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Two Struggling New York City Actors Are Getting Married And Need Your Help!

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Every once in a while The New Civil Rights Movement departs from reporting the news to visit stories about the people we are actually fighting for. Achieving equality has been our goal since the first day we began publishing. We’re glad when we get a chance to share a glimpse into the lives of those to whom it means the most, and  we’re glad when we can share with our readers an opportunity to help those who need it.

  

I hope to never forget the look on my fiancé’s face (let’s call him MW, Mr.Wonderful,) when he called his mother to tell her I had proposed. It was Christmas of last year, our very first together, and I had been wanting to ask for months. Every other sap will understand that I held off because I wanted to create something special; some magical memory that will last us until the end of time. So, I waited. I waited until he was opening his last gift that rainy morning beside our tiny, table-top Christmas tree, surrounded by wrapping paper, holiday songs in the air, and Santa hats on our heads.

As he opened the biggest box it gave way to a smaller one inside. And again. And again. Until the last one was a familiar looking box from Tiffiany’s. Then, when he opened it to discover that it was empty, he looked up to find me on my knees (I was shaking too hard to balance on just one) with the ring in my hand.

After we held each other for what felt like an hour, it was time to make phone calls. I had only met Mr. Wonderful’s family once, but I had kept in touch with his mom, and had called her recently to tell her I was going to pop the question. I secretly knew that she supported the idea. I also knew all about their family history.

I knew that after MW told his parents as a teenager that he was gay, his mother later came to him to say that his example gave her the strength to ask his father for a divorce. She told him that she hadn’t been happy in a long time, and if her son was brave enough to choose happiness even if it seemed scary and difficult, she could too.

Mr.Wonderful had grown up accustomed to disappointment (something that breaks my heart to think about.) He is the oldest of seven kids. With limited resources, he was constantly teased for being poor, having a family on welfare, not having nice clothes, and driving a car that “won clunker of the month every month of high school.” Additionally, he was also teased mercilessly his entire life. Being called names and getting hit and punished by peers for being perceived as gay was an everyday routine. To this day, when someone wrongs MW, I can see how part of him feels like there’s nothing that can be done, or that no one really cares when he is mistreated or under-appreciated. It just became easier as he was growing up to not make a fuss.

His parents had met when they were teenagers and had him young. It caused a rift between his mom and grandmother, and though there was love in his house among himself, his siblings, and parents, things were frequently estranged with extended family. Someone was always not being spoken to. When he came out of the closet, he was afraid it would be him. To this day, his being gay is an issue between his father and hm. They speak. Just not often, and not about much.

I mention all this because when, on that Christmas morning, MW picked up the phone to call his mother, even though she loved and supported him, he was afraid. It was visible. He was used to people in his family finding reasons to keep others at a distance, and he was terrified of the same fate. He called her first because he felt that of all the calls to his family members, the one to his mother would go better than those to his father and grandparents.

As he began to speak, his breathing accelerated, and he got flush. Then, as he listened for his mother’s response… he smiled! He exhaled a giant sigh of relief, and the happiness on his face lit up and shined brighter than any twinkle coming from the Christmas tree. His mother was thrilled, and so were all six of his siblings who were celebrating together around the table nearly 1,000 miles away.

Now, let’s jump forward to now. Our wedding planning is in full swing, and we are less than five months to the big day. His father is iffy at best on attendance, and his grandmother (someone who is not being spoken to by anyone in the family other than Mr. Wonderful) has told him that our getting married is “the same as committing a robbery,” and “I can’t witness that.”

In an effort to reduce costs to our already micro-budgeted wedding, we have decided against flowers, possibly a DJ, are not having the events in our beloved-but-overpriced New York City. We have entered several contests (I won a free suit!), but no matter how hard we pinch pennies, there is still one cost that I can’t manage: getting Mr.Wonderful’s mom, brothers and sisters to the wedding.

His mother, a woman who, it seems, cannot get a break, doesn’t have much money to begin with. On top of it, she has had a plethora of recent medical issues resulting in hospitalization, was forced to replace her car, and is working two to three jobs at any given time to try to house, feed, and clothe her six remaining kids. She is so freaking excited about our wedding, and tells me on what have now become frequent phone chats that they have started a change jar to pay for travel. I can hear her smile when she talks about the wedding, but a “change jar”? Really? I cannot imagine not having them there. Not only are they the most important people in the world to my fiancé, but they are the only family he has that have supported us without hesitation or condition.

So, it is with great humility that I am asking for the aid and kindness of strangers; people that I am hoping understand what it is to want to celebrate love and happiness with those who are closest to you, and how much more important it becomes when that love and support is only available to you from a select few people because your heart takes you in a direction that some may not give approval. I want to, yet again, make a beautiful memory.

My goal of $5,000 is to pay for the flights, as well as room and board of seven people; my fiancé’s mom, and his six younger siblings (all but one still live at home). The amount feels high, but there are no extravagant expenditures being considered. Only the bare minimum for attendance. Frankly, I am embarrassed to have to ask for help because I cannot provide for my family, but I know that in this instance my pride is not what’s important. The thing that matters more is that my in-laws be able to stand with us, in the names of pride, love, and family, on our wedding day.

