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LONDON (AP) — British prosecutors said Thursday they have charged actor Kevin Spacey with four counts of sexual assault against three men. The Crown Prosecution Service said Spacey “has also been charged with causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.” The alleged incidents took place in London between March 2005 and August 2008, and one in western England in April 2013. The alleged victims are now in their 30s and 40s. Rosemary Ainslie, head of the service’s Special Crime Division, said the charges follow a review of evidence gathered by London’s Metropolitan Police. Spacey, a 62-year-old double Academy Award winner, was questioned by British police in 2019 about claims by several men that he had assaulted them. The former “House of Cards” star ran London’s Old Vic Theatre between 2004 and 2015. Spacey won a best supporting actor Academy Award for the 1995 film “The Usual Suspects” and a lead actor Oscar for the 1999 movie “American Beauty." … [Read more...] about Kevin Spacey charged in UK with 4 counts of sexual assault

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 13 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ellen DeGeneres brought her nearly two-decade daytime talk show to an end Thursday with a celebrity lovefest and a forceful assertion of her achievement as a gay woman daring to be herself. DeGeneres and guests Jennifer Aniston, Billie Eilish and Pink shared memories and affection as “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” concluded its Emmy-winning, 3,200-plus episode run that began in September 2003. “Twenty years ago, when we were trying to sell the show, no one thought that this would work. Not because it was a different kind of show, but because I was different,” DeGeneres said of the pushback from TV stations. When the syndicated show went on the air, she was prevented from saying the word “gay” or even the pronoun “we,” DeGeneres said, since the latter would imply she had a partner. She didn't specify who … [Read more...] about Ellen DeGeneres ends daytime show with plea for compassion

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 18 FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — Amber Heard told jurors Thursday that a harassment campaign waged against her by ex-husband Johnny Depp has left her humiliated and scared for her life from multiple death threats, and said she just wants “Johnny to leave me alone.” Heard was the final witness in the six-week libel trial Depp brought against his ex-wife. With cameras in the courtroom, millions of people have followed the trial, and interest seemed to gain momentum as the weeks went on and both Depp and Heard testified about the ugly details of their relationship. Online and at the courthouse, Depp's fans have overwhelmingly dominated the narrative, with groupies lining up overnight to get one of the few spots in the courtroom and wave at Depp as he walks in and out. Heard has been booed by spectators on … [Read more...] about Amber Heard ends testimony asking Depp to ‘leave me alone’

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 Reactions to the death of “Goodfellas” star Ray Liotta: "I am utterly shattered to hear this terrible news about my Ray. I can be anywhere in the world & people will come up & tell me their favorite movie is Goodfellas. Then they always ask what was the best part of making that movie. My response has always been the same…Ray Liotta." — Lorraine Bracco, who played Liotta's wife in “Goodfellas,” via Twitter. “I was very saddened to learn of Ray’s passing. He is way too way young to have left us.” — Robert De Niro, in a statement. “I can’t believe Ray Liotta has passed away. He was such a lovely, talented and hilarious person. Working with him was one of the great joys of my career and we made some of my favorite scenes I ever got to be in. A true legend of immense skill and grace.” — Seth Rogen, who worked with Liotta on 2009's “Observe and Report," via Twitter. “Ray Liotta … [Read more...] about ‘Goodfellas’ co-stars, many others pay tribute to Ray Liotta

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 4 WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Uvalde, Texas, on Sunday to console families and honor victims of Tuesday’s mass school shooting in which 19 children and two teachers were killed. The White House said the Bidens would “grieve with the community that lost 21 lives in the horrific” shooting at Robb Elementary School. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president would meet with the community and religious leaders and victims' families. Jean-Pierre, the parent of an elementary school student, delivered an impassioned plea at the White House for lawmakers to come together to address gun violence. “These were elementary school kids, they should be losing their first teeth not losing their lives,” she said. Asked about the propriety of the National Rifle Association going ahead with its planned conference in Houston this … [Read more...] about Biden to console families in Uvalde, press for action

