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World

Blinken Resists Push to Label Russia a Terrorist State

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate supports it unanimously. So does House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, along with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and the Ukrainian Parliament.

But Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken is not so sure.

For weeks, pressure has mounted on Mr. Blinken to formally declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism, a label currently reserved for North Korea, Syria, Cuba and Iran. But despite the emotional appeal, Mr. Blinken is resisting a move that could force him to sanction U.S. allies that do business with Russia and might snuff out the remaining vestiges of diplomacy between Washington and Moscow.

Amid outrage over Russia’s brutal military campaign in Ukraine, the U.S. Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved a nonbinding resolution calling on Mr. Blinken to designate Russia as a terrorism sponsor for its attacks in Ukraine, as well as in Chechnya, Georgia and Syria, that resulted “in the deaths of countless innocent men, women and children.”

“To me, Putin is now sitting on top of a state terrorist apparatus,” Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina and a co-sponsor of the resolution, told reporters after the vote. He said the sanctions that had already been imposed on Russia “have been effective, but we need to do more.”

This month, Mr. Graham and Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, visited Mr. Zelensky in Kyiv and presented him with a framed copy of their resolution.

But Mr. Blinken responded noncommittally when asked about the issue on Thursday, echoing other State Department and White House officials. Any decision must be based on existing legal definitions, he said, while also suggesting that the point was moot because Russia was already under many sanctions.

“The costs that have been imposed on Russia by us and by other countries are absolutely in line with the consequences that would follow from designation as a state sponsor of terrorism,” Mr. Blinken said at a news conference. “So the practical effects of what we’re doing are the same.”

Mr. Blinken’s hand may be forced, however. While the Senate resolution was merely a call to action with no legal force, a group of House Democrats on Thursday filed a new measure which, if passed by Congress and signed into law, would end-run the State Department and add Russia to the U.S. terror sponsor list.

A State Department finding that Russia is a state sponsor of terror — a label that agency officials refer to as the “nuclear option” — would result in more sanctions on Russia’s battered economy, including penalties on countries that do business with Moscow. It would also waive traditional legal barriers that prevent private citizens from suing foreign governments for damages, potentially including the families of American volunteers killed or injured while fighting Russia in Ukraine.

And it could rupture, once and for all, the Biden administration’s limited diplomatic links with Moscow, analysts say, which Mr. Blinken called important to keep intact.

In a reminder of that dynamic, Mr. Blinken spoke to his Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, by phone on Thursday and pressed him to accept a proposal for the release of two Americans, Brittney Griner and Paul N. Whelan, but he reported no breakthrough. It was their first conversation since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Over the course of the war, Mr. Zelensky has openly called for the terrorism designation, speaking last month of “the urgent need to enshrine it legally.” The House is gearing up for a vote on a resolution similar to the Senate’s version, with Ms. Pelosi’s strong support.

The disagreement between the Biden administration and Congress over the label echoes debates from the start of the Ukraine war, when the first evidence of atrocities emerged. When leaders of Congress, including Ms. Pelosi, accused Russia’s military of committing war crimes, Mr. Blinken was cautious, citing legal criteria and the need for evidence and investigation. But on March 16, President Biden superseded that position by declaring Mr. Putin “a war criminal.”

Mr. Biden’s rhetorical declaration infuriated the Kremlin, but it had no policy implications. That would not be the case with an official terrorism designation.

A senior U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss policy deliberations, expressed concern that such a measure would limit the administration’s ability to exempt some transactions with Russia from Western penalties. The official did not specify the activities, but the United States has, for instance, taken care to ensure that Russian food exports are not affected by trade sanctions.

The secretary of state has wide latitude to impose various designations on other countries or groups, legal experts say. But the department prefers to wield the designations only under specific circumstances.

According to the State Department, the terrorism designation results in restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance, limits on some exports of “dual use” technology items that might have military applications and a ban on defense exports and sales.

Much of that is covered by existing sanctions. But the finding could force the United States to go further, Mr. Graham said on Wednesday, by adding new restrictions to how third-party countries could interact with Russia without fear of American penalties.

“It means that doing business with Russia, with that designation, gets to be exceedingly hard,” Mr. Graham said.

Experts said that the diplomatic cost of such a move could be significant and that Mr. Putin might expel all American diplomats from the country. So far, Moscow has allowed the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to remain open and for some diplomats to stay, including Ambassador John J. Sullivan.

Even during the Ukraine war, the United States wants to continue working with Russia on some issues, including the international talks with Iran over restoring a 2015 nuclear agreement to which Moscow was a party and from which President Donald J. Trump withdrew.

“For diplomacy, it’s not practical to designate a state with which the U.S. has a multifaceted relationship,” said Brian Finucane, a senior adviser at the International Crisis Group who recently worked on military and counterterrorism issues at the State Department.

Some supporters of the designation would not mind further isolating Russia, however.

“The designation of state sponsorship of terrorism puts Russia in a very small club,” Mr. Blumenthal said on Wednesday. “It consists of nations like Syria, Iran, Cuba, that are outside the bounds of civilized countries. They are pariahs.”

American officials have so far employed the label mainly in cases where a nation or its proxy has committed a narrowly targeted, nonmilitary act, such as bombing a civilian airliner.

“U.S. officials want to make a clear delineation between terrorism and the type of conflict where the U.S. military might engage in combat operations,” Mr. Finucane said.

In 2019, Trump officials debated a proposal to impose the “foreign terrorist organization” label on a part of the Iranian military, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Pentagon officials opposed the move, wary of creating a precedent that might invite other countries to impose a similar designation on the United States because of the actions of the American military.

President Trump overruled that objection. As part of negotiations to restore a nuclear agreement, Iran has demanded that the Biden administration scrap the label, but Mr. Biden has refused.

Once announced, a terrorist designation is often perceived by U.S. officials to be politically risky to repeal, even in a new administration with different views. In one of his final acts in the Trump administration, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo labeled Cuba a “state sponsor of terrorism,” a step that the Biden administration has yet to reverse, despite skepticism about its justification. (Mr. Trump did remove Sudan from the terror sponsor list as part of a 2020 deal to normalize its relations with Israel.)

Mr. Trump also designated North Korea as a terror sponsor in 2017, even though President George W. Bush lifted the label in 2008.

Daniel L. Byman, a senior fellow at the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, wrote at the time that the United States approach toward state sponsorship of terrorism “has many flaws.” Among them, he said, was the fact that some obvious candidates, including Pakistan — which Washington sees as a partner but whose intelligence services have ties to the Taliban and to anti-Indian terrorist groups — somehow evaded the label.

Charlie Savage contributed reporting.

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Entertainment

Upside Down Pictures – Duffer Brothers Launching New Label With Netflix

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For the second year in a row, the Salem Horror Fest and Bloody Disgusting’s Horror Queers Podcast have joined forces for FRIGHTGOWN, a summer series of watch parties devoted to independent queer horror. The six-week series of virtual screenings will benefit The Trevor Project, with last year’s event raising over $7,000 for the Transgender Law Center.

