Month: November 2019

Home / Month: November 2019

Hundreds of academics, journalists, and human rights advocates are calling for the release of Lara Alqasem, an American student who has been detained at Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv for a week after being accused of promoting the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS) movement led by Palestinians and supported by those who oppose the Israeli occupation, its apartheid policies, and its ongoing  violation of international laws.

Alqasem has been detained by Israeli authorities since arriving in Israel last Tuesday to study human rights at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Her deportation was ordered despite the fact that she holds a student visa.

Her detention is now the longest ever in a BDS-related case, and has drawn condemnation from critics of the country that claims to embrace democratic ideals.

Jewish Voice for Peace joined the call for Alqasem’s release, and urged her supporters to also demand an end to Israel’s persecution of Palestinians.

Hebrew University has thrown its support behind the student, as have more than 100 academics and Jewish leaders, who signed a petition calling for her release.

“Denying entry to foreign students based on political beliefs or ethnic heritage is an attack on academic freedom,” reads the petition. “As professors who are committed to academic freedom, and as humans who reject all forms of racial profiling, we are calling on the Israeli authorities to permit Lara Alqasem to enter Israel and pursue her studies.”

“Alqasem shouldn’t have to commit to anything. Boycotts are a legitimate tool for expressing political protest in a democratic country.” —Haaretz As a student at the University of Florida, Alqasem was president of Students for Justice in Palestine. The group opposes the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and supports the BDS movement, which urges opponents of Israeli policies to avoid buying Israeli goods, supporting the country’s universities and businesses, and investing in Israeli companies.

The Israeli strategic affairs minister, Gilad Erdan, offered to release Alqasem if she apologizes and renounces the BDS movement. Appealing the government’s decision to detain her, the student has argued that she never actively participated in a boycott and said she would not promote them in the future.

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Her supporters argue that such promises are beside the point, however, calling on Israel to end its intimidation of critics and the suppression of free speech.

“Alqasem shouldn’t have to commit to anything. Boycotts are a legitimate tool for expressing political protest in a democratic country, whether we’re talking about that country’s citizens or foreigners who received visas to enter,” wrote the editorial board of Haaretz on Monday.

“The amendment to the Law of Entry to Israel, sponsored by MK Roy Folkman (Kulanu), which blocks entry to those who support boycotts of Israel or the settlements, was born in sin and should be repealed,” Haaretz continued. “Alqasem…should be released immediately and Erdan’s secret thought police eliminated. This must be done before boycott activists have another excellent reason to call Israel a benighted country.”

It seems that good genes really do run in the family. OK fine, we knew that already, but we’re getting an extra dose of proof courtesy of John Mayer. 

Mayer took his dad out for dinner to celebrate his 90th birthday on Wednesday, and the father-son duo looked really did look like two of a kind. The best part of it all? It seems they share a similar sense of humor too.

“Happy 90th Birthday, Dad! Leave doting comments about my dad below. He’ll love scrolling through it,” Mayer wrote. “Also please stop this train. Thank you.” 

The post’s comments seem to be packed full of well wishes to mark Mayer’s dad’s big celebration, from people telling Mayer and his dad how great they look to fans quoting Mayer lyrics, which the singer did himself in the caption. 

RELATED: John Mayer Responds to Katy Perry’s Best Lover Comment

“And please stop this train,” is likely a direct reference to Mayer’s 2006 song “Stop This Train”:

Had a talk with my old man / Said, “Help me understand” / He said, “Turn 68 you’ll renegotiate / Don’t stop this train / Don’t, for a minute, change the place you’re in / And don’t think I couldn’t ever understand / I tried my hand / John, honestly, we’ll never stop this train.”

We hope Mayer’s dad had a wonderful 90th birthday.

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Remember “The Dress?” Of course you do. Well, this week we have “The Shoe.”

It’s actually a lace-up sneaker—and, in the tradition of all of our favorite viral optical illusions, its color combination is very much up for debate. There’s no doubt that the lighting on the image that’s circulating online is the real culprit here. While many are going by face value—teal and gray!—others are arguing that the true hue must be pink and white.

RELATED: What Color Is #TheDress? Celebrities React to the Polarizing Debate

As it turns out, the original is indeed pink and white, at least one Twitter user contends. But that isn’t stopping people from trying to wrap their brains around this new optical illusion.

Some still weren’t convinced. But there’s more evidence.

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At least it doesn’t look like this is about to break the internet in the way that the (definitely white and gold) Dress did back in 2015.

Although Jennifer Garner’s instagram account is only a month old, we’re ready to brand it the gift that keeps on giving.

The badass mother of three is making the most of her newfound social media presence. We’ve already learned a lot about the actress since she stepped onto the Insta’ scene on Sept. 1 (see below).

She’s a poetic prodigy:

Her dad is a big Earth, Wind, and Fire fan (probably):

She doesn’t do well on Novocaine:

She wakes up like dis:

Anyway, the latest in Garner’s succession of savvy social media endeavors might just be her best yet.

“Recipe for Turning a Mom Back into Action Lady,” the 45-year-old titled her video post on Wednesday.

