Embattled Republican Rep. George Santos, RN.Y., called claims that she played a drag queen “absolutely false.” His denial comes shortly after a Brazilian drag artist shared on social media a picture of himself and another man in drag, whom he identified as the newly elected congressman.

“The media’s recent obsession with ‘I was a drag queen or I played a drag queen’ is completely false,” said Santos, who has been making international headlines for weeks while building up parts of his resume. He tweeted that Thursday morning. “The media continues to make outrageous claims about my career as I work to deliver results.”

Last week, Brazilian drag artist Eula Rochard posted a picture on Facebook and Instagram of a man wearing a red feathered dress, bright red lipstick and dangling chandelier earrings. Rochard, identified in the photo as Eula Roard, says the other person pulled over went by the stage name Kitara Ravachi and was actually Santos.

“I’m with the US Republican Congress that doesn’t leave my house,” Rochard wrote in Portuguese in a Facebook post. “Whoever said I was a liar, bite your tongue.”

NBC News did not independently verify the images posted on Rochard’s social media accounts, which he said first appeared in a Brazilian newspaper in 2008. As of Thursday afternoon, the images were widely circulated on social media and news websites.

Journalist João Fraga told NBC News that he interviewed Guitar Ravachi in an exchange. The image was captured on video.

Fraga confidently said that the person he interviewed was Santos and that he was the same person in the photos shared by Rochard. However, the journalist noted that this interview was carried out a long time ago.

During the interview, Fraga said the actor was “dropping the name” and trying to get media attention.

Rochard told NBC News that he met Santos in 2005 and last saw him in 2008 through Niterói’s gay community, but only knew him by his drag name Kitara Ravache and various combinations of the name Anthony (Santos Jorge. Anthony Devolder Santos, full name listed 2019 Central Election Commission Filing) Rochert said he saw a photo of Santos as a recently elected US congressman in a Brazilian news agency and recognized him. When asked why he decided to release the film, which he claims was of him and Santos, he said, “Because I wanted to.”

Rochard, who described himself as Brazil’s “RuPaul,” said he knew Santos when he was “coming up” in the drag world and that she was his mentor. He described her as having a “high sense of luxury” and said “he lied all the time”.

Rochard’s claims about Santos, who has positioned himself as a conservative Republican and aligned himself with some of the party’s most hard-right lawmakers, come as the GOP drags out a centuries-old art form. .

At least six states are considering bills that would bar minors from attending drag shows and seek to classify any business that hosts drag shows as a cabaret or “sex business.” NBC News Analysis New legislation targeting LGBTQ rights and queer life.

Legislation includes a Tennessee bill that would ban drag queens from playing on public or private property in the presence of a minor. If enacted, repeat offenders could be charged with up to six years in prison.

The anti-LGBTQ legislation coincides with recent far-right protests and threats toward drag events.

Last year, there were at least 141 protests and significant ones Threats targeting drag events In 48 states, According to LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD. A report by the Crowd Counting Consortium, a public interest and scholarly project that documents crowding and controversy in the U.S., found a steep increase in anti-LGBTQ protests over the past two years, with drag-related events a common target last year. .

An attorney for Santos did not return NBC News’ request for comment regarding Congress’ position on proposed policies related to drag shows. In an earlier interview, Santos told NBC News He says he sees no conflict between his identity as a gay man and his party’s policy positions, saying, “I’ve never experienced discrimination in the Republican Party.”

Questions about Santos’ biography first erupted on December 19 The New York Times published a bombshell investigation He questioned whether he had fabricated aspects of his education, work history and finances. Santos later admitted that “decorate” on his merits and apologized for doing so.

Democratic lawmakers, as well Many Republicans, They later demanded that Santos step down.

Matt Laviets

Matt Lavietes is a reporter for NBC Out.

ISABELA ESPADAS BARROS LEEL

Isabela Espadas Barros Leal is the digital platform editor for NBC News in New York.