Salem Horror Fest and the Horror Queers Podcast will resurrect their FRIGHTGOWN fundraiser on Wednesday, July 13 and run weekly through August 17 at 7:30 pm EST, kicking off with the new film So Vam from 17-year-old trans filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay. The six-week series will showcase recent projects featuring queer horror stories and filmmakers. 

FRIGHTGOWN organizers Kay Lynch and Joe Lipsett state: “The momentum for Queer Horror is real. It’s an exciting time for new and independent voices. While Pride Month is over, it never really dies. Our goal is to celebrate and encourage filmmakers who are committed to representing our stories on screen and behind the lens throughout the year.”

Selected films will span several genres, from Chris Moore’s conversion camp-themed Children of Sin, Canadian mumblecore lesbian film The Strings, trans director Jane Schoenbrun’s consideration of gender dysphoria on the internet in We’re All Going To The World’s Fair, and Addison Heimann’s exploration of mental health in Hypochondriac before wrapping up with Jon Abrams’ dark, campy and disturbing campus sexual assault thriller Exploited. 

Here’s the full film schedule for FRIGHTGOWN 2022:

Wednesday, July 13th

7:30 pm EST – So Vam, Directed by Alice Maoi Mackay9:00 pm EST – Bit, Directed by Brad Michael Elmore

Wednesday, July 20

7:30 pm EST – Children of Sin, Directed by Christopher Wesly Moore9:00 pm EST – Revealer, Directed by Luke Boyce

Wednesday, July 27

7:30 pm EST – Sound of Violence, Directed by Alex Noyer9:00 pm EST – The Strings, Directed by Ryan Glover

Wednesday, August 3

7:30 pm EST – We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, Directed by Jane Schoenbrun9:00 pm EST – Creep, Directed by, Patrick Brice

Wednesday, August 10

7:30 pm EST – Hypochondriac, Directed by Addison Heimann9:00 pm EST – Climax, Directed by Gaspar Noé

Wednesday, August 17

7:30 pm EST – Exploited, Directed by Jon Abrahams9:00 pm EST – Cam, Directed by Daniel Goldhab

Special guests will co-host virtual watch parties on Twitter where everyone is encouraged to engage with each other using the hashtag #frightgownsummer. Exclusive interviews with filmmakers and writers will accompany the screenings, posted to social media and hosted on the event website at frightgown.com.

While there is no admission fee to attend, all films will be available to purchase, rent, or stream where proceeds go to support the filmmakers. FRIGHTGOWN asks that all participants consider making an additional optional donation. Those who contribute $100 or more will receive an exclusive trans-themed Friday the 13th mask designed by Uncle Boogieman. All proceeds will go to support The Trevor Project.

Film schedule, program details, and donor info are available at frightgown.com.



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World

Twitter to add warning label to tweets it deems ‘viral misinformation’

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Twitter announced the roll-out of a “crisis misinformation policy” which will seek to suppress posts the company deems “viral misinformation.”

The social media platform announced the policy Thursday with an official blog post. The feature would allow Twitter representatives to censor or handicap posts they determine to be misleading or false. The company claimed that the suppression tools will only be used in the case of a “humanitarian crisis.”

“Today, we’re introducing our crisis misinformation policy – a global policy that will guide our efforts to elevate credible, authoritative information, and will help to ensure viral misinformation isn’t amplified or recommended by us during crises. In times of crisis, misleading information can undermine public trust and cause further harm to already vulnerable communities.”

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“For the purposes of this policy, we define crises as situations in which there is a widespread threat to life, physical safety, health, or basic subsistence,” the company said. “This definition is consistent with the United Nations’ definition of a humanitarian crisis and other humanitarian assessments.”

A sign is pictured outside the Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, Monday, April 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn / AP Newsroom)

Twitter will utilize a variety of suppression methods on “misleading” tweets, including removing posts from recommended content and keeping the tweets from being amplified via engagement.

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“To reduce potential harm, as soon as we have evidence that a claim may be misleading, we won’t amplify or recommend content that is covered by this policy across Twitter – including in the Home timeline, Search, and Explore,” Twitter explained. “In addition, we will prioritize adding warning notices to highly visible Tweets and Tweets from high profile accounts, such as state-affiliated media accounts, verified, official government accounts.”

Twitter famously suspended The New York Post from their platform just ahead of the 2020 election for publishing a story about the existence of Hunter Biden’s laptop. The laptop contained emails, text messages, photos and financial documents indicating foreign business dealings the first son and the Biden family were involved with.

Twitter went to unprecedented lengths to prevent the Post’s story from being shared claiming that it stemmed from “hacked material,” which was an inaccurate claim.

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However, Twitter has doubled down on their perceived obligation to curate the app, announcing a veritable tool belt of data manipulation for use on posts.

The Twitter blog post continued, “Content moderation is more than just leaving up or taking down content, and we’ve expanded the range of actions we may take to ensure they’re proportionate to the severity of the potential harm. We’ve found that not amplifying or recommending certain content, adding context through labels, and in severe cases, disabling engagement with the Tweets, are effective ways to mitigate harm, while still preserving speech and records of critical global events.”

In fact, the company announced at the end of their blog post that expansions of the policy are already under development for “additional forms of crisis.”

“While this first iteration is focused on international armed conflict, starting with the war in Ukraine, we plan to update and expand the policy to include additional forms of crisis. The policy will supplement our existing work deployed during other global crises, such as in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and India.”

The news comes just after the Department of Homeland Security announced it was pausing its plans for a Disinformation Board headed by executive director Nina Jankowicz.

The board was brutally panned with immediate comparisons to George Orwell’s “Ministry of Truth.” Meanwhile, the board’s executive director Nina Jankowicz was skewered by critics for her checkered past of spreading misinformation and for questionable social media posts. 

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Jankowicz has since resigned from DHS altogether. 

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Fox News’ Kyle Morris, Andrew Murray, and Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report. 

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World

Canada lawmakers vote unanimously to label Russia’s acts in Ukraine as ‘genocide’

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Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada April 27, 2022. REUTERS/Blair Gable

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April 27 (Reuters) – Canadian lawmakers voted unanimously on Wednesday to call Russia’s attacks in Ukraine a “genocide”, with members of parliament saying there was “ample evidence of systemic and massive war crimes against humanity” being committed by Moscow.

The Canadian House of Commons’ motion said war crimes by Russia include mass atrocities, systematic instances of willful killing of Ukrainian civilians, the desecration of corpses, forcible transfer of Ukrainian children, torture, physical harm, mental harm, and rape.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was “absolutely right” for more and more people to describe Russia’s actions in Ukraine as genocide, supporting an accusation made by U.S. President Joe Biden a day earlier.

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Biden had said earlier in April that the Ukraine invasion amounted to genocide but had added that lawyers internationally would have to decide whether or not the invasion met the criteria for genocide.

