Stories Around The Web!

Netflix's children film Bigfoot Family is accused of 'spreading misinformation and peddling lies' about the oil sector as furious viewers launch 'tell the truth' campaign in Canada The film, described as a 'family comedy', follows Bigfoot who fights against an Alaska oil company who is planning to bomb a valley so they can remove the oil  When Bigfoot one day goes missing, his 'tech-savvy son' has to take on an 'evil CEO to save his family and a wildlife preserve'  Despite being set in the US, Support Canadian Energy has launched a 'Tell The Truth Netflix' campaign against the movie  It has accused the children's animation of 'peddling lies' about the sector and 'brainwashing our kids' Support Canadian Energy, which is funded by the province of Albert, claims it has received '3106 supporters' so far  By Olivia Wheeler For Mailonline Published: 06:13 EDT, 17 March 2021 | Updated: 06:50 EDT, 17 March 2021 Netflix's animated children's film Bigfoot Family has been accused of 'spreading misinformation and peddling lies' about the oil, gas and energy sector. Furious viewers have launched an attack on the movie, which is set in the US, and created a 'tell the truth' campaign in Canada on the Support Canadian Energy website, which is funded by the province of Alberta. The film, which is described as a 'family comedy', follows Bigfoot who fights against an Alaska oil company who is planning to bomb a valley so they can remove the oil. Accusations: Read the full article

In the old Senegalese port city of Saint Louis, 12 women step off the sun-baked street and through a doorway draped with pink silk into a dim room beyond. After greetings are over, one by one they recount their stories. Recent memories of husbands, sons and brothers they have lost at sea, revealing precious pictures on smartphones of moments when they last cradled children or kissed their families. “During my life he was helping me every day, caring for me,” 51-year-old Sina Ndiaye says of Omar, her 19-year-old son. In October last year, a boat carrying 200 migrants exploded off the coast of Senegal, killing him and 139 others. “Now he is gone, I have no hope left.” Their anguish has a common thread – their families were lost on one of the most dangerous sea routes in the world, which has over the past two years seen a sharp rise in travellers, as migrants and refugees from across west Africa try to reach Spanish territory in the Canary Islands from Senegal, some 1,500km (1,000 miles) south. The route has been largely dormant since 2006, when 31,000 people made the crossing. But a clampdown on the sea routes from Morocco and Libya, controversially enforced by Libyan authorities backed by the EU, has given it a renewed attraction. In 2019 fewer than 2,700 migrants arrived in the Canaries by boat, and 210 died trying to get there. In 2020, more than 20,000 arrived. As the number of overcrowded boats increases, so the deaths mount. Read the full article

Glenn Helkenn lives in a spruce forest, in a tiny log cabin he built himself on the outskirts of Fairbanks, Alaska’s third largest city. Give him an hour and a handsaw and Helkenn says he can harvest enough firewood to heat his 96 sq ft home for a couple of days, even when the temperature drops to -40F. For him, it’s about more than free fuel. “It is what I enjoy doing,” Helkenn said. “You know, it’s the fresh air. It’s the time out in the woods. It’s the snowshoeing. It’s the exercise.” The trouble is about 12,000 much larger Fairbanks-area homes heat with wood too. The city is partially ringed by hills, so smoke can get trapped in low-lying neighborhoods for days or weeks. Fairbanks has some of the dirtiest air in the country, in large part due to smoke from wood stoves. Wood smoke is a serious health threat. It emits high levels of fine-particle pollution that can be inhaled deep into the lungs, exacerbating respiratory problems like asthma and increasing the risk of premature death from heart attacks and strokes. In 2015, the US government required that newer models of wood stoves perform better and began spending millions of dollars to subsidize the transition away from older models. Now, an investigation by state environment officials is revealing a critical flaw in that plan: the latest stoves might not be any less polluting than the previous ones. A review of 250 wood-burning stove certifications found unexplained data omissions and atypical lab practices. Read the full article