Kate Chantalis, Olympia Sonier And Chantal da Silva Contributed.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (WABC) — A local search and rescue operation is underway after a plane carrying at least two people crashed in Westchester County on Thursday after losing contact with air traffic controllers.

A single-engine Beechcraft A36 crashed about a mile from Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York after the pilot reported engine trouble, according to preliminary information from the FAA.

Westchester County police said at least two people were on board the six-person plane.

John F. They said the flight left Kennedy International Airport just before 5 p.m. and headed to the Cuyahoga County Airport in Richmond Heights, Ohio.

At 5:25 p.m. the Westchester County Airport received a call to report low oil pressure. Five minutes later, the airport lost contact with the plane, police said.

A local search and rescue team is searching for the plane.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate.

This is breaking news. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

———-

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Good pictures

We started the super wild-card round in super fashion, going 4-2 apiece. This week, there are four games to play and picking winners is not easy.

Sectional round selections appear below. As you can see, MTS has chosen two underdogs to cover. I have chosen one to hide and one to conquer.

However, the games this weekend will be great.

Jaguars (+8.5) at Chiefs

M.D.S: The Jaguars are already in the divisional round in Doug Pederson’s first and second years Trevor Lawrence It’s a great sign of where this team is headed. But they are still not at the level of Andy Reid and the team Patrick Mahomes Located in Kansas City. This is where the Jaguars’ amazing season comes to an end.

Selection of MDS: Chiefs 30, Jaguars 20.

Florio took it: The principals are in turmoil. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Jaguars win the game. They are loose. They have nothing to lose. The Chiefs may be taking a peek at the Jaguars, and the much-hyped Bills are being reconsidered. But, ultimately, I have faith that Patrick Mahomes will find a way to move forward. Even if it’s not as easy as people think.

Florio’s Choice: Chiefs 30, Jaguars 27.

Giants (+7.5) at Eagles.

M.D.S: Brian Dabol has done an incredible job Daniel Jones He could have a playoff game like the one he had last week against the Vikings. Against a better Eagles defense this week, it’s hard to believe Jones can do that again. Jalen is hurting They would put so many points on the board for Philadelphia that Jones and the Giants couldn’t keep up.

Selection of MDS: Eagles 31, Giants 17.

Florio took it: This happened in 2008, when the Eagles beat the top-seeded Giants. It happened in 2007, when the Giants beat the top-seeded Eagles. 15 years later, it could happen again as the Giants get their revenge. Giants are gaining momentum and improving at the right time. The Eagles have been floundering for the past few weeks. Daniel Jones and Dexter Lawrence They have become superstars before our eyes. Saquon Barkley Running hard as always. Isaiah Hodgins The defiant boy refuses to be taken seriously. Brian Daboll coached Kevin O’Connell out last week and could be ready to coach Nick Siriani out. It wasn’t easy, but nothing is easy for the Giants this year. Expect a classic Saturday night where the Giants can actually win.

Florio’s choice: Giants 24, Eagles 23.

Bengals at Bills (+5.5).

M.D.S: Both the Bengals and Bills struggled to beat overmatched opponents last weekend, but I expect a well-played game between them on Sunday. Josh Allen will make another big play Joe Burrow In the fourth quarter, that will be different.

Selection of MDS: Bills 24, Bengals 20.

Florio took it: Bengalis are salty about many things. That should be enough fuel for a second straight divisional road win. But the Bills will get a big boost from a pregame appearance Tamar Hamlin (if that happens), and quarterback Josh Allen will return to the AFC Championship. It helps if there is someone other than the recipient Stephen Dix Even the steps.

Florio’s Choice: Bills 31, Bengals 24.

Cowboys at 49 (+4).

M.D.S: After watching the Cowboys dominate the Buccaneers on Monday night, I was tempted to pick an upset here. But I think so Brock Birdie Will do enough to get the 49ers offense moving and strengthen the 49ers defense Doc Prescott in two turnovers to win a low-scoring game.

Selection of MDS: 49ers 17, Cowboys 16.