Russia, which denies the genocide charges, calls its action in Ukraine a “special military operation” and said it was necessary because the United States was using Ukraine to threaten Russia. Moscow in turn accuses Ukraine of the genocide of Russian-speaking people, a charge that Ukraine dismisses as nonsense. read more

Canada is among a number of countries to have imposed sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. On Wednesday, it imposed further sanctions on 203 individuals whom it says are complicit in Russia’s attempted annexation of certain areas of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.

Late on Wednesday, Canada also updated its travel advice for Moldova, citing the risk of armed conflict in Transnistria, a breakaway Russian-occupied part of Moldova in the west.

The government of Canada asked travelers to exercise a high degree of caution in Moldova and avoid all travel to Transnistria.

The Canadian government has also said it will change its sanctions laws to allow for funds or property seized or sanctioned from Russia to be paid out to help rebuild Ukraine or to those affected by Russia’s invasion. read more

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Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Sandra Maler and Jacqueline Wong

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Entertainment

Art Rupe, label owner who helped launch Little Richard and Sam Cooke, dies at 104 | Music

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Music executive Art Rupe, whose Specialty Records was a premier label during the formative years of rock’n’roll and helped launch the careers of Little Richard, Sam Cooke and many others, has died. He was 104.

Rupe, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, died on Friday at his home in Santa Barbara, California, according to the Arthur N Rupe Foundation. The foundation did not release his cause of death.

The Greensburg, Pennsylvania, native was a contemporary of Jerry Wexler, Leonard Chess and other white businessmen-producers who helped bring Black music to a general audience. He founded Specialty in Los Angeles in 1946 and gave early breaks to such artists as Cooke and his gospel group the Soul Stirrers, Little Richard, Lloyd Price, John Lee Hooker and Clifton Chenier.

“Specialty Records’ growth paralleled, and perhaps defined, the evolution of Black popular music, from the ‘race’ music of the 1940s to the rock’n’roll of the 1950s,” music historian Billy Vera wrote in the liner notes to The Specialty Story, a five-CD set that came out in 1994.

Rupe’s most lucrative and momentous signing was Little Richard, a rhythm’n’blues and gospel performer since his teens who had struggled to break through commercially.

In a 2011 interview for the hall of fame archives, Rupe explained that Little Richard (the professional name for the late Macon, Georgia, native Richard Penniman) had learned of Specialty through Price, sent a demo and for months called trying to find out if anyone had listened. He finally demanded to speak to Rupe, who dug out his tape from the reject pile.

“There was something in Little Richard’s voice I liked,” Rupe said. “I don’t know – it was so exaggerated, so over emotional. And I said: ‘Let’s give this guy a chance and maybe we can get him to sing like BB King.’”

Initial recording sessions were uninspiring, but during a lunch break at a nearby inn Little Richard sat down at a piano and pounded out a song he had performed during club dates: Tutti Frutti, with its immortal opening shout: “Awopbopaloomopawopbamboom!”

Released in September 1955 and one of rock’n’roll’s first major hits, Tutti Frutti was a manic, but cleaner version of the raunchy original, which featured such rhymes as “Tutti Frutti/good booty.” Rupe noted that Little Richard’s performance was transformed when he accompanied himself on piano.

“Up that up to that point Bumps (producer Robert “Bumps” Blackwell) was having Little Richard just be a vocalist,” Rupe said. “The neck bone connected to the knee bone or something; his voice and his playing sort of gave it a lift.”

Critic Langdon Winner would liken Little Richard’s Specialty recordings to Elvis Presley’s Sun Records sessions as “models of singing and musicianship that have inspired rock musicians ever since”.

Little Richard’s other hits with Specialty included such rock classics as Long Tall Sally, Good Golly Miss Molly and Rip it Up before he abruptly (and temporarily) retired in 1957. Specialty also was home to Price’s Lawdy Miss Clawdy (with Fats Domino on piano); Don and Dewey’s Farmer John; Larry Williams’ Dizzy Miss Lizzy, which the Beatles later covered; and music by such leading gospel acts as Dorothy Love Coates, the Swan Silvertones and the Pilgrim Travelers.

Rupe was known for how little he paid his artists and engaged in an exploitative practice common among label owners in the early rock era: having performers sign contracts leaving him with much or all of the royalties and publishing rights. Little Richard would sue him in 1959 for back royalties and settled out of court for $11,000.

Around the same time, Rupe grew increasingly frustrated with the “payola” system of bribing broadcasters to get records played and distanced himself from the music business. He sold Specialty to Fantasy Records in the early 1990s, but continued to earn money through oil and gas investments. In recent years, he headed the Art N Rupe Foundation, which supported education and research to shine “the light of truth on critical and controversial issues”.

Rupe’s survivors include his daughter, Beverly Rupe Schwarz, and granddaughter Madeline Kahan.

He was born Arthur Goldberg, a Jewish factory worker’s son whose passion for Black music began through hearing the singers at a nearby Baptist church. He studied at the University of California, Los Angeles, briefly considered a career in movies and decided on music instead, schooling himself by purchasing “race records” and listening with a metronome and stopwatch. He co-founded Juke Box Records in the mid-1940s, but soon left to start Specialty. He also changed his last name to Rupe, the family’s ancestral name.

Rupe’s discerning taste made him a success, but did cost him at least one major hit. In the mid-1950s, Cooke was anxious to expand his appeal beyond gospel and recorded some pop songs at Specialty, including a ballad that became a standard, You Send Me. Rupe found the song bland and was appalled by its white backup singers. He let Cooke and Blackwell, who had become Cooke’s manager, purchase the copyright and release it through RCA.

“I did not think You Send Me was that great. I knew it would have a certain intrinsic value because Sam was good. I never dreamed it would be multimillion seller,” said Rupe, who added: “A wonderful stroke of genius on my part.”

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Health

Only 9% of Americans can properly read a nutrition label

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Americans are often advised to eat healthier, more nutritious foods in an effort to stifle the diabetes and the obesity epidemic striking the nation. Researchers find that many can not identify healthy foods in the grocery store aisle, though.

A research team at Attest, a consumer research platform, found that when presented with multiple food options – all of varying levels of health and nutrition – only nine percent of people are able to correctly identify which was the healthiest.

Even more worrying, 13 percent identified the least nutritious food option as the healthiest – more than the amount who properly identified the healthiest.

Experts say that many are misled by labels on packaging like ‘whole grain’ and ‘low calorie’, and either do not bother to or cannot properly read the nutrition label on the back of the box. 

A study found that only around 9% of Americans could accurately identify what product was the healthiest based on its packaging

‘The American population fails very clearly to identify healthy products… it tells us a lot about this gap between perception and reality,’ Jeremy King, CEO of Attest who helped put together the research, told DailyMail.com. 

Researchers gathered data from 2,000 participants for the study. Each were shown a collection of cereal bars and asked to rank them from healthiest to least healthiest.