“Take one mama
ADD daily dose
1 hr @bodybysimone
1.5 hr ⭐️Stunt Team ⭐️
50 cups of coffee
and
3 min Cryotherapy

Good luck everybody!”

Judging by this badass video, Garner’s recipe has led to success.

RELATED: Jennifer Garner Glows in a Rare Fresh-Faced Selfie from Her Bed

In the double-time pump-up video, the Alias star trains her heart out, set to the feel-good beat of “Canned Heat” by Jamiroquai. Needless to say, she looks A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

This action lady is ready for her closeup!

Days after criticizing rampant sexual misconduct that takes place in “every industry,” Blake Lively decided to divulge her own “terrifying” experience while working in Hollywood.

During the filming of a project, Lively revealed that she was sexually harassed at the hands of a makeup artist. “He was saying things inappropriately, insisting on putting my lipstick on with his finger,” the actress told the Los Angeles Times.

The inappropriate behavior, unfortunately, didn’t stop there. “I was sleeping one night on location and I woke up and he was filming me,” she said. “I was clothed, but it was a very voyeuristic, terrifying thing to do,”

The star told producers about what had happened to no effect. “Finally, after three months of complaining, they called me into my trailer and said, ‘We need to talk to you.’ I thought, ‘Well finally, they’re going to do something about this man who I had to have touching me all day,’” she explained. “And they said, ‘Your dog left a poop behind the toilet in your dressing room and our janitor had to pick it up. And this is very serious and we can’t have this happen again.’”

Even after working with a lawyer to finally get the makeup artist removed from her film, Lively says his lewd actions didn’t hurt his career. Rather than being chastised, the makeup artist was given a letter of recommendation from the film’s unit production manager, who hoped to prevent any “bad blood.”

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RELATED: Blake Lively Says Harvey Weinstein Sexual Harrassment Allegations Are “Devastating”

In a statement released to the Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday, the 30-year-old joined the ranks of Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, and George Clooney in condemning Harvey Weinsten’s actions.

“It’s important that women are furious right now,” she said about the film mogul, who faces numerous accusations of sexual misconduct from a growing list of stars, such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie. “It’s important that there is an uprising. It’s important that we don’t stand for this and that we don’t focus on one or two or three or four stories, it’s important that we focus on humanity in general and say, ‘That is unacceptable.'”

Hats off to Blake for being brave enough to tell her story. 

“This is a typical Malibu day,” mused Lyndie Benson while sitting at the end of the Malibu Pier on a sunny yet brisk Saturday afternoon. The occasion was the launch event for Benson’s L.A.-made line Bleusalt, and despite her Malibu-casual demeanor, the photographer turned-designer admitted to being a tad anxious. “This is the very first time anyone’s going to see the clothes, so I’m a bit nervous,” she said. 

Alex J. Berliner

She needn’t have worried. Though this was her first time revealing her clothes to the general public, the Malibu native’s already got an A-list following who have gotten to preview her cozy, eco-friendly collection, made with fibers from the wood of self-regenerating beech trees. To wit: Cindy Crawford, Jennifer Meyer, Lisa Rinna, Sara and Erin Foster were just a few of the big names in attendance at this weekend’s launch.

“When I was a little girl, I would play in her closet and she would let me borrow her clothes when I was a teenager,” Sara recalled of Benson. “She has effortlessly amazing style.”

VIDEO: Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber’s Cutest Mother-Daughter Moments

 

Moments earlier, Cindy Crawford expressed similar feelings. “She’s one of my oldest Malibu friends and I’ve lived out here for over 12 years now. Lyndie, from the very beginning has always had incredible taste. Not just in the way she dresses, but in everything—the way she throws a kid’s birthday party or the way she decorates her house for entertaining. She’s a creative person and has impeccable style.”

Alex J. Berliner

Crawford, who arrived in her cream “go-to” hoodie from the line, also reveled in the perks of having Benson’s creativity around for 12 years. “I like palazzo sweatpants and I wore them this summer and she was like, ‘I can make them even better.’ And you know, she was right. She put the pockets in the front so they don’t widen you. She improved on a pair that I wore and I like that.”

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Rinna, who met Benson in an acting class, has been friends with the designer for 30. And of course, at 30 years, friendship-goals become next level—pushing your friend to start a business kind of level. “That’s what you do,” Rinna said with a smile. “You encourage your friends when they’re talented. I really thought she had a product that she could sell. I think I’m right. I think she’s genius.”

Alex J. Berliner

Alex J. Berliner

To round out the night, guests like Minnie Driver were taken on a short boat ride to a yacht anchored in the Pacific. Once aboard, they sipped rosé and dined on fresh fare made with recipes from One Gun Ranch—seemingly, the perfect course to take after luxury shopping on the beach.  

“Erin absolutely LOVES Disney, as you probably know—all the characters, the stories, the magic! So we really wanted to find a dress that paid homage to all that fantasy without being too literal,” Patrickson said of the process. “This gorgeous Maria Lucia Hohan gown was the perfect icy blue. Romantic, but also had a fashionable, simple elegance with the classic pleating. We added the diamanté belt for a little extra sparkle and glam.”