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 HOUSTON (AP) — The National Rifle Association begins its annual convention in Houston on Friday, and leaders of the powerful gun-rights lobbying group are gearing up to “reflect on” -- and deflect any blame for -- the deadly shooting earlier this week of 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Former President Donald Trump and other leading Republicans are scheduled to address the three-day firearms industry marketing event, which is expected to draw protesters fed up with gun violence. Some scheduled speakers and performers have backed out, including two Texas lawmakers and “American Pie” singer Don McLean, who said “it would be disrespectful” to go ahead with his act in the aftermath of the country’s latest mass shooting. While President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress have renewed calls for stricter gun laws, NRA board member Phil … [Read more...] about NRA stages marketing event as Texas mourns school shooting

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 9 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — When Wink Martindale was hired as the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, there was rampant speculation about his unit this season. The analytics and Martindale's reputation for being aggressive fueled the feeling the Giants were about to go wild on defense. There would be blitzes every other play, multiple schemes, defenders in unexpected alignments and a return to the good old days of Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson and one of the NFL's top defenses. Not bad for a team that went 4-13 last season in posting its fifth straight losing season. The dismal season led to another coaching staff housecleaning with Brian Daboll replacing Joe Judge. It led to the hiring of a new staff. The 59-year-old Martindale came to the Giants after a 10-year stint with the Ravens in Baltimore, the final four as the … [Read more...] about Defensive coordinator Martindale wants Giants to dominate

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers could soon ban the declawing of cats solely for the convenience of humans, advancing a bill on Thursday to halt what animal rights activists say is a painful procedure used primarily to prevent torn furniture and scratched skin. Claws on cats grow from the bone, not skin. Removing them sometimes requires amputating bones, while other procedures sever tendons to prevent a cat from extending its claws. Animal rights activists have long said declawing is inhumane when done solely for the benefit of humans, arguing the procedure is painful, leaves the animal defenseless and can cause other health problems. The American Veterinary Medical Association “discourages declawing as an elective procedure," saying it is not medically necessary in most cases. But the association says it is sometimes necessary “when a cat's excessive or … [Read more...] about California considers banning declawing of cats in most cases

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Moscow pressed the West on Thursday to lift sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine, seeking to shift the blame for a growing food crisis that has been worsened by Kyiv’s inability to ship millions of tons of grain and other agricultural products due to the conflict. Britain immediately accused Russia of “trying to hold the world to ransom,” insisting there would be no sanctions relief, and a top U.S. diplomat blasted the "sheer barbarity, sadistic cruelty and lawlessness” of the invasion. Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but the war, including a Russian blockade of its ports, has halted much of that flow, endangering world food supplies. Many of those ports are now also heavily mined. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tried to put the blame squarely on the sanctions. "We accuse Western countries of taking a series of unlawful actions that has led to the blockade,” he said in a call with reporters. … [Read more...] about Russia slams sanctions, seeks to blame West for food crisis

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — When Don Cusick and Beth Paretta left Indianapolis last May, they started planning a return. It took Cusick almost a full year to find an 11th-hour solution to run in the Indianapolis 500, teaming up with a partner. Paretta chose a different path, opting for three road races and against Indy as a one-off — the only race of the season. But the two burgeoning IndyCar teams with visions of full-time programs faced one big obstacle: A lack of crew members and engineers. The American labor shortage ravaging restaurants, factories and other industries has hit Gasoline Alley. “Going from 22 to 26 full-time teams, that’s a lot of people you'd normally get for these one-offs," Paretta said of the IndyCar Series, which is in something of a renaissance. “I talked to Ed Carpenter and he said, ‘It looks like we’ll have three cars for the 500 and we couldn’t do … [Read more...] about IndyCar, teams look at solutions for labor shortage in pits