CAIR Applauds ABC's Cancellation of 'Roseanne' Following Roseanne Barr's Islamophobic, Racist Tweet

Roseanne Barr (image via BBC)

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today applauded ABC's decision to cancel the "Roseanne" sitcom after the show's star Roseanne Barr posted a racist and Islamophobic tweet.

In a tweet posted Tuesday, Barr referred to Valerie Jarrett, a former adviser to President Barack Obama, as a "child" of the "Muslim Brotherhood" and "Planet of the Apes."

⏩ SEE: ABC Cancels 'Roseanne' Following Roseanne Barr's Racist Tweet Targeting Obama Adviser 

"We welcome the swift and appropriate action taken by ABC and hope it sends a message that the promotion of hatred and bigotry will not be accepted by our nation's entertainment industry," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "Ms. Barr has a First Amendment right to express her views, however Islamophobic or racist, but she does not have a constitutional right to a program on a national television network."

He noted that CAIR recently expressed appreciation for a "Roseanne" episode challenging Islamophobia. "Ms. Barr's tweet unfortunately does not express the inclusiveness and rejection of bigotry we saw in the episode on Islamophobia," said Awad.

⏩ ABC's 'Good Morning America' Quotes CAIR Director on 'Roseanne' Islamophobia Episode:

⏩ CAIR has reported an unprecedented spike in bigotry targeting American Muslims and members of other minority groups since the election of Donald Trump as president.

The Washington-based organization's recently-released 2018 Civil Rights Report, "Targeted," showed a 17 percent increase in bias-motivated incidents against American Muslims from 2016 to 2017, and a 15 percent increase in the number of anti-Muslim hate crimes in that same time period.

CAIR’s 2018 civil rights report (image via CAIR)

⏩ New CAIR Report: Trump's Muslim Bans Increased Anti-Muslim Discrimination, Violence

Community members are being urged to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR's Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420.

CAIR launched an app to share critical "know your rights" information and to simplify the process to report hate crimes and bias incidents. CAIR is urging American Muslims and members of other minority groups to download the app and utilize this resource to stay informed and empowered.

⏩ For a quick download of CAIR's civil rights app, click here

SOURCE: Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

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• Video: CAIR Responds to Donald Trump's Anti-Muslim Retweets
• CAIR Calls on Feds to Probe Call to Violence Against U.S. Muslims at N.C. Meeting of Hate Groups

Florence + The Machine's North American Fall Headline Tour Confirmed

Florence + The Machine Confirm North American Leg Of Global Tour

Florence + the Machine have confirmed today a 23 city North American fall headline tour, produced by Live Nation, kicking off August 5 in Montreal, QC and including stops at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl and New York's Barclays Center. 

Further dates  include Seattle, Portland, Nashville, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago and more.

Tickets are on sale to the general public beginning this Friday, June 1 at 10 a.m. local time at Ticketmaster.com. American Express Card Members can purchase tickets for select dates before the general public beginning Tuesday, May 29 at 12 p.m. local time, through Thursday, May 31 at 10 p.m. local time. 

⏩ Visit florenceandthemachine.net for more information.

Florence + the Machine's hugely anticipated fourth studio album High As Hope—co-produced by Florence and Emile Haynie and featuring contributions from Kamasi Washington, Sampha, Tobias Jesso Jr, Kelsey Lu and Jamie xx—is out June 29 on Republic Records. 

Watch the A.G. Rojas-directed video for first official single "Hunger":

About Florence + The Machine:

(Via Wikipedia)

Florence and the Machine (stylised as Florence + the Machine) are an English indie rock band that formed in London in 2007, consisting of vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, and a collaboration of other musicians. The band's music received praise across the media, especially from the BBC, which played a large part in their rise to prominence by promoting Florence and the Machine as part of BBC Introducing. At the 2009 Brit Awards they received the Brit Awards "Critics' Choice" award. The band's music is renowned for its dramatic and eccentric production and also Welch's powerful vocal performances.

