized white t-shirt, messy hair and no make-up, and the next day get dressed in a cute skirt, a blouse, do their hair and wear feminine makeup.And someone else can have a feminine vibe and use make-up, but only wear men's clothing, or have a boyish attitude and wear a dress, she says.How is it different than a 'stud lesbian?A stud lesbian refers to a Black masculine-presenting woman, which is different than stem lesbians who fall somewhere in the middle of studs and femmes on the lesbian scale.While a stud is a Black masculine sapphic, a stem uses many feminine ways of expressing themselves too, Roos explains. So someone whos a stud isnt interested in embracing any feminine sides, while a stem mixes in a way where both sides take a big role in their identity!How is it different from other masc of center lesbians?According to Roos, other lesbians who more masc presenting like chapstick lesbians, soft butches, or Hey Mamas can be of any ethnicity, but the term stem is reserved for Black and Latinx sapphics only.Its basically the same as a chapstick lesbian someone whos in the middle land and who likes to mix between masculine and feminine expressions, she says.Who can be a stem lesbian? How does gender interact with this identity?Roos says that any queer woman who is Black or Latinx and feels they are in the grey area between a femme and a stud can be a stem, period.So one can say that youre too boyish' or too feminine to be a stem as long as you feel it fits well with who you are, she confirms.

Nature, Published online: 20 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09376-2In Drosophila, coherent slow-wave activity between sleep-promoting and locomotion-promoting neural networks provides a brain state structure that allows for quiescent behaviours.

Nature, Published online: 20 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09397-xIn mammals, the enzyme TGDS produces UDP-4-keto-6-deoxyglucose, which binds to the catalytic pocket of UDP-xylose synthase, thereby regenerating the essential NAD+ cofactor of UDP-xylose synthase in conditions of low NAD+.

Nature, Published online: 20 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09418-9The N-acyl-cyclolysine system regulates the expression of co-localized operons encoding diverse secreted molecules in Bacteroidota.