Correct rankings were based off of the A through E Nutri-score used to grade some food products in the UK.

King said that many were misidentifying advertising slogans – which usually do not mean anything – as markers that a food was healthy.

Jeremy King (pictured), CEO of Attest, said that claims like ‘whole grain’ or ‘naturally flavored’ on the front of food packaging can mislead people on what products are actually healthy for them

These include phrases like ‘whole grain’, ‘naturally flavored’ and ‘100 calories’. Other common culprits include ‘organic’ or ‘fat free’.

While many figure foods that brand themselves this way are healthier, the bar to legally use them is extremely low, and it is more branding than anything. 

Americans failure to identify healthy products is likely playing a role in the nation’s budding obesity and diabetes epidemics.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 42 percent of Americans are obese, with more than 70 percent of Americans being considered obese.

The problem has reached a crisis mode, and has also led to an increase of diabetes, heart disease, and other related conditions in America.

The CDC reports that around ten percent of Americans suffer from diabetes, a potentially devastating, debilitating, condition.

King blames outdated food labeling regulations in the U.S. for the issue. 

America adopted its current food labeling practice, where nutritional facts can be found on a clear, black and white, label usually on the back or the side of the packaging.

King says the American style of nutrition labeling is outdated, and should be replaced with a system similar to the ‘Nutri-score’ system used in the UK

While the label is informative, giving near-exact amounts of what substances, vitamins and minerals are in the product, and comparing it to the daily expected intake for the average American, it can be hard to read and many may not even bother to look at it.  

Instead, most Americans, even those who are looking for health food, will just scan the front of the package before putting it in their cart.

This is where terms like ‘whole grain’ and ‘organic’ can play a huge role.

‘Most consumers are not nutritionists,’ King said, adding that they make a ‘snap decision’ when deciding what is healthy in the grocery store.

He compares the U.S. system to that of the UK, where many products are labeled with a Nutri-score from A to E – with A being the healthiest.

While the system is not perfect, and does leave out a lot of the nuance that goes into nutrition, it is a great indicator for a person who wants to make a quick, health conscious, choice in the grocery store. 

Researchers say that a bill filed last August by U.S. Rep Frank Pallone, a New Jersey Democrat, would institute this type of system in America, and help add clarity to grocery store shopping in the country.

King notes that this would be popular among Americans as well, with 51 percent of survey participants being in support of the labeling. 

‘There is demand for this change from consumers already,’ he said. 

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US

Florida parental rights bill popular despite Democratic attempts to label it ‘Don’t Say Gay’

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The Florida bill backed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that bans teaching about sexuality and gender theory from kindergarten to third grade is broadly popular despite Democrats’ repeated attempts to label it the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, polls show.

Polls from Morning Consult, Politico, Florida Politics and more show that the Parental Rights in Education bill, which passed the legislature March 8, has solid support, at times even among registered Democrats. 

“Should students in Kindergarten through 3rd Grade be taught about sexual orientation in the classroom by their teachers?” Floridians for Economic Advancement asked “likely Democratic voters” in a poll from March 17 to March 20.

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Approximately 52% of Democrat-leaning voters replied that they do not approve such education, with only 36% of those polled voicing support for teaching kindergarten through third-grade classes about sexuality. Twelve percent said that they were not sure.

Members and supporters of the LGBTQ community attend the “Say Gay Anyway” rally in Miami Beach, Fla., March 13, 2022.
(Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)

This poll confirms earlier results showing a majority of voters nationwide supported the bill. A poll conducted by Morning Consult, in collaboration with Politico, found that there was a double-digit disparity in voter opinion data.

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“As you may know, the Florida legislature has passed a bill — labeled by opponents as the ’Don’t Say Gay’ bill — limiting the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity to Florida school students,” the Morning Consult poll told respondents. “Some say that limiting these discussions will protect children from inappropriate classroom topics, while others say it will block important conversations about LGBTQ issues. To what extent do you support or oppose the following items in the bill?”

Members and supporters of the LGBTQ community attend the “Say Gay Anyway” rally in Miami Beach, Fla., March 13, 2022. Florida’s state senate on March 8 passed a controversial bill banning lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary schools, a step critics complain will hurt the LGBTQ community.
(Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)

Among all respondents, 50% said they either strongly support or somewhat support the key aspects of the legislation. Only 37% of those polled said they explicitly oppose the bill’s key clauses.

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Technology

How to Delete All Emails Under a Label in Gmail

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It’s very easy for your Gmail inbox to get out of control. Labels are a great way to keep things organized, but they’re handy for more than that. We’ll show you how to send all the emails under a label to the trash.

It’s a lot easier to batch delete a bunch of emails organized under a label than to do it manually, page by page. You don’t have to worry about accidentally deleting the wrong emails, either. You’ll be able to decide if you want to delete or archive the emails.

RELATED: What’s the Difference Between Archiving and Deleting Emails?

First, navigate to the Gmail website in a desktop browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. Unfortunately, this can’t be done in the Gmail mobile apps for iPhone and Android. Go to the label that contains the emails you wish to delete.

Click the empty square icon on the left side above the emails. This will select all the emails on that page.

A message will appear above all the selected emails with an option to “Select all ### conversations in [label name].” Click it.

Tip: If you have a lot of emails under the label, it may take some time for this option to appear. Hold tight.

Now, with all the emails under that label selected, you can click the delete or archive icons.

That’s it! All the emails you selected will be deleted. If you have a very large number of emails, it will likely take a little longer for them to be deleted.

Remember that, since the emails are sent to Gmail’s trash, you won’t immediately recover the storage space associated with them. They’ll be automatically deleted after 30 days, or you can immediately empty Gmail’s trash.

Emails can take up your Google account storage, so it’s a good idea to routinely clean things up.

RELATED: Why You Should Delete Emails Instead of Archiving Them



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Entertainment

Adele’s snub to ‘virtue-signalling’ record label chiefs and ‘woke’ LA

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Adele is today at the centre of an extraordinary row between transgender rights activists and feminists after she took a stand against the ultra-woke ‘genderless’ Brit Awards by declaring: ‘I love being a woman’.

Her speech while collecting Artist of the Year at the 02 Arena in London sparked uproarious cheers from the audience and viewers at home took to social media to say: ‘Thank GOD she has said it’.

The Brits axed separate male and female prizes for best solo and best international acts in 2022 to avoid upsetting several artists, including former Brit winner Sam Smith, who identifies as non-binary. 

Collecting the award Adele said: ‘I understand why the name of this award has changed. But I really love being a woman and being a female artist I do I’m really proud of us’.

And some Adele fans have already said she offended non-binary people and branded her a TERF – a derogatory term for a feminist who excludes the rights of transgender women also thrown at the singer’s friend JK Rowling. 