The band's debut studio album, Lungs, was released on 6 July 2009, and held the number-two position for its first five weeks on the UK Albums Chart. On 17 January 2010, the album reached the top position, after being on the chart for twenty-eight consecutive weeks. As of October 2010, the album had been in the top forty in the United Kingdom for sixty-five consecutive weeks, making it one of the best-selling albums of 2009 and 2010. The group's second studio album, Ceremonials, released in October 2011, entered the charts at number one in the UK and number six in the US. The band's third album, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, was released on 2 June 2015. It topped the UK charts, and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, their first to do so. The album reached number one in a total of eight countries and the top ten of twenty. Also in 2015, the band was the headlining act at Glastonbury Festival, making Florence Welch the first British female headliner this century.

Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul. Lungs won the Brit Award for Best British Album in 2010. Florence and the Machine have been nominated for seven Grammy Awards including Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album. 

⏩ Additionally, the band performed at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards and the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Concert.

Florence + The Machine (Still from 'Hunger' video)

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE LIVE

August 5	Montreal, QC, Canada	Osheaga^
August 9	Lake Tahoe, NV	Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys*+
August 11	San Francisco, CA	Outside Lands^
September 8	Vancouver, BC, Canada	Skookum Festival^
September 10	Seattle, WA	KeyArena†
September 11	Portland, OR	Moda Center†
September 14	Salt Lake City, UT	Maverik Center†
September 15	Denver, CO	Grandoozy Festival^
September 22	Las Vegas, NV	Life Is Beautiful^
September 23	San Diego, CA	Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl San Diego State University‡
September 25	Los Angeles, CA	Hollywood Bowl‡
September 29	Dallas, TX	The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory‡
September 30	Houston, TX	The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion‡
October 2	Nashville, TN	Bridgestone Arena§
October 3	Charlotte, NC	Spectrum Center§
October 5	Washington, D.C.	The Anthem**+
October 9	New York, NY	Barclays Center
October 12	Boston, MA	TD Garden
October 13	Uncasville, CT	Mohegan Sun Arena††
October 14	Philadelphia, PA	Wells Fargo Center††
October 16	Toronto, ON, Canada	Air Canada Centre††
October 19	Chicago, IL	United Center‡‡
October 20	Minneapolis, MN	Target Center‡‡

• *with Wet
• †with St. Vincent and Lizzo 
• ‡with Kamasi Washington 
• §with Billie Eilish 
• **with Beth Ditto 
• ††with Grizzly Bear 
• ‡‡with Perfume Genius 
• +not a Live Nation date 
• ^Festival date

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE - HIGH AS HOPE 
1. June
2. Hunger
3. South London Forever
4. Big God
5. Sky Full of Song
6. Grace
7. Patricia
8. 100 Years
9. The End of Love
10. No Choir

SOURCE: Live Nation Entertainment

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Canadian Stirling Hart Claims Victory At The Stihl TIMBERSPORTS Champions Trophy 2018 In Marseille

The Canadian Stirling Hart wins the Champions Trophy 2018. (PRNewsfoto/Stihl TIMBERSPORTS Series)

The 2018 Champions Ring goes to Canada. Stirling Hart claimed victory at the Stihl TIMBERSPORTS Champions Trophy in Marseille's Vieux Port. 

In front of 1,200 spectators in the sold out arena, the 28 year-old came out on top against eleven of the world's best logger sports athletes. 

In a thrilling final he defeated Jason Wynyard from New Zealand completing all four disciplines with axe and saw in a time of just 1:03.40 minutes. 

Mitch Argent from Australia came in third.

The reigning World Champion Jason Wynyard from New Zealand, here at the Single Buck, lost against Stirling Hart in the final. (PRNewsfoto/Stihl TIMBERSPORTS Series)

World-class logger sports action

"Last year I was so close to winning the Champions Trophy - that was going through my head the whole time," admitted Stirling Hart. "I am thrilled to have won. My focus is already on the next international competition. I will take a few days off to enjoy my win and then start preparing for the World Championship." 