Boris Johnson will announce today that Britain is significantly increasing its nuclear arsenal amid a threat of terrorist 'dirty bombs'. He will signal a shift to a 'more robust position on security and deterrence' which will see troops deployed overseas 'more often and for longer periods'. The Prime Minister is also expected to use the publication of the Integrated Review of security, defence, and foreign policy to restate his commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of Britain's income on aid. Boris Johnson will set out a 'more robust position on security and deterrence' that could see troops sent overseas more regularly, and for longer periods of time The 100-page review, which was leaked last night, will set out the Government's view of Britain's place in the world after Brexit. It declares: 'We will move from defending the status quo within the post-Cold War international system to dynamically shaping the post-Covid order.' There will be a £24billion rise in spending on defence as the UK moves into the 'new frontiers' of space and cyber-warfare. Key points in the review are: Read the full article

Rebel Wilson's personal trainer Jono Castano is spotted with Rita Ora at her intimate Red Room concert in Sydney By Caleb Taylor For Daily Mail Australia Published: 21:48 EDT, 17 March 2021 | Updated: 21:48 EDT, 17 March 2021 Jono Castano has made a name for himself as Rebel Wilson's go-to trainer. And on Wednesday, it appeared the Sydney fitness guru had his eye on another major celebrity who is spending time in Australia. The former soccer player socialised with British singer Rita Ora after her Nova Red Room performance, later posting a photo of the pair on Instagram. Only A-listers! Rebel Wilson's personal trainer Jono Castano and his wife Amy were spotted with British superstar Rita Ora at her Nova Red Room concert in Sydney on Wednesday Jono seemed to be making a joke as she stood next to the Bang Bang singer, alongside his stylishly dressed wife, Amy. 'When I see sausage rolls backstage,' Jono captioned the post. Rita looked glamorous in a strapless top, baggy pants and high heels. Superstar: Rita looked glamorous in a strapless top, baggy pants and high heels She styled her hair in braids for the performance. Jono has become known in celebrity circles for his work with Rebel Wilson, who lost a great deal of weight last year.        In November, Jono revealed the secret to their workouts was making sure to laugh. New look: Jono (left) is the man behind Rebel Wilson's (right) incredible weight loss 'I love a bit of banter. Read the full article

The opening moments of Dream contain all the enticements of an augmented Imax experience, beamed to our laptops. The camera hovers over a forest drenched in mist, then swoops in as if entering a 3D DreamWorks movie. Our host, Puck (EM Williams), is in a real-life studio and transforms into an avatar on our screens. Despite the futuristic feel, we are entering a Shakespearean forest and following Puck into an experiment that splices A Midsummer Night’s Dream with cutting-edge immersive and gaming technology. Puck meets some sprites and battles a big, obliterating storm but the story does not go far beyond this truncated narrative and it is all over too soon. In fairness, that is because this is a technological work-in-progress that producers, the RSC, Manchester international festival, Marshmallow Laser Feast and the Philharmonia Orchestra, have decided to share with the public at this stage in its development. Where gaming and theatre meet ... Moth and Puck. Photograph: © Paul Mumford/Marshmallow Laser Feast Directed by Robin McNicholas, it is only around 30 minutes long but a crowd-puller nonetheless. We are told, at a pre-show Q&A, that it has been watched by more than 20,000 people from around the world in just three days, and there are more than 7,000 people present on the night I tune in. Its makers speak of exploring the future of live performance with this technology but the ambition, for now, surpasses the reality. Read the full article

Last fall, Catelynn and Tyler expressed their desire to make their voices heard in the 2020 election. And during tonight's Teen Mom OG episode, the longtime couple stuck to their word and voted for the very first time. And they made sure to bring their daughters Novalee and Vaeda along for the memorable experience. "You voted!" an enthusiastic Cate told Novalee as they emerged from their Michigan polling place. "You helped me fill in the circle, didn't you?" After the Baltierras returned home, Tyler told Cate he "felt good doing it" and Cate admitted she couldn't wait to see who won. "I felt like it was empowering, especially as women," Cate told her husband about bringing their little girls along for the civic duty. "And to see Nova's reaction when we walked out, it was like, 'Uh huh!'" While Vaeda was understandably too young to understand the significance of this event, Novalee expressed her excitement to one day cast her own ballot. "We voted for Biden and Kamala Harris," Cate told Novalee. "It's always been just boys, did you know that? Only boys. For hundreds of years! Girl power!" "Yes!" Nova concurred. Be sure to keep watching Teen Mom OG every Tuesday at 8/7c.   Read the full article