One LGBTQ activist said: ‘Please, no, ADELE can’t be a TERF. That last comment, though ambiguous, could be perceived as TERF-Y. Please no’. Another critic said: ‘I love Adele but that ‘woman’ comment seemed like a bit of a dig, non binary artists deserve better’. 

But women’s rights groups have praised her stance. A spokesman for charity Safeguard Women & Girls said: ‘Yes, women are part of society, 50% actually. @Adele you make every woman I know proud. You’re an inspiration to many of what can be achieved’.

Journalist and women’s rights activist Inna Shevchenko said: ‘Welcome to the Brave Inclusive New World: Now saying “I really love being a woman, I really love being a female artist” is enough to be labeled as a Terf and a transphobe’.

While feminist Victoria Smith tweeted: ‘It’s really nice to hear someone saying she loves being a woman. I increasingly think a lot of what we see as generational tension in feminism comes down to a form of self-hate – “I’m ashamed of being female, I don’t want to become *that*”.’

Despite the furore, publicists who have represented some of the world’s biggest stars told MailOnline that Adele’s stance on the genderless Brit Award will be good for her career – branding her ‘musical Teflon’.

Adele’s declaration that she ‘loves being a woman’ has caused a row over trans rights

Dazzling: Adele dazzled the audience with an incredible performance of her single I Drink Wine during the night

Adele’s appearance at the Brits is her first for five years  – and is her first since becoming the best selling artist in the world

PR guru and crisis management expert Mark Borkowski told MailOnline that the star may have upset her record label bosses – but they have no power to ‘cancel’ her while she continues to be the world’s top selling artist. 

Has Adele got engaged to her sports agent boyfriend? 

What’s that? Adele was seen flashing a diamond ring on her wedding finger – sparking speculation she was engaged to Rich Paul

Glitz: The pear-shaped diamond certainly stood out on her hand as she posed up a storm

Making her first appearance since cancelling her US shows, she drew attention to a giant pear-shaped diamond ring, prompting speculation that she was engaged – a week after shrugging off rumours of a rift with her sports agent boyfriend Rich Paul. 

Her appearance marked five years since her last Brits performance, and 14 years since she won her first Brit – the Critics’ Choice Award aged 19 in 2008. 

However, her comments will present a ‘risk’ for Adele, especially as she lives in the ‘woke capital’ of the world, Los Angeles.

He said Adele was ‘channeling authenticity’ in London last night, and proving she is a ‘giant personality’ who is ‘not a vanilla effigy pouring out messages to suit a woke agenda’. 

‘There is a mass of posturing in the corporate world of pop music. Just like a slew of multi-national conglomerates rushing to make the right noise that most people see as virtue signalling’, the PR expert said.

‘It was pleasing to see Adele channeling authenticity – true to her brand, Adele is a giant personality. She is a leading light proving you don’t have to lose your much loved status by reflecting what you believe in. Fans and non fans want to engage with a personality not a vanilla effigy pouring out messages to suit a woke agenda’.

With some critics calling on her to apologise, Mr Borkowski said her success should allow her to resist, no matter the pressure due to the modern cancel culture.

‘Adele has power whilst she continues to deliver the hits. She takes the lead and she is an influencer’, he said, adding: ‘High flying fame is difficult to navigate – so yes risks are all around. For Adele its unrelenting she is judged constantly on the now. Maintaining positive PR, when you are global star, is akin to running a gruelling marathon daily. Adele seems a sensitive soul so there is always a danger she could get sucked into a battle that will prove exhausting. There is a curse being a national treasure’. 

Gary Farrow, who worked with Elton John, Wham, George Michael, David Bowie amd Paul Young, said that Adele should be praised for he honesty, having been given an award she had not chosen to name herself.

He added that he believed that she will have been ’embarrassed’ by the cancellation of her Las Vegas residency, but won’t be damaged by telling the world she ‘loves being a female artist’ – including in ultra-woke California.

He said: ‘She never renamed the award – she just found herself in it. Irrelevant of where she lives and what’s happened recently, you only have to see her performance to realise she has class. She is the nearest thing we’ve had to Sinatra’.

Mr Farrow said he doesn’t believe Adele will be forced to apologise or clarify her remarks, dubbing her ‘musical Teflon’. 

Adele was branded a TERF by some critics after her speech. Supporters thanks her for telling the ‘TRUTH’

‘I’m gutted’: Adele previously revealed in a tearful video that she had been forced to postpone her massively popular upcoming Las Vegas residency due to COVID-19 cases among crew members – and claims she wasn’t happy with the set up

The singer left fans devastated after cancelling her Las Vegas residency at the 11th hour last month – and leaving many of them massively out of pocket due to flights and accommodation they had booked.

But Adele was back in the limelight last night as she triumphed with a triple win at the Brit Awards.

The London-born singer scooped the coveted titles of Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for 30 and Song of the Year for comeback single Easy On Me at a newly gender-neutral ceremony dominated by women at the capital’s O2 Arena.

Commenting on how male and female categories were scrapped, she said: ‘I know this category has changed but I really love being a woman and a female artist.’

Adele was in tears as she dedicated the album award to her son Angelo, nine, and ex-husband Simon Konecki. She said: ‘This was all of our journeys. Not just mine.

‘My son has been so gracious. So gracious and kind and patient with me over the last couple of years. It is for him.’

Adele, 33, arrived in a custom black gown by Giorgio Armani Prive, with a spotted collar that tied into a bow and train. Making her first appearance since cancelling her US shows, she drew attention to a giant pear-shaped diamond ring, prompting speculation that she was engaged – a week after shrugging off rumours of a rift with her sports agent boyfriend Rich Paul.

Her appearance marked five years since her last Brits performance, and 14 years since she won her first Brit aged 19. Other winners included female-fronted band Wolf Alice, Dua Lipa and Becky Hill.

Ed Sheeran, 30, who was wearing a striking cobalt blue suit, failed to win in the four nominations he received against Adele. But he was honoured with the new Songwriter of the Year award.

BRIT AWARDS 2022: WINNERS

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 

Adele – WINNER 

Dave

Ed Sheeran

Little Simz

Sam Fender

GROUP

Coldplay

D-Block Europe

Little Mix

London Grammar

Wolf Alice – WINNER

BRITs RISING STAR 

Holly Humberstone – WINNER!