Mitch Argent from Australia, here at the Stock Saw event, came in third. (PRNewsfoto/Stihl TIMBERSPORTS Series)

Mitch Argent, who finished third, posted a stunning time of 58.12 seconds in his quarter final - the fastest time of the day - but lost against Hart in his semi final. In the bronze medal match Argent came out on top against Martin Komarek from the Czech Republic, who was the best European athlete.

Behind Komarek were Michal Dubicki (Poland), Arden Cogar (USA), Pierre Puybaret (France), Ferry Svan (Sweden), Armin Kugler (Austria), Paolo Vicenzi (Italy), Simon Bond (Great Britain) and Andrea Rossi (Italy).

Thrilling knockout duels and nerves of steel
The competition format used at the Champions Trophy demands maximum endurance, precision and strength. Four axe and saw disciplines from the Stihl TIMBERSPORTS Series are completed back to back, with the winner of each duel progressing to the next round. 

The athletes must show absolute concentration in the chainsaw discipline Stock Saw, the axe event Underhand Chop, the Single Buck discipline featuring a one-man handsaw two metres in length and the Standing Block Chop.

Also on Saturday, eight of the world's best young logger sports athletes competed in the Stihl TIMBERSPORTS Rookie World Championship. Daniel Gurr from Australia came out on top ahead of Italy's Michael Del Pin in second place and Chas Haasfrom the USA.

⏩ The world's best athletes will next meet on 19 and 20 October 2018 at the Stihl TIMBERSPORTS World Championship in Liverpool, England.

About Stihl TIMBERSPORTS:
The Stihl TIMBERSPORTS Series is an international extreme sports competition series. Its roots lie in Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Springboard, Underhand Chop and Standing Block Chop are the classic axe disciplines; Single Buck (single-man cross-cut saw), Stock Saw (standard chainsaw) and Hot Saw (tuned, customized chainsaw with up to 80 horsepower) see athletes compete against each other and the clock. 

⏩ For more information visit: stihl-timbersports.com

SOURCE: Stihl TIMBERSPORTS Series

The Video:

10 Things You Might Not Know About The 'Alien' Franchise

'Alien: Covenant' (© 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.)

With six films, two spin-off films, numerous books, comics, and video games, Alien is one of the most renowned science fiction and horror franchises in the world. In pop culture alone, it has served as a timeless reference for audiences everywhere.

From its beginnings in 1979, one can only imagine how much time, effort, and crafting was put into the expansive franchise and the stories that might come from it. 

Here are ten things you might not have known about the Alien Franchise:

1. The original design of the Alien was supposed to be very different

H.R. Giger, the artist behind the design of the Alien, had initially conceptualized for the beast to be albino and translucent. The idea being that audiences would be allowed to see all its internal organs, then as the story went on, the Alien's skin would darken and grow harder.

2. The crew got very familiar with animal parts while making the film 

The facehuggers, first seen in the original Alien film, were crafted using oysters, shellfish, and sheep kidneys. The alien eggs on the other hand, were made from the hearts and stomachs of cows, and the intestines of sheep.

3. Ellen Ripley was almost played by another legendary actress

Sigourney Weaver has made herself a household name through her iconic role as the heroine of the Alien franchise, Ellen Ripley -- and it would be hard to imagine anyone else in the role. However, the Alien-blasting character was almost played by the great Meryl Streep. Streep was highly recommended by the caster of the original film, but producer Gordon Carroll felt that it would not be right calling in Streep from the country to audition, given that her long-time companion had just passed recently.

4. Director Ridley Scott took inspiration from three iconic films

Almost all artists take inspiration and influence from other great works of art. In Ridley Scott's case, the Alien franchise was said to be shaped by 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, and 1974's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

5. There's a special day dedicated to celebrating the Alien Franchise

With a film series as epic as Alien, it's no surprise that fans around the world have dedicated one day a year in it's honor. That day, known as Alien day, is April 26, which is taken from LV-426 -- the former name of Acheron, one of the three known moons of Calpamos. In the series, this is where the film Alien is set. 

⏩ Alien day is celebrated with various special releases like books, video games, and comics.

