When Disney swallowed Fox whole almost two years ago, there were many questions about what it would mean for the industry, for the library of Fox films, and other business things. What nerds cared about, though, was what would happen to the X-Men, especially Deadpool, since he is 1) the most popular…

When Disney swallowed Fox whole almost two years ago, there were many questions about what it would mean for the industry, for the library of Fox films, and other business things. What nerds cared about, though, was what would happen to the X-Men, especially Deadpool, since he is 1) the most popular…

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Some interesting stuff is happening in the wake of the Republican/white supremacist terrorist attack on the Capitol. One of the interesting moves is that businesses no longer want to be seen getting into bed with the party of MAGA, the party of white supremacy, the party of terrorist coups. Businesses which have, historically, donated money to the Republican Party or specific Republican candidates and congressmen are now suspending those donations. And in the case of Josh Hawley, one of his donors is asking for their donation back.

Hallmark Cards said Monday that it wants U.S. Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Roger Marshall of Kansas to return employee campaign donations, after the senators challenged Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election. The Kansas City-based greeting card company said its employees donated $7,000 to Hawley and $5,000 to Marshall during the last two years through the Hallmark Card political action committee, The Kansas City Star reported.

“Hallmark believes the peaceful transition of power is part of the bedrock of our democratic system, and we abhor violence of any kind,” Hallmark spokeswoman JiaoJiao Shen said in a statement. “The recent actions of Senators Josh Hawley and Roger Marshall do not reflect our company’s values. As a result, HALLPAC requested Sens. Hawley and Marshall to return all HALLPAC campaign contributions.”

Neither Hawley’s or Marshall’s office immediately returned messages seeking a response to Hallmark’s request.

Hallmark’s political action committee generally spends between $50,000 and $60,000 annually on campaign activities, with donations divided nearly evenly between Republican and Democratic candidates, Shen said.

Commerce Bank, another Kansas City-based company, announced on Monday that it also would suspend donations to any members of Congress who opposed recognizing Biden’s victory. Several other large companies, including American Express and JPMorgan Chase have either suspended donations to members of Congress who voted against certifying Biden’s win, or have suspended political donations altogether.

[From The AP]

It is absolutely WILD to me that in the year 2021, we have private companies like Twitter, Facebook and HALLMARK showing more responsibility towards democracy than elected officials in the House and Senate. It’s wild to me that corporations like Hallmark are issuing statements like “we believe in the peaceful transition of power.” Anyway, out of all of the post-coup repercussions, hitting these MAGA ratf–kers in the pocketbook is the thing which will hurt them the most.

Hawley also appeared on white supremacist Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show last night, where Carlson asked him questions solely about… his book deal getting cancelled. Hawley was not questioned at all about how he incited terrorism and sided with a fascist coup.

Josh Hawley is interviewed on Fox News… about his book not being published pic.twitter.com/qinn8iHZTr

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) January 12, 2021

Biggest loser this week was unquestionably Trump. But Josh Hawley was a runner-up. Many Senators now despise him, the public saw a craven opportunist giving the mob a clenched-fist salute, his top sponsor Jack Danforth denounced him & a publisher canceled his book. More to come. pic.twitter.com/LFWI1dnkp9

— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) January 9, 2021

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Photos courtesy of Getty.

For a few years before Blake Shelton proposed, Gwen Stefani was dropping hints in her interviews about how much she wanted to get married, but she only wanted to get married to Blake if she could get her first marriage annulled. That confused the hell out of me – Gwen and Gavin Rossdale were married for fourteen years and their marriage produced three children. How and why would the Catholic Church annul the marriage? Well, Blake ended up proposing to Gwen late last year, and of course she said yes. It was believed – and widely reported – that Gwen was prepared to marry Blake without getting an annulment, because the whole thing was moving at such a glacial pace. But look:

Fresh start! Gwen Stefani‘s annulment from ex-husband Gavin Rossdale was “finally granted” by the Catholic church, a source exclusively tells Us Weekly.