Florio took it: 49 has a collection of bad guys who can roll out of bed and run through brick walls. Although coach Kyle Shanahan downplayed it, he knows the two extra days make a difference, especially when Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn interviews for the Broncos job and needs to be ready to crack Shanahan’s code. Native code is broken.

Florio’s Choice: 49ers 24, Cowboys 17.

KYIV/BERLIN, Jan 19 (Reuters) – Ukraine on Thursday pleaded with the West to send heavy tanks as the defense chiefs of the United States and Germany presided over a standoff over weapons that could decide the fate of the war.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will arrive in Germany on Thursday to meet its new defense minister, a day before hosting a meeting of dozens of allies to pledge arms to Ukraine.

The meeting, which took place at the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany, is said to be an opportunity to deliver weapons to change the momentum of the war in 2023.

Top of the agenda are heavy tanks, which Kiev says will be needed to fend off a new Russian offensive and launch counter-offensives to recapture its occupied territory.

“We don’t have time, the world doesn’t have this time,” Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, wrote on the Telegram messaging app on Thursday.

“The question of tanks for Ukraine should be closed soon,” he said. “We are paying for the stagnation of the lives of our Ukrainian people, which should not be the case.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made a similar plea via video link to leaders gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, urging his country to deliver before Russia launches its next round of missile and armored ground strikes.

“The supply of Western tanks should outlast another invasion of Russian tanks,” Zelensky said.

But to send the tanks to the West, Washington must resolve an impasse with Berlin, which has so far refused to authorize countries to send its Leopard 2 tanks, the military’s servants across Europe.

Washington and many Western allies say the Leopards — which Germany produced by the thousands during the Cold War and exported to its allies — are the only viable option available in sufficient numbers.

A German government source said Berlin would lift its objections if Washington sent its own Abrams tanks. But U.S. officials say the Abrams is unsuitable for Ukraine because it runs on turbine engines that use too much fuel for delivery to Kyiv’s filtered logistics system.

Poland and Finland have already said they would send the Panthers if Germany lifts its veto, and other countries have indicated they are ready to do so. Britain stepped up the pressure last week by breaking a ban on heavy tanks and providing a squadron from its Challengers fleet, although far fewer of these are available than the Panthers.

Colin Kall, the Pentagon’s top policy adviser, said Wednesday that Abrams tanks are unlikely to be included in Washington’s next $2 billion military aid package, which will also include Stryker armored vehicles.

Not there yet

“I don’t think we’re there yet,” Call said. “The Abrams tank is a very complex piece of equipment. It’s expensive. It’s difficult to train. It has a jet engine.”

Germany replaced its defense minister this week and says the tank decision is the first item on the agenda of new minister Boris Pistorius, who will meet in Austin.

Ukraine, which relies primarily on Soviet-era T-72 tank variants, says the new tanks will give its troops the mobile firepower to repel Russian troops in decisive battles.

Western tanks have more effective armor and better guns than their Soviet-era counterparts, which killed hundreds on both sides during the 11-month war in Ukraine.

In the first months of Russia’s “special military operation”, fighting has intensified in the south and east of Ukraine after Russia’s initial offensive from the north aimed at seizing Kiev was repulsed.

After major Ukrainian gains in the second half of 2022, the frontline has largely frozen over the past two months, with neither side making major gains despite heavy casualties in intense trench warfare.

“The situation at the front is difficult,” Zelenskiy said in a video address on Wednesday. “We are seeing a gradual increase in the number of bombings and attempts to carry out offensive operations by invaders.”

Reporting by Andreas Ringe in Berlin and Reuters; Written by Grant McCool and Himani Sarkar; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Angus MacSwan

Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CNN
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Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern Announcing Thursday that he would step aside for a new leader within weeks, he said he did not have the energy to run for re-election in the October election.

Speaking at a news conference, Ardern said her term would end on February 7, and she expected a new Labor prime minister to take office – although “depending on the process that may be earlier.”