6. Alien's most iconic scream-scene was not scripted

Everyone can agree that one of the most memorable scenes of the whole franchise was when the baby Xenomorph bursts from Kane's chest cavity. It turns out, it was probably one of the most memorable to film for the actors as well. 

⏩ Because Director Ridley Scott wanted genuine and raw reactions from the cast, he had rigged the bursting scene in secret... 

But, because they could not predict where the blood would spatter, actor Vanessa Cartwright was so surprised to be covered with blood that it caused her to pass out.

7. Alien: Covenant almost had a different name and different story

The latest film added to the franchise, "Alien: Covenant", was almost named "Alien: Paradise Lost". This initially was supposed to stray further away from the "Alien" lore and instead focused on the history of the engineers, humanity's origins, and the creation of humans and xenomorphs.

8. In Prometheus, the unsettling and creepy musical score was achieved through unusual means

Marc Streitenfeld, the composer for the prequel film Prometheus, had his compositions played backwards by the orchestra. When he started putting the music together for the final film, he then digitally reversed the tracks, making the score sound unusual and unhinging -- exactly the mood that they needed for the picture.

9. Sigourney Weaver's bald family issues

In Alien 3, Sigourney Weaver's character had to be bald. However, when not filming, Weaver wore a wig due to her then 2-year-old daughter becoming upset when seeing her mother hairless.

10. Gender was never pre-meditated

When creating the original script, writers Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett made all the character names unisex and even included a clause stating so. 

This was done with the intention that the characters could be played by either male or female actors, and also resulted in the later scripts having all the characters being referred to by their last names (Kane, Ripley, Brett, etc.) 

⏩ Given this however, the writers still did not really consider Ripley as a female character prior to casting. 

SOURCE: FOX+

'Alien: Covenant' - Poster

⏩ 'Alien: Covenant' can now be streamed on FOX+  ⏪
For more info, click here. 

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A First Look at 'Our Cartoon President', Exclusively on FOX+

The cast of 'Our Cartoon President' (© 2018 Showtime Networks Inc. and Showtime Digital Inc. All rights reserved.}

'Our Cartoon President' is a satirical new animated series that focuses on the daily life of Donald Trump

Everyone knows who Donald Trump is, but his life in the White House is a mystery to many. This is where the hilarious new satirical TV show, 'Our Cartoon President', comes in. Created by Stephen Colbert, the animated series premiered in February of 2018 and is based off a segment that was featured on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.'  

The satirical show puts a spotlight on the current U.S. president and wants to "open the White House doors for an 'all access' look at a typical day in Donald Trump's world."

This of course involves examining his most important relationships, from friends and family to key political figures in U.S. government. The show doesn't shy away from portraying not only Trump, but also many of the people that surround him. This includes his family, members of the White House staff, and other U.S. government members. 

The characters are all represented through very distinct caricatures of themselves, being both hilarious and very dead on.

The first episode tackles Trump as he attempts to prepare a State of the Union address that will improve his approval rating, while he also tries to fix his relationship with his wife Melania. As he goes through this endeavor, the viewers are given a first glimpse of his day-to-day life in the White House, which includes meetings, dinners, and even what the writers imagine Trump does in his spare time. 

In the first episode, audiences meet the likes of Nancy Pelosi, Ted Cruz, Mike Pence, Mitch McConnelland several more. The character-packed first episode will might need one to be familiar with the current on-goings in the US government, but even if one isn't, the show tells audiences to enough for them keep following.

The first episode also highlights Trump's relationship with his two sons, Eric and Donald Jr., as they navigate their roles in their father's Presidency. Ivanka and Jared make a brief appearance, but one can expect that the two will play bigger roles in the future.  

The episode ends with Trump delivering a bizarre State of the Union address, which works anyway, and ultimately mending his relationship with his wife.

'Our Cartoon President' (Still from the show)

The show makes the writers' opinions on the President clear by both lampooning him and the members of his administration and putting on display their less favorable personalities through their caricaturized characters. 

At the same time, the show also gives viewers a way to look at the President through the lens of comedy and informing those who might not know a lot about the U.S. government in a more unorthodox way.

SOURCE: FOX+

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