Bree Runway

Lola Young

SONG OF THE YEAR

A1 & J1 – Latest Trends

Adele – Easy On Me – WINNER 

Anne-Marie/KSI/Digital Farm Animals – Don’t Play

Becky Hill & David Guetta – Remember

Central Cee – Obsessed With You

Dave ft. Stormzy – Clash

Ed Sheeran – Bad Habits

Elton John & Dua Lipa – Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)

Glass Animals – Heat Waves

Joel Corry/Raye/David Guetta – Bed

KSI – Holiday

Nathan Evans/220Kid/Billen Red – Wellerman

Riton x Nightcrawlers ft. Mufasa & Hypeman – Friday

Tion Wayne & Russ Millions – Body

Tom Grennan – Little Bit Of Love

BEST NEW ARTIST

Joy Crookes

Central Cee

Self Esteem

Griff

Little Simz-WINNER

MASTERCARD ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Adele – 30- WINNER

Dave – We’re All Alone In This Together

Ed Sheeran – =

Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert

Sam Fender – Seventeen Going Under

POP, R&B

Adele

Dua Lipa – WINNER

Ed Sheeran

Griff

Joy Crookes

DANCE

Becky Hill- WINNER

Calvin Harris

Fred

Joel Corry

Raye

ROCK, ALTERNATIVE

Coldplay

Glass Animals

Sam Fender – WINNER

Tom Grennan

Wolf Alice

HIP-HOP, GRIME, RAP 

AJ Tracey

Central Cee

Dave- WINNER

Ghetts

Little Simz

INTERNATIONAL ARTIST 

Billie Eilish- WINNER

Doja Cat

Lil Nas X

Olivia Rodrigo

Taylor Swift

INTERNATIONAL GROUP

ABBA

BTS

Måneskin

Silk Sonic/Bruno Mars/Anderson .Paak – WINNER 

The War On Drugs

BEST INTERNATIONAL SONG

ATB / Topic / A7S – Your Love (9PM)

Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever

Ckay – Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)

Doja Cat ft SZA – Kiss Me More

Drake ft Lil Baby – Girls Want Girls

Galantis, David Guetta & Little Mix – Heartbreak Anthem

Jonasu – Black Magic

Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber – Stay

Lil Nas X – Montero (Call Me By Your Name)

Lil TJ & 6lack – Calling My Phone

Maneskin – I Wanna Be Your Slave

Olivia Rodrigo – Good 4U – WINNER 

Polo G – Rapstar

Tiesto – The Business

The Weeknd – Save Your Tears

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR 

Inflo – WINNER 

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR  

Ed Sheeran – WINNER 

 

PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Go easy… on my feet! Adele is worlds away from her BRITs red carpet glam as she swaps designer heels for fluffy slippers and kicks back with cigarettes ahead of McDonald’s treat

Despite wowing with her glamorous looks on the red carpet, Adele showed she was more akin to the masses following a night out, as she ditched her heels for a pair of slippers to head home from the 2022 BRIT Awards on Tuesday.

The hitmaker, who scooped three gongs including the coveted Album Of The Year, was seen leaving the star-studded ceremony in London’s O2 Arena with a box of cigarettes nearby, presumably heading to McDonalds to celebrate her win before heading back to her flat in the capital.

During her acceptance speech, Adele admitted she had no plans to attend any of the awards’ lavish after parties despite her triple victory, instead planning to grab a takeaway before having an early night.

Someone like you! Adele showed she was more akin to the masses following a night out, as she ditched her heels for a pair of slippers (circled far right) to head home from the 2022 BRIT Awards on Tuesday

Time for bed? The hitmaker, who scooped three gongs including the coveted Album Of Year, was seen leaving the star-studded ceremony in London’s O2 Arena with a box of cigarettes nearby (right) after ditching her heels for slippers (left)

Following her much-anticipated appearance at the awards, Adele made a low-key exit in her eye-catching black velvet minidress, having ditched her stilettos for comfy slippers.

The hitmaker sipped from a plastic cup while focusing on her phone as the car drove away, following her long-awaited appearance at the ceremony.

Ahead of the evening, Adele was asked whether she had any plans to attend an afterparty, but she stated: ‘I’m going back to my flat with McDonalds and a bottle of wine.’

Relaxed: After a night of glamour and awards sparkle, Adele jumped into a waiting car outside London’s O2 Arena, no doubt to grab a McDonalds after she revealed her post-awards plans on the red carpet

Ready for bed? After a show-stopping evening, Adele shunned the traditional afterparties, admitting on the red carpet: ‘I’m going back to my flat with McDonalds and a bottle of wine’

It was a successful night for the star who took home the Best Song Award for Easy On Me, Album Of The Year for 30 and the Artist Of The Year award.

She beat hotly-tipped contender Ed Sheeran in the Artist Of The Year category – which now includes artists of all genders – after they both released long-awaited albums around the same time last year.

During her acceptance speech, Adele told the audience: ‘I understand this award has changed but I love being a female artist!’, as she referenced the changes the awards board had made to the ceremony.  

Let the good times roll: And she wasn’t the only star seen making an exit, with the likes of Courteney Cox and her beau Johnny McDaid among the partygoers heading home following the after parties

Party time: The likes of Becky Hill and Laura Whitmore led the hordes of partygoers heading home from various afterparties in the early hours after toasting another successful awards show

Crikey: One of Becky’s pal was even seen tugging down her dress to show off her assets after their boozy celebrations 

And she wasn’t the only star seen making a bleary-eyed exit following the BRITs, with the likes of Courteney Cox, Becky Hill and Laura Whitmore led the hordes of partygoers heading home from various afterparties in the early hours after toasting another successful awards show.  

Courteney, 57, seemed in high spirits as she left the O2 Arena alongside boyfriend Johnny McDaid after the pair took to the stage during the ceremony to present an award. 

The actress wrapped up warm as she draped a jacket over her black silk long-sleeved shirt that she had paired with a matching skirt. 

Meanwhile, Becky, 27, was clearly in the mood to celebrate after she scooped her first BRIT Award for for Best Dance Act. 

Quick change: Becky swapped her emerald gown for a white sequin mini dress with a feathered hem 

Stamina: While she seemed rather worse for wear as she left the O2, Becky wasn’t ready to call it a night just yet and headed to another bash at The Box nightclub

Fun times: Becky was having the time of her life as she larked around with pals outside of the venue 

A night to remember: She was joined on the evening by her husband Iain, with the duo catching a taxi home together

The Lose Control singer was seen puffing on a cigarette as she staggered into the back of a taxi alongside her friends – who put on a very raucous display for the cameras – with one pal even tugging down her dress to show off her assets. 

Becky wowed in a sequin emerald mini dress which showed off her toned and tanned pins and featured stunning embellishment with glittery and chiffon sections.

While she seemed rather worse for wear as she left the O2, Becky wasn’t ready to call it a night just yet, later changing into a white sequin mini dress with a feathered hem as she headed to another bash at The Box nightclub. 

Laura Whitmore appeared all partied out as she staggered out of the venue with her husband Iain Stirling’s jacket draped over her.  

Wild night: Bleary-eyed Emily Atack clambered into the back of a taxi with Strictly’s Graziano Di Prima, Vick Hope and Donna Preston as she left the raucous BRITs O2 afterparty

On the move: The actress, 32, was in high spirits as she sidled up to Strictly Come Dancing professional Graziano after clambering into the back of a black taxi

Loving life: Also living it up on the night was The Saturdays star Mollie, who put on a very animated display as she bounded out of the O2 Arena alongside her pals after a night of partying

All aboard the party bus! Mollie was seen heading out of the venue on a London tour bus that picked up partygoers 

Say cheese! Raye wowed in an amber thigh-split gown as she joined her pals on the party bus 

Having fun? Mo Farah seemed to be having the time of his life in the taxi home 

The Love Island host, 36, cut a glamorous figure in a black velvet mini dress, which featured a cut out section across her midriff and bejewelled detailing all over.