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 33000 for the first time Wednesday after the Federal Reserve pledged to maintain its easy-money policies as the U.S. economy recovers from the damage of the Covid-19 pandemic. The record comes just five trading days after the blue-chip average first closed above than 32000—its quickest 1,000-point milestone on record, according to Dow Jones Market Data. The S&P 500 also ended at a record. Investors are wary of any sign the monetary stimulus that has supported markets during the pandemic could begin to subside, and all three major stock indexes turned higher at the afternoon release of the central bank’s statement. They rose further as Fed Chairman Jerome Powell spoke to reporters. “At the Fed, we will continue to provide the economy the support that it needs for as long as it takes,” Mr. Powell said. The Dow industrials climbed 189.42 points, or 0.6%, to 33015.37, the 15th record close of 2021. The S&P 500 rose 11.41 points, or 0.3%, to 3974.12, its 14th record of the year. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite added 53.64 points, or 0.4%, to 13525.20. Recent weakness in tech shares has left the Nasdaq off 4% from its February record. With unemployment still elevated, Fed officials are taking a cautious approach, said George Catrambone, head of Americas trading at asset manager DWS Group. “Investors are taking some solace in that,” he said. Read the full article

Two strains of coronavirus that emerged in California last summer and fall have been declared 'variants of concern' by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).   Health officials think that each variant is about 20 percent more transmissible than the currently dominant 'original' variant, based on early data. Lab studies also suggest that some antibody treatments may not work s well against the two variants. In particular, one of two antibody drugs by Eli Lilly will no longer be shipped to California, Arizona or Nevada by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) because the variants are so prevalent in the two states that treatments may not be worthwhile there. Infection-blocking antibodies triggered by vaccines don't work quite as well against the two variants, but so far the new strains don't appear to weaken the effects of these immune cells enough to stop shots from being protective. With the addition of the California strains - which have been identified in almost every state - there are now five variants of concern (VOC) spreading in the US, including those from South Africa Brazil and the UK. However, none of these mutants has ruisen to the level of a 'variant of high consequence,' the most dangerous designation made by the CDC. CDC declared two coronavirus strains that emerged in California - B1429 (pictured) and B1427 - 'variants of concern' because they are more transmissible. Read the full article

The new album from Australian band Middle Kids starts in a vulnerable place. In its opening track, Bad Neighbours, singer-songwriter Hannah Joy inspects the lifelong reverberations of childhood trauma. “That’s definitely the most intense track,” Joy says, speaking to the Guardian from the sunny Turramurra home she shares with bandmate and husband Tim Fitz. It’s softer and more stripped-back than many Middle Kids songs: just acoustic guitar, strings and Joy singing about anger, pain, hurt and hope. “I have often felt like I can’t break free from defining moments in my past, and it is easy to think that the wounds will never heal,” she adds. “Up until this song I haven’t been able to be so raw – so it’s a vulnerable moment on the record. “But it was funny too, because where do we put this on the album? We were like, let’s fucking put it at the beginning. If you’re gonna go there, just fully go there.” Fully going there became the game plan for Today We’re The Greatest, the band’s second album. It was something they hadn’t done before. Hannah Joy was pregnant with her first child while making the band’s second album, Today We’re the Greatest. Photograph: Positive Feedback A Sydney trio completed by drummer Harry Day, Middle Kids broke through in 2016 with Edge of Town. Read the full article