If any of you would pass along this link and tell your friends about this article, or donate to the cause, that would mean to absolute world to me: www.fundly.com/helpmyfianceesfamilyattendourwedding

Thank you to all who have read this far. May you all know the beautiful feeling of having people in your life who want to go beyond what seems possible to try and make you feel special.

Editor’s note: Ivan is my fiancé’s friend, and a friend of mine.

Ivan and his fiancé are both 20-something go-getters in New York City trying to make everything they can from the lives they were given. Both actors, they also work various day jobs that they feel fortunate to have, and try to spend as much time as possible taking advantage of their wonderful surroundings with friends (as long as it doesn’t dent the wedding fund!) Favorite pastimes include board games, creating song parodies, and watching reality TV competitions online. They met in December of 2010 while rehearsing for the national tour of a children’s musical based on a popular book series that happens to be Ivan’s childhood favorite. 
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Hunter Biden Plans Lawsuit Against Fox News Amid ‘Conspiracy of Disinformation’

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April 29, 2024

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Attorneys for Hunter Biden have notified Fox News he plans to sue the right-wing cable TV network and its digital entities, after lawyers for the President’s son spent more than a year investigating. Among other issues the letter reportedly mentions Fox News citing a now-indicted former FBI informant, and points to “revenge porn” laws.

The letter, NBC News reports, is dated last week and specifically points to alleged bribery allegations as well as “Fox’s airing of ‘intimate images’ belonging to Hunter Biden that his lawyers claim were ‘hacked, stolen, and/or manipulated’,” that they say violate “Biden’s civil rights as well as copyright law.”

CNN, focusing in the intimate images, reports that “Hunter Biden is demanding that Fox News remove from its platforms sexually explicit images that President Joe Biden’s son says are private, according to a letter obtained by CNN, as part of his strategy to publicly fight back against conservative media.”

“The media outlet aired a mock trial of Hunter Biden on the streaming platform Fox Nation in 2022,” CNN also reports, “focused on the unproven bribery allegations, and published ‘intimate images of Mr. Biden depicting him in the nude as well as engaged in sex acts,’ according to the letter, which demands that Fox immediately remove the series from all streaming platforms.”

READ MORE: Noem Doubles Down With ‘Legal Cover’ For Shooting Her Puppy to Death

“’FOX knows that these private and confidential images were hacked, stolen, and/or manipulated digital material,’ Hunter Biden’s attorneys wrote in the letter, which contained several of the explicit images, some of which were blurred,” CNN adds. “Publishing these images, the attorneys said, violated ‘the majority of states’ laws against the nonconsensual disclosure of sexually explicit images and videos, sometimes referred to as ‘revenge porn’ laws.’ ”

In a statement Hunter Biden’s attorney, Mark Geragos, expanded on the apparently pending lawsuit.

“For the last five years, Fox News has relentlessly attacked Hunter Biden and made him a caricature in order to boost ratings and for its financial gain,” Geragos stated. “The recent indictment of FBI informant Smirnov has exposed the conspiracy of disinformation that has been fueled by Fox, enabled by their paid agents and monetized by the Fox enterprise. We plan on holding them accountable.”

Media Matters last week reported, “Fox News has mentioned Hunter Biden at least 13,440 times since January 3, 2023, when Republicans took control of the House of Representatives after promising to use their power to investigate the business interests of President Joe Biden’s son, according to a Media Matters review.”

“Fox’s on-air coverage of Hunter Biden has … plummeted in recent months,” Media Matters added. “Mentions of the president’s son on the network peaked at 2,356 in July, when his federal plea deal on two misdemeanor counts of failing to pay taxes fell apart, and mentions exceeded 1,300 in four other months, most recently in December.”

READ MORE: Peter Navarro’s Latest Attempt to Get Out of Jail Smacked Down by SCOTUS

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Peter Navarro’s Latest Attempt to Get Out of Jail Smacked Down by SCOTUS

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April 29, 2024

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Former top Trump White House advisor Peter Navarro, in prison for criminal contempt of Congress, has failed in his latest attempt to be released early, after the U.S. Supreme Court once again denied his request.

Navarro, 74, the first and only former White House official ever to be imprisoned for contempt of Congress, is serving out his four-month sentence in Miami. His efforts to stay out of jail were first denied by Chief Justice John Roberts, before he reported to the prison in mid-March. He was found guilty in September after a short trial. After his arrest he hawked his book and begged for money on national television.

CBS News reports “15 days into his sentence, Navarro renewed his request to halt his surrender to Justice Neil Gorsuch, which is allowed under Supreme Court rules. His bid for emergency relief was referred to the full court, which denied it. There were no noted dissents. Attorneys for Navarro declined to comment.”