The thigh-grazing style highlighted her long toned legs, which she further elongated with a pair of towering black strappy heels.

She was joined on the evening by her husband Iain, with the duo catching a taxi home together.  

Also living it up on the night was The Saturdays star Mollie, who put on a very animated display as she bounded out of the O2 Arena alongside her pals after a night of partying. 

Keeping hydrated: Griff wasn’t ready to stop the party as she sat in the back of her taxi with a large glass of wine 

Keeping it casual: Vicky McClure donned colourful trainers and a patterned silk blouse as she joined a friend at the Shoreditch House afterparty 

Had a bit too much? Geordie Shore’s Sophie Kasaei threw her middle finger up at photographers while leaving 

The singer, 34, was unmissable as she dazzled in a bright yellow halter neck dress with key hole detail and bows on the front.  

Emily Atack also looked in high spirits as she left the O2 afterparty and sidled up to Strictly Come Dancing professional Graziano Di Prima after clambering into the back of a black taxi. 

The pair were joined by pals including Vick Hope and Donna Preston as they headed home after a wild night of partying.

Pour it up: Wolf Alice celebrated their Group Of The Year award by toting a bottle of champagne 

Loving life: Sam Fender threw an afterparty with his pals at Four Quarters in Peckham after scooping his award

Congrats! Sam wielded his BRIT award after he and his band  took home the trophy for Best Rock/Alternative

Despite much anticipation around Adele’s performance, many fans were left unimpressed, as it came just weeks after she cancelled her Las Vegas residency. 

Her appearance came as she continues to face backlash for leaving fans thousands of pounds out of pocket when she pulled the plug on her Stateside shows with just 24 hours notice. 

Several fans took to social media to react to Adele’s performance at the awards show, with one writing: ‘I wonder if they’re showing this Adele #Brits performance in Las Vegas? Too soon?’ 

Another said: ‘You playing Vegas now? Band seem OK on the Brits! @Adele’. 

Another fan wrote: ‘So Adele can’t manage her concerts in Vegas, which by the way cost the earth, but she can turn up to the Brits where she’s won awards and is basically headlining the show’.  

One added: ‘No hate to Adele but how can she cancel her Vegas residency and then come and perform at the Brits’. 

Adele did not address criticism over her cancelled Vegas residency during the awards show.   

Adele beat hotly-tipped contender Ed Sheeran in the Artist Of The Year category – which now includes artists of all genders – after they both released long-awaited albums around the same time last year.

During her acceptance speech, Adele told the audience: ‘I understand this award has changed but I love being a female artist!’, as she referenced the changes the awards board had made to the ceremony. 

The BRIT Awards sparked controversy last year after ditching the traditional male and female categories and switching to gender-neutral gongs for the first time in its history, causing naysayers to brand the event ‘woke’. 

Organisers divided opinion and some were left outraged by the decision to switch to gender-neutral gongs for the first time in its history, in calls led by non-binary singer Sam Smith.

Bosses claimed the move was in a bid ‘to be as inclusive and as relevant as possible’ and allowed people to enter who do not identify as a man or woman.

But fans at the time blasted the change as ‘woke drivel’ at the time, with many calling for a boycott.

Reaction: Several fans took to social media to react to Adele’s performance at the awards show, with one writing: ‘I wonder if they’re showing this Adele #Brits performance in Las Vegas? Too soon?’

During the evening, Adele – who arrived at the ceremony on the red carpet wearing a huge diamond ring on her engagement finger – swept the board following her return to the BRITs, where she took home gongs in all three categories that she was nominated in.

During her speech for her third award, for Best Album, Adele emotionally decidated the gong to her son Angelo and her ex-husband Simon.

Tearful Adele, said: ‘Thank you, again the company I’m in really is phenomenal. Thanks to everyone I work with. But I want to dedicate this to my son. And his dad. Because it’s about them. I’m really proud of myself for sticking to my guns and putting out something so personal. It’s not something people do anymore.’

‘My son has been so gracious and patient with me over recent years. So it’s for him.’

Winner: It was a successful night for the star who took home the Best Song Award for Easy On Me, Album Of The Year for 30 and the Artist Of The Year award

Back home: Adele – who has been hiding out at boyfriend Rich Paul’s home in recent weeks – touched down at Heathrow on the weekend

Also thanking her producer she said: ‘Someone who was integral to this album is producer of the year Inflo. He also works with Little Simz. He helped me so much.’ 

Along with Adele, there were also performances by Ed Sheeran, Anne-Marie, Liam Gallagher, Dave, Little Simz, and this year’s Rising Star award winner, Holly Humberstone. 

Adele – who has been hiding out at boyfriend Rich Paul’s home in recent weeks – touched down at Heathrow on the weekend and was seen making her way into the airport’s Windsor Suite. 

Rich, 40, was not seen at the airport after the sports agent found himself wrapped up into the controversy over the Vegas residency, which Adele cancelled just a day before she was supposed to begin performing last month.

A source at the rehearsals told Page Six late that the singer often made sobbing calls to her boyfriend that interrupted rehearsals.

‘Adele’s been crying and couldn’t get through a single full rehearsal for the past month,’ said the source, who was connected to the Caesars Palace management team. ‘Just constantly on the phone with Rich… loudly shouting and sobbing.’

They added: ‘She has barely rehearsed because she is constantly in the middle of an emotional shootout.’

The two were also rumored to be experiencing a rough patch in their relationship of six months, but Adele tried to squash it on social media last week.

Grateful: During her speech for her third award, for Best Album, Adele emotionally decidated the gong to her son Angelo and her ex-husband Simon

She added: I’m really proud of myself for sticking to my guns and putting out something so personal. It’s not something people do anymore’

Adele said: My son has been so gracious and patient with me over recent years. So it’s for him’ 

She confirmed that she would be performing at the BRITs, and added at the end of her post, ‘Oh, and Rich sends his love.’

Amid the furore surrounding her Vegas residency, it’s been claimed that Adele wants to reduce her working commitments and make her career ‘more about her music’ following the cancellation of her Las Vegas shows.

The Mail on Sunday reported that she plans to ‘go back to basics’ after a high-profile PR campaign to promote her album, 30, including two TV specials.

Insiders say this explains her decision to appear at the BRITs and on Graham Norton’s chat show this Friday.

Impressive: Adele won in every single category that she was nominated in  

Thanks: BRITs organisers divided opinion and some were left outraged by the decision to switch to gender-neutral gongs for the first time in its history, in calls led by non-binary singer Sam Smith

A source said: ‘There have been times in the past six months when things got too big. There have been tensions within Team Adele.