“Gwen was told the decision was made by the Vatican tribunal,” the insider says five years after the pair called it quits in August 2015. “She will be receiving the notification in writing in the next few weeks, but it’s official.”

“It was a huge relief for Gwen because she wanted to get married by her priest and have the marriage recognized by the Catholic church,” the source says.

[From Us Weekly]

Again, I don’t know a lot about Catholicism and all of that, but is that really what happens? You just get a piece of paper saying “that bitch got annulled”? I just thought it would be something in person, like a priest waving an incense stick over your body to purge the first marriage out of your body, something like that. Anyway, now Gwen and Blake have zero roadblocks. I bet they just do something small in Oklahoma, on his ranch, probably. A small pandemic wedding.

Meanwhile, Gwen was on the Tonight Show last week, and all she wanted to talk about was the engagement and how she was kind of mad that Blake waited so long to propose. She really is That Girl.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, social media.

Thanks to a reader called Ruth who sent me this Olivia Wilde throwback yesterday which… seems in hindsight really prophetic. First a recap: Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis started dating in 2011. He proposed in 2013 and they broke up in 2020, after seven years of engagement. When exactly they split …

Thanks to a reader called Ruth who sent me this Olivia Wilde throwback yesterday which… seems in hindsight really prophetic. First a recap: Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis started dating in 2011. He proposed in 2013 and they broke up in 2020, after seven years of engagement. When exactly they split …

Thanks to a reader called Ruth who sent me this Olivia Wilde throwback yesterday which… seems in hindsight really prophetic. First a recap: Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis started dating in 2011. He proposed in 2013 and they broke up in 2020, after seven years of engagement. When exactly they split …

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This afternoon will officially be the six-day anniversary of the white supremacist terrorist attack on the Capitol. It’s one of the strangest and most slow-burning news stories I’ve ever covered or tried to keep up with, mostly because there’s not even a cursory attempt at competence or disclosure from the law enforcement agencies involved. Last week, DC Mayor Bowser did a press conference where she spoke about what happened from her perspective, and the perspective of the DC Police (who don’t have jurisdiction on federal grounds), and her efforts to coordinate with Virginia and Maryland governors and National Guard. But that press conference is the sum total of any kind of law enforcement public disclosure. The Capitol Police, as an organization, was corrupted from within. The CP chief resigned the day after the siege, and the CP *still* has not done any kind of press conference.

From the videos and anecdotal reports going around, we know that there were incredibly brave and dutiful Capitol Police officers who saved lives and protected democracy. There were also Capitol Police officers removing barricades and allowing terrorists to storm the Capitol. There were also Capitol Police officers taking selfies with terrorists. And we still don’t know the extent of it! So… the Capitol Police have now suspended two officers for their actions (or inactions) on January 6th. More firings and suspensions will probably come.

Two US Capitol Police officers were suspended and at least 10 more are under investigation for their behavior during last week’s assault on the Capitol, and federal agents will look at whether current and former law enforcement officers played a role in the riot.

One of the Capitol police officers took a selfie with someone who was part of the mob that overtook the Capitol and the other wore a “Make America Great Again” hat and started directing people around the building, according to Rep. Tim Ryan, an Ohio Democrat. He didn’t disclose how many other officers were under investigation but confirmed it was between 10 and 15, and didn’t say what they were being scrutinized for except that it was their behavior during the riot. Ryan told reporters that one individual had been arrested, but a spokesperson for the congressman later said he was wrong and no members of law enforcement have been arrested.

The spokesperson said at least 10 Capitol Police officers are being investigated for their roles in the riot. A House aide separately said there are as many as 17 officers under investigation as part of eight investigations into the insurrection at the Capitol.

In a statement Monday night, Capitol Police acting Chief Yogananda Pittman said several officers were suspended. She said the department “has been actively reviewing video and other open source materials of some USCP officers and officials that appear to be in violation of Department regulations and policies. Our Office of Professional Responsibility will investigate these behaviors for disciplinary action, up to, and including, termination. Several USCP officers have already been suspended pending the outcome of their investigations.”