CNN called the decision to petition Justice Gorsuch “a procedural maneuver that has not worked in decades.”

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“Gorsuch referred the request to the full court, which considered it during its closed door conference on Friday. The court denied the request on Monday without comment.”

Navarro’s prison sentence is the result of his refusal to comply with a subpoena issued by the U.S. House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack. Navarro claims he had executive privilege, but offered no proof, and refused to show up as ordered.

Legal experts accurately had predicted a “quick conviction” after Navarro, called a “conspiracy theorist” who promotes “fringe” economic theories, had called no witnesses. The jury deliberated for under five hours. He faced up to two years in prison.

CBS News adds Navarro “is not the only member of the Trump administration to be convicted of the charge. Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist, was found guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress and sentenced to four months in prison. The judge overseeing that case, however, put his prison term on hold while Bannon appeals.”

READ MORE: Noem Doubles Down With ‘Legal Cover’ For Shooting Her Puppy to Death

 

 

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Noem Doubles Down With ‘Legal Cover’ For Shooting Her Puppy to Death

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4 hours ago

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April 29, 2024

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South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem has been under bipartisan fire since Friday after an excerpt from her soon-to-be published book reveals her bragging about shooting to death her 14-month old puppy, and later that day, a goat. Noem, considered at least until last week a top contender to be Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate, is doubling-down defending herself but now she’s serving up some “legal cover” as well.

“I can understand why some people are upset about a 20 year old story of Cricket, one of the working dogs at our ranch, in my upcoming book — No Going Back. The book is filled with many honest stories of my life, good and bad days, challenges, painful decisions, and lessons learned,” she wrote on Sunday, after The Guardian‘s damning report. “The fact is, South Dakota law states that dogs who attack and kill livestock can be put down. Given that Cricket had shown aggressive behavior toward people by biting them, I decided what I did.”

Law & Crime on Monday reports the governor is “providing herself legal cover for the act.”

Noem “acknowledged that ‘some people’ were upset about the story — and she specified that it happened two decades ago, seeming to place the incident well beyond the statute of limitations.”

RELATED: Noem Defends Shooting Her 14-Month Old Puppy to Death, Brags She Has Media ‘Gasping’

“Noem additionally cited South Dakota law in support of her decision,” Law & Crime adds, noting the “reported book excerpt had said that Cricket tried to bite Noem and attacked her chickens.”

“The fact is, South Dakota law states that dogs who attack and kill livestock can be put down,” Noem wrote, an apparent attempt to preempt any possible legal issues. “Given that Cricket had shown aggressive behavior toward people by biting them, I decided what I did.”

Law & Crime explains that “South Dakota notes that an exemption to animal cruelty laws is the ‘destruction of dangerous animals.’ The law specifies that ‘[a]ny humane killing of an animal’ and ‘[a]ny reasonable action taken by a person for the destruction or control of an animal known to be dangerous, a threat, or injurious to life, limb, or property’ are exempt from prosecution.”

Noting that Noem’s attempt “to lean into the right’s embrace of political incorrectness … didn’t fly with members of her own party,” The Daily Beast pointed to well-known Republicans including former Trump White House communications director Alyssa Farrah Griffin and Meghan McCain who publicly condemned Noem’s actions.

READ MORE: President Hands Howard Stern Live Interview After NY Times Melts Down Over Biden Brush-Off

The Guardian’s excerpt from Noem’s book does not state that Cricket bit people, although Noem states Cricket “whipped around” to bite her. It’s possible biting others is in the book but did not make it into The Guardian’s report.

Describing Cricket killing chickens, Noem “grabbed Cricket, she says, [and] the dog ‘whipped around to bite me’. Then, as the chickens’ owner wept, Noem repeatedly apologised, wrote the shocked family a check ‘for the price they asked, and helped them dispose of the carcasses littering the scene of the crime’.”

“Through it all, Noem says, Cricket was ‘the picture of pure joy’,” The Guardian reports. “’I hated that dog,’ Noem writes, adding that Cricket had proved herself ‘untrainable’, ‘dangerous to anyone she came in contact with’ and ‘less than worthless … as a hunting dog’.”

Meanwhile, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski on Monday said Noem’s pride and decision making surrounding killing the puppy make her unfit to be “in charge.”

Describing how she grew up on a family farm, Brzezinski said they hunted, and “there was absolutely a dense of life and death.” There was “never a joy in killing and there was a respect to it, and a process if you were hunting.”

READ MORE: CNN Smacks Down Trump Rant Courthouse So ‘Heavily Guarded’ MAGA Cannot Attend His Trial

“But this story was more about how she felt killing an animal, and that’s what’s scary about it – the impatience, kind of like a switch flipped in her brain and she decided she needed to kill it? Like this is not someone you want in charge, not someone thinking through the process of life and death.”

“The most remarkable part of it,” Scarborough added, “is that the conservative movement has been so corrupted by Donald Trump and his reached such new lows, that she actually put that in, about the killing of a happy puppy because she thought it would help her with the base.”

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