With the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes — the Stop AAPI Hate National Report covered 3,795 incidents from March 19 2020 to Feb. 28 2021, which only represent a fraction of the hate incidents against the AAPI community each year it is more important than ever for Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) folks to take care of their mental health. "Seeking help is human; it does not mean you are weak, it does not mean you are 'crazy,'" said therapist and coach Edward Lee, LMHC. He explained that the reality is everyone needs mental health help. "There is a lot of stigma around mental health help, especially in the Asian community. Not seeking mental health help when we need it actually hurts us individually and collectively." Lee added that humans are social beings by nature, so adding these horrific crimes on top of a global pandemic can exacerbate feelings of hopelessness and loneliness — it's not normal to handle things in isolation. "You don't have to do anything alone," he said. Licensed psychologist Sarah Kwan, MS, PhD, told POPSUGAR that racial trauma can be compounded when racial stereotypes and expectations are internalized. "For AAPI, a major stereotype is that we are 'unemotional' and lack emotional need; the message is that we 'shouldn't' need help," she explained. "To cope, emotions may be repressed, signs of suffering may be ignored, and we may find ourselves simply gritting our teeth through the pain." Even Read the full article

Supporters of the jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny face the prospect of indefinite house arrest, in what campaigners say is an attempt by the Kremlin to “shut down” anti-government protests. Ten prominent activists have been under house arrest for the past two months, including two members of Pussy Riot, Masha Alekhina and Lucy Shtein, as well as Navalny’s brother Oleg, and Lyubov Sobol, a lawyer with the opposition leader’s Anti-Corruption Foundation. They are accused of violating coronavirus restrictions by calling on Russians to take to the streets. More than 10,000 people were arrested in January, during pro-Navalny rallies that took place in 180 towns and cities across Russia. The protests were the biggest for a decade. Lucy Shtein from Pussy Riot is also under house arrest Alekhina’s case is due to be heard on Thursday in Moscow’s Basmanny district court. She has been unable to leave her flat, meet other people, visit the doctor or use the internet. Police have confiscated her passport. Her house arrest is due to be extended until 23 June and she faces up to two years in prison. “I’m a little bit stuck. My arrest will be go on until the middle of summer,” Alekhina told the Guardian by phone. “I think the Kremlin is extremely scared. The plan is to close down everyone who is active in the opposition. There has been an extreme level of violence and brutality against protesters.” Alekhina Read the full article

Last year, European and North American countries managed to ignore warnings of a highly contagious pandemic  dragging their feet in setting protocols in place, delaying mandatory mask-wearing, and giving mostly miserly handouts to the millions struggling to survive in lockdown. Though the virus originated in China, not the west, western countries imagined that the virus would not touch them in quite the same way: Europe and the US entertained the fantasy that they alone were the captains of a more sophisticated political and bureaucratic system that could not only withstand a global pandemic but also remain largely immune to its threats. This year, these same countries have managed to outdo themselves by vacating their role on the international stage – hoarding vaccines and practicing only the most expedient, shallow pretenses of vaccine diplomacy. The wealthiest western nations have wiped their hands clean of any responsibility to slow a pandemic they helped magnify and spread. Rich countries with 14% of the world’s population have secured 53% of the best vaccines. Almost all of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines will go to rich countries. The Moderna vaccine will go to rich countries exclusively; it is not even being offered to the poor. In fact, nine out of 10 people in poor countries may never be vaccinated at all. Washington is sitting on vaccines, making sure no one gets any while the US needs them. Read the full article

Brandon Boulware is a father of four, including a transgender daughter who plays volleyball. Earlier this month, he spoke up for his daughter as he delivered his testimony during a March 3rd meeting of the Missouri state House. Since then, Boulware’s speech has drawn much attention as some states debate restrictions on trans athletes competing in schools. Introducing himself as “a lifelong Missourian, business lawyer, Christian, and the son of a Methodist minister,” Boulware shared his opinion on a resolution that would ban transgender high school athletes from participating in girls’ sports in Missouri. Image credits: davidmweissman Right now, there are about 35 such bills considered in 20 states. Just days ago, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed one such law, which is scheduled to go into effect later this year. “I proudly signed the Mississippi Fairness Act to ensure young girls are not forced to compete against biological males,” Governor Reeves, a Republican, tweeted.   Supporters of these bills say they are necessary to reduce what they believe to be an unfair competitive advantage of transgender athletes who identify as female. On the other hand, advocacy groups like the ACLU say that these laws are discriminatory. Dr. Eric Vilain, a pediatrician and geneticist at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C, Read the full article