“The decision is mine,” Ardern said. “Leading a country is the most privileged job anyone can have, but also the most challenging. It cannot and should not be done if you have a full tank and little room for unexpected challenges.

“I don’t have enough in the tank anymore [the job] Justice,” he added.

At the end of 2022, he said he had taken time to consider whether he had what it took to continue as prime minister – ultimately concluding it was time to step down.

However, he added: “I didn’t quit because it was hard. If it had been, I would have gone to work for two months,” listing the various challenges his administration has faced, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2019 Christchurch terror attack and the volcanic eruption at Te Bua O Wakkari. .as a white island.

He added that the early notification would allow planning and preparation by government agencies and political parties.

The general election will be held on October 14.

When Ordern He became the Prime Minister in 2017 At 37, she was New Zealand’s third female leader and one of the youngest leaders in the world. Within a year, he was born in office – only the second world leader to do so.

He was re-elected for a second term in 2020, won by his government’s “go hard and go fast” approach to the pandemic, which helped New Zealand avoid the devastating outbreaks seen elsewhere.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tweeted praise for Ardern after Thursday’s announcement, saying she had “shown the world how to lead with wisdom and strength” and was “a great friend of mine”.

Microsoft is shedding 10,000 workers, nearly 5% of its workforce, at other tech companies This has reduced their epidemic-period expansions.

The company said in a regulatory filing Wednesday that the layoffs were a response to “broad economic conditions and changing customer priorities.”

The Redmond, Washington-based software company said it will make changes to its hardware portfolio and consolidate its leased office space.

Microsoft is cutting far fewer jobs than it added during the Covid-19 pandemic as it responds to a surge in demand Many work and study from home for its workplace software and cloud computing services.

“A lot of it is overwork in hiring,” said Joshua White, a finance professor at Vanderbilt University.

Microsoft’s workforce has expanded by about 36% in the two fiscal years following the outbreak of the pandemic, from 163,000 workers at the end of June 2020 to 221,000 in June 2022.

The layoffs “represent less than 5 percent of our total workforce, with some announcements taking place today,” CEO Satya Nadella said in an email to employees.

“While we will eliminate roles in some areas, we will continue to hire in key strategic areas,” Nadella said. He stressed the importance of building a “new computing platform” using advances in artificial intelligence.

Customers who accelerated their spending on digital technology during the pandemic are now “trying to optimize their digital spending to do more with less,” he said.

“We are seeing companies in every industry and geographies acting cautiously as some parts of the world are in recession while other parts are anticipating one,” Nadella wrote.

Other tech companies are also cutting jobs Amid concerns about an economic slowdown.

Amazon and business software maker Salesforce announced major job cuts earlier this month as they trim wages that have expanded rapidly during the pandemic lockdown.

Amazon has announced that it will cut about 18,000 positions. The layoffs are the largest in the Seattle-based company’s history, though only a fraction of its 1.5 million global workforce.

Facebook parent company Meta is laying off 11,000 people, about 13% of its workforce. And Elon Musk, the new Twitter CEO, has cut the company’s workforce.

Nadella did not directly address the layoffs when he appeared at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting on Wednesday. Taking place this week in Davos, Switzerland.

When asked by the forum’s founder Klaus Schwab what technology layoffs mean for the industry’s business model, Nadella said companies that thrived during the COVID-19 pandemic are now “normalizing” that demand.

“Quite obviously, we should also be proficient in the technical field, right?” Nadella said. “It’s not about everybody doing less. We have to do less. So we have to show our own productivity gains through our own technology.

Microsoft declined to answer questions about where the layoffs and office closings would be concentrated. The company sent notice to Washington state employment officials Wednesday that it will cut 878 workers at its offices in Redmond and the nearby cities of Bellevue and Issaquah.

As of June, there were 122,000 workers in the United States and 99,000 elsewhere.

White, the Vanderbilt professor, said all industries want to cut costs ahead of a potential recession, but tech companies may be particularly sensitive to a rapid rise in interest rates, a tool that could be a tool. The Federal Reserve has been aggressive in recent months in its fight against inflation.