Democratic members of the House have also raised questions about potential sympathies for the attackers among the ranks of US Capitol Police. That agency hasn’t responded to CNN’s request for comment. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat, is among those who have others questions about whether some Capitol Police officers aided the protesters and were complicit in Wednesday’s insurrection. Clyburn, for instance, said it was fishy that the rioters knew the location of lawmakers’ offices.

[From CNN]

All of the stuff about how the terrorists knew where to go, and knew which offices belonged to Speaker Pelosi and Democratic leadership… it’s chilling to hear. I genuinely believe that the terrorists had help from Capitol Police, and I genuinely believe that Trump ordered the Pentagon to slow-walk requests for help from the Capitol, and that there was a lot of willful inaction on behalf of Capitol Police higher-ups. We’ve also heard reports of cops from other jurisdictions being part of the terrorist mob and those cops FLASHING THEIR BADGES at Capitol Police. Again, investigate, suspend, fire and charge all of these a–holes with terrorism, from the top down.

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Photos courtesy of Getty.

There are so many historical royal mysteries and ongoing royal mysteries. Perhaps this would make a good podcast episode! But seriously, think about how many royal mysteries there are even today. For example, we still don’t know what the hell happened with Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank staying at Frogmore Cottage. Reportedly, Eugenie and Prince Harry were in contact and Harry offered Frogmore Cottage – which is all paid up – to E&J for an extended sublet. Eugenie is expecting her first child, and it was thought that Frogmore Cottage would be a nice place for Eugenie and Jack to nest and be lowkey before the baby came. Six weeks after they moved in, they suddenly moved out. And no one knows why! It’s a royal mystery. I mean, I have some theories. My main theory is that William grew incandescent with rage at the thought of Harry & Meghan doing something nice for Eugenie, and the whole point of *all of this* was to have Frogmore sitting there, cold and unoccupied. But, again, I have no idea if my theory is correct. But one part of the mystery has been solved: Eugenie and Jack moved into the Royal Lodge after moving out of Frogmore.

Pregnant Princess Eugenie has moved out of Frogmore Cottage and in with her parents Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew, a royal correspondent has claimed. Finding Freedom author Omid Scobie said Eugenie, 30, and her husband Jack Brooksbank, 34, moved into the Royal Lodge in Windsor before Christmas after spending just six weeks at Harry and Meghan’s former home.

In the latest episode of Scobie’s podcast The HeirPod, ABC News London correspondent Maggie Rulli, said: ‘We saw something in the news a few weeks ago about how Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank had moved into Frogmore Cottage.

‘Harry and Meghan had opened the doors to the home to the couple and then mysteriously there was a report that said they had moved out. And no one really knew exactly where they were.’

Scobie then explained the couple spent the Christmas holiday at the Royal Lodge, where Eugenie and sister Beatrice, 32, grew up.

‘So I imagine that’s probably where they will remain up until much later in the year,’ he added.

The tenth-in-line to the throne, who is due to give birth to her first child early this year, moved into Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s former UK home Frogmore Cottage late last year, but moved out within six weeks.

[From The Daily Mail]

Eugenie and Jack’s London residence is Ivy Cottage, one of the tiny little cottages which are part of the Kensington palace complex. Whenever they went to Windsor, they would stay at Royal Lodge, but to still be doing that when Eugenie is married and expecting a child? Surely she and Jack want their own space? So why was she *forced* to go back to living with her gross father in the giant Royal Lodge? I don’t know. Also: I’ve said this before, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Frogmore Cottage has a bad vibe. I don’t think Meghan and Harry were actually very comfortable there, and maybe there are ghosts, or noisy airplanes or something.

Photos courtesy of WENN, social media.

Dear Gossips, Lori Harvey is currently my favourite celebrity of 2021 so far and Lori Harvey + Michael B Jordan are currently my favourite romance of 2021 (even though technically they started dealing with each other in 2020). Which is why my favourite TikTok of young 2021 to this point is about Hol…