In the wake of Meghan Markle's historic interview with Oprah Winfrey, she received an outpouring of support in the US. There were, however, exceptions ... including The Talk host Sharon Osbourne's misguided defense of Piers Morgan.In response, Sharon is being exposed as a vicious racist herself, according to multiple coworkers and former hosts.The blood-curdling accusations are as numerous as they are appalling. Piers Morgan is generally an indefensible man unworthy of praise or any of the fame that he has accrued. His fragile sense of masculinity has driven him to the depths of absurdity.But when it drove him to bash Meghan Markle and then, when criticized, storm out, he crossed the line. Sharon seemed to think that Piers has some sort of redeeming qualities. She is mistaken.Unfortunately, she used her platform on The Talk to defend him.This proved to be a prime opportunity for a litany of people who had the displeasure of working with her to speak out. Sometimes, racism is very quiet -- using dog whistles and "questions" and other subtle signs.According to the allegations, Sharon would frequently use bigoted epithets to refer to others.Not just people on the news or staff -- she reportedly spoke this way about her own co-hosts. Julie Chen was referred to, and we hesitate to even report this, as "wonton" and "slanty eyes," the allegations describe.That is backed by multiple sources, including former co-host Leah Remini.Sources Read the full article

Ever since Avengers: Endgame, the MCU timeline has kind of been all over the place. Even though Spider-Man: Far From Home was released a few months after the aforementioned film, Disney+'s recent Marvel shows have been shuffling up the chronological timeline. While Spider-Man: Far From Home seemingly takes place eight months after the events of Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision takes place about a month or so after people started returning from the Blip. Now, we know where The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will fit in. Ahead of the show's release on March 19, director Kari Skogland revealed that Falcon and the Winter Soldier will take place about six months after everyone returns from the Blip. As the world deals with half of the population coming back five years later, the show's stars Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes will deal with their own struggles. While Sam is dealing with the loss of Steve Rogers — who may or may not be dead — Bucky is dealing with the repercussions of his past as the Winter Soldier. "Everything narratively was informed by that event for us," Skogland told Collider. "It meant that we're just past the shock of it. We're just past the joy of it — because we're imagining that there would be a lot of joy, in people returning. Now we're into the reality of it, which is complicated. With half the population Blipped away, you've got different economic circumstances, different border circumstances. Different countries were cooperative, that weren't before. Read the full article

Hydrocortisone cream is useful for treating a lot of skin conditions like rashes, eczema, and bug bites, but what you might not know is that it also works as a hack for cystic acne. This type of acne can be characterized by breakouts that are often tender and red, and treating them can often prove difficult. Enter: hydrocortisone cream as a spot treatment. "If it's cystic, you can put an over-the-counter hydrocortisone and benzoyl peroxide on a Band-Aid and apply to area," dermatologist Dhaval Bhanusali, MD, told POPSUGAR in a previous article. While the aforementioned trick is helpful, there's a little more you should know if you're thinking of using hydrocortisone to treat pimples. Here's what to keep in mind before trying it yourself, according to a pro. What Is Hydrocortisone, Anyway? "Hydrocortisone is a low-strength anti-inflammatory cream in the steroid family that is sold without a prescription," dermatologist Brandith Irwin, MD, explained to POPSUGAR. It's a steroid that's often used to treat a variety of skin issues like itching, swelling, allergies, redness, and anything that might cause discomfort on the skin's surface. It's common for dermatologists to administer hydrocortisone shots to patients to help relieve red, irritated pimples, as topical hydrocortisone creams won't prevent breakouts or eliminate the underlying cause of acne. How Can You Use Hydrocortisone to Get Rid of a Pimple? Again, Read the full article