‘One minute she was living life away from the limelight, the next she was being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey.

‘Adele loves the Brits. It’s where she feels at home. She used to be interviewed by The Face magazine who really appreciated her work, then she ended up being interviewed by someone in Australia who hadn’t even listened to her album.

‘Underneath all of the millions of pounds is a normal girl from Tottenham who is not remotely big time.’

The 2022 BRIT Awards was truly Adele’s night as she brought her complete tally of BRIT trophies to 12 since winning the first ever Rising Star award in 2008. 

Wow: The hitmaker ensured all eyes were on her as she donned a figure-hugging black plunging gown

Success: Adele sparked engagement rumours as she showed off a diamond ring while walking the red carpet

Rock: Adele, who is dating sports agent Rich Paul, displayed an eye-catching rock on her engagement finger

Animated: The star larked around on the red carpet as she flaunted the ring 

History: Adele confirmed she and Rich were an item when she shared a red heart emoji alongside an Instagram photo of the couple on September 19 last year 

Adele was presented with the prestigious Mastercard Album of the Year for the third time, having won for her previous two albums in 2012 and 2016 – the only solo artist in BRITs history to have won this award three times.

The songstress also became the first ever recipient of the BRITs’ inaugural Artist of the Year award, with her third victory claimed with the win for Song of the Year for Easy On Me. 

The International counterparts to these new categories similarly saw two unbeatable global artists celebrated; with Billie Eilish picking up International Artist of the Year and Olivia Rodrigo presented with International Song of the Year for Good 4 U – the biggest selling international single of the year in the UK.

International Group went to Silk Sonic – the collaborative superduo consisting of US artists Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. 

Making her BRITs debut both on stage with an electrifying two-song performance, and in this year’s shortlists, Little Simz was presented with Best New Artist, beating off competition from Central Cee, Griff, Joy Crookes and Self Esteem. 

She was joined on stage by actress Emma Corrin. The Mercury Prize winning London band Wolf Alice won Best Group, the second year they had been nominated in this category.

The 2022 BRITs Rising Star shortlist saw three incredible female artists compete for the coveted prize, as chosen by critics and heads of music to identify the future stars of British music. 

Winner Holly Humberstone got to perform to her biggest audience yet with a rendition of her new single London is Lonely, and was introduced on stage by last year’s Rising Star recipient, Griff.

The BRITs in 2022 saw a number of changes to awards categories in order to create even more opportunities for artists to be recognised. 

The recipient of the BRITs’ first ever Songwriter of the Year award tonight went to Ed Sheeran before he performed a second number, The Joker and The Queen later in the show. 

Having picked up two awards last year, Dua Lipa, was awarded with Pop/R&B Act, and having received her first ever BRIT nominations this year Becky Hill was awarded Dance Act.

Alternative/Rock Act went to Sam Fender (bringing his UK record label Polydor’s tally of trophies up to 5), who later in the show went on to wow the audience with a performance of his Top Ten hit single Seventeen Going Under. 

British rap royalty Dave was presented with the award for Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act by Arsenal legends Ian Wright and Bukayo Saka, and closed the ceremony with a triumphant performance of In The Fire, where he was joined by fellow rappers Ghetts, Giggs, Fredo, Konyikeh and Meekz.  

Presenters on the night included Courtney Cox and Johnny McDaid, Brian Cox, Vicky McClure, Jodie Whittaker, Mo Farah, Tom Daley and Ronnie Wood. 

c 

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EU drafts plan to label gas and nuclear investments as green

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Steam rises from cooling towers of the Electricite de France (EDF) nuclear power plant in Belleville-sur-Loire, France October 12, 2021. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

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  • European Commission drawing up green investment rules
  • Draft proposal labels nuclear, some gas plants as green
  • Countries disagree on the fuels’ green credentials
  • EU advisors said gas not compatible with climate goals

Jan 1 (Reuters) – The European Union has drawn up plans to label some natural gas and nuclear energy projects as “green” investments after a year-long battle between governments over which investments are truly climate-friendly.

The European Commission is expected to propose rules in January deciding whether gas and nuclear projects will be included in the EU “sustainable finance taxonomy”.

This is a list of economic activities and the environmental criteria they must meet to be labelled as green investments.

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By restricting the “green” label to truly climate-friendly projects, the system aims to make those investments more attractive to private capital, and stop “greenwashing”, where companies or investors overstate their eco-friendly credentials.

Brussels has also made moves to apply the system to some EU funding, meaning the rules could decide which projects are eligible for certain public finance.

A draft of the Commission’s proposal, seen by Reuters, would label nuclear power plant investments as green if the project has a plan, funds and a site to safely dispose of radioactive waste. To be deemed green, new nuclear plants must receive construction permits before 2045.

Investments in natural gas power plants would also be deemed green if they produce emissions below 270g of CO2 equivalent per kilowatt hour (kWh), replace a more polluting fossil fuel plant, and receive a construction permit by Dec. 31 2030.

Gas and nuclear power generation would be labelled green on the grounds that they are “transitional” activities – defined as those that are not fully sustainable, but which have emissions below industry average and do not lock in polluting assets.

“Taking account of scientific advice and current technological progress as well as varying transition challenges across member states, the Commission considers there is a role for natural gas and nuclear as a means to facilitate the transition towards a predominantly renewable-based future,” the European Commission said in a statement, adding that consultations on a draft began on Friday.

To help states with varying energy backgrounds to transition, “under certain conditions, solutions can make sense that do not look exactly ‘green’ at first glance,” a Commission source told Reuters.

However, natural gas and nuclear will be subject to strict conditions, the official added.

EU countries and a panel of experts will scrutinise the draft proposal, which could change before it is due to be published later in January. Once published, it could be vetoed by a majority of EU countries or the European Parliament.

The policy has been mired in lobbying from governments for more than a year and EU countries disagree on which fuels are truly sustainable.

Natural gas emits roughly half the CO2 emissions of coal when burned in power plants, but gas infrastructure is also associated with leaks of methane, a potent planet-warming gas.

The EU’s advisers had recommended that gas plants not be labelled as green investments unless they met a lower 100g CO2e/kWh emissions limit, based on the deep emissions cuts scientists say are needed to avoid disastrous climate change.

Nuclear power produces very low CO2 emissions but the Commission sought expert advice this year on whether the fuel should be deemed green given the potential environmental impact of radioactive waste disposal.

Some environmental campaigners criticised the leaked proposal on Saturday. WWF Austria said in a tweet that labelling gas and nuclear as green would lead to “investments of billions in climate-damaging industries”.

Austria opposes nuclear power, alongside countries including Germany and Luxembourg. EU states including the Czech Republic, Finland and France, which gets around 70% of its power from the fuel, see nuclear as crucial to phasing out CO2-emitting coal fuel power.

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Reporting by Kate Abnett; additional reporting by Sabine Siebold
Editing by Frances Kerry and Louise Heavens

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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