Patrickson also said her jewels were chosen to reflect Tinkerbell, Elsa, and Cinderella. As for her hair and makeup, it was all about completing the thematic outfit.

Courtesy of Erin Andrews

RELATED: How Erin Andrews Chose Her Hollywood-Inspired Dress for DWTS

Hairstylist Ryan Randall used R+Co Rockaway Salt Spray ($25; amazon.com) and finished it with Oribe Superfine Strong Hairspray ($37; amazon.com). “A princess dress deserves a knotty ‘do for such an evening, and that’s exactly what we did,” he told us.

Meanwhile, makeup artist Lisa Ashley took the ultra shimmery approach. “Ice blue, pink shimmer on eyes with shimmer highlights around eyes and cheeks, and finishing touch was illuminating powder all over face.”

This glam squad might be a step above Cinderella’s own fairy godmother.

In the spirit of the holiday season, Ellen DeGeneres gave her audience the perfect early gift in the form of Channing Tatum. And really, what else could anyone ask for?

The talk show host shocked the crowd of viewers on Wednesday by unrepentantly introducing Tatum, and audience’s wild reaction speaks for itself.

“So there’s a gift this year that everyone is trying to get, but it is impossible to find. It’s sold out everywhere. Luckily, I found one, but only one,” she teased. “So that means all of you are going to have to share one of this thing that everybody wants, so bring it out. Here comes the gift!”

Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.

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RELATED: Channing Tatum’s Dance Moves Are the Best Part of Pink’s New Music Video

Right on cue, Tatum burst into the room while dancing and to roaring applause. He then sat down to chat with DeGeneres about what it was like stepping into talk show host shoes himself when he guest hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Watch the hilarious audience reaction and Tatum’s interview above.

More than a decade ago, Matt Lauer was caught on camera making lewd comments to his Today show co-host Meredith Vieira.

In the wake of Lauer’s shocking firing from the NBC morning show on Wednesday over allegations of “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace, TMZ published footage from 11 years ago of Lauer commenting on Vieira’s figure when she was bending over.

At the time of the recording, the show went to commercial break, but a local affiliate remained on NBC’s in-studio feed when Lauer’s October 2006 comments were captured.

Lauer can be seen sitting on the couch as Vieira stands up while attaching a microphone to her shirt. As she bends over to grab papers from the table, Lauer tells her, “Pretty sweater. Keep bending over like that. It’s a nice view.”

RELATED: Matt Lauer Accused of Sexual Harassment by Multiple Women

The outlet also resurfaced former Today co-host Katie Couric.’s 2012 interview with Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen, when she admitted that Lauer’s “most annoying habit” is that he “pinches me on the ass a lot.”

Couric, 60, spent 15 years co-hosting NBC’s Today show with Lauer, 59, and left in May 2006 to anchor the CBS Evening News. When she announced her departure on Today in April 2006, she turned to Lauer and said, “As Dorothy said to the Scarecrow, I think I’m going to miss him most of all.”

In 2011, Couric opened up to PEOPLE about her close friendship with Lauer.

“Matt and I have undeniable chemistry in the most platonic sense of the word,” she told PEOPLE. “We are like an old, married couple. We finish each other’s sentences. He is very committed to the Today show.”

WATCH: Matt Lauer Allegedly Harassed Multiple Women, Exposed Himself: Reports

After news of his termination was announced by Lauer’s Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday, numerous sources told PEOPLE that Lauer, who shares three children with his wife of 19 years, Annette Roque, had multiple extramarital affairs. Lauer’s reps are not commenting.

“He regularly cheated on his wife,” one source claimed. “Everyone knew. His wife lives in the Hamptons and he lives in the city, but we never heard he made unwanted moves.”

Additionally, a source with knowledge of some aspects of the situation told PEOPLE that “there was most definitely more than one” affair and alleged that “they were never with anyone whom [Lauer] didn’t have significant seniority over.”

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Prince Harry lost his mom Princess Diana when he was only 12 years old, but her legacy continues to live on in him.

The royal appeared at the Obama Foundation’s inaugural summit in Chicago on Tuesday night, and he took the opportunity to talk about his “ideal role model” mother and how he learned to understand that being in the monarchy meant he had to help others.

“I think what happened to my mum probably put me a step back, thinking, how could someone who did so much for the world and did so much for everyone else be treated like that by a certain institution?” he said. “It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you understand the privileged position that you’re in, you go to spend the rest of your life giving back, and gaining the trust and respect of the general public.”

Georges De Keerle/Getty

Prince Harry seems to be off to a great start at doing that. He founded the Invictus Games, which are now an annual international event, and his Royal Foundation aids thousands all over the world. It isn’t that surprising though, considering who he had to look up to.

RELATED: Prince Harry and Michelle Obama Made These Chicago High School Students’ Day

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“In society we suffer from this illusion, or reality, that some problems become so big that nobody wants to get involved. She was the one that changed that. I will always look up to her,” said Prince Harry. “Everything she did and the way she did it was having an impact, making a difference.” 

We’re excited to continue to see Harry make a difference of his own.