“It hits tech companies a little harder than industrials or consumer goods because most of Microsoft’s value is in projects that have cash flows that can’t be paid out for years,” he said.

Among recent attention-grabbing projects is Microsoft’s investment in its San Francisco startup partner OpenAI, which is developing a ChatGBT authoring tool. and other AI systems that can generate readable text, images, and computer code.

Microsoft, which owns the Xbox game business, also faces regulatory uncertainty Activision is planning a $68.7 billion takeover of Activision Blizzard, a video game giant in the U.S. and Europe that a year ago had about 9,800 employees.

____

AP business writer Kelvin Chan contributed to this story from London.

CNN
—

Rafael Nadal Australian Open Circuit The title defense came to an early end on Wednesday as she lost 4-6 4-6 5-7 to American Mackenzie McDonald in the second round.

36 years old Natal He struggled with a left groin injury throughout the match and required treatment during the second set at Rod Laver Arena.

McDonald managed to finish the match in two hours and 32 minutes for his earliest exit from a Grand Slam since the 2016 Australian Open.

“I don’t want to retire [as] Here is the defending champion. “I don’t want to retire and leave the court,” Nadal told reporters.

“It’s good that it’s like this in the end. I’m lost, can’t say anything, congratulations [my] Opponent. At the same time, that’s the game – try your best till the end.

MacDonald broke Nadal’s serve in the opening game to start the match quickly.

She then did the same in the second set, taking control of the match with consistent, powerful attacks from the baseline.

Nadal, who was hoping to extend his men’s record 22 Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open, left the court for a medical timeout at 5-3 in the second set.

The Spaniard clearly struggled with his movement in the third set, however, and held serve at 5-5.

But then MacDonald got the upper hand, earning a crucial break with a backhand passing shot as both players came to the net.

He wrapped up the match when Nadal smashed a backhand into the net in the next game to mark the biggest win of the 27-year-old’s career.

MacDonald, who is unseeded in the tournament, now has the chance to match his best run at a Grand Slam if he beats either Dalibor Svartzina or Yoshihito Nishioka in the third round.

“He [Nadal] An incredible champion,” MacDonald said in his on-court interview. “He’s never going to give up regardless of the situation, so it’s always tough to even close it against a great guy.

“I tried to focus on what I was doing. He threw me out of rhythm with that, but I’m glad I focused on myself in the end and won.

After the match, Nadal said he would undergo treatment to determine the exact nature and extent of the injury.

“If it’s a muscle, if it’s a joint, if it’s cartilage, it’s hard to make a decision…we’ll see how the injury is and then we’ll see how I can follow the calendar,” he told reporters.

But she has other concerns, especially about her 7- and 12-year-old daughters. Longer hospitalizations and months of recovery for gene therapy would be difficult for them, he said.

“They’re not children, but they need me,” Ms. Polanco said.

Patients ask when gene therapy is needed during the course of the disease. If they wait too long, the disease can lead to paralysis or permanent damage to organs and bones. But if the disease is mild and manageable, is it worth waiting? Houston resident Andre Marcel Harris, 33, decided the best option was to wait.

“I didn’t get sick like a lot of people,” he said. “At this point, gene therapy is not part of the conversation.”

Shamar Lewis, 20, of Orlando, Fla., has many concerns — the long-term side effects of gene therapy, the costs and months of treatment and recovery.

Still, sickle cell remains a burden. He spent several years of his youth unable to attend school due to ill health – even his school sent teachers to his home. He is now eager to finish high school and join the military, but knows he won’t be accepted by sickle cell. With gene therapy, “I can truly live my life,” he told his mother, Carla Lewis.

But what would that life look like?

Without the disease, Teona Woolford, 31, a sickle cell patient and advocate for Owings Mills, Md., said patients “don’t know who they are.” Many worry, “about trading a familiar problem — sickle cell — for something else and fear of the overall unknown.”