The Standing Rock Sioux and the activists protecting the Missouri River in North Dakota from the access pipeline won a victory earlier this week when the Army Corps of engineers denied an easement for the pipeline. It will now have to be rerouted around the river, and while the Sioux are optimistic it’s unclear whether the easement will be sustained under Trump or whether the companies in charge of the pipeline will comply with the order. (They have vowed not to.) Although many people will stick around to guard the river, some activists are leaving the encampment and just in time to avoid the even harsher winter conditions in the area. They have plenty of donated supplies, including a bunch of bottled water they no longer need. They’re planning on donating it to Flint, Michigan where residents are still despicably without clean running water in their homes. Musician Dave Matthews is among the activists traveling from Standing Rock to Flint to donate the water and help bring awareness to the ongoing water crisis there:

Musician Dave Matthews of the Dave Matthews Band says he is ready to come to Flint to help out with water crisis efforts with North Dakota activist.

Matthews who was in North Dakota supporting the water protectors as they fought against a pipeline project to run under a lake near a Native American reservation said he is working with a group to bring bottled water to Flint.

“The case of Flint and the case here in Standing Rock is a real problem that doesn’t fit the narrative of what big media is,” said Matthews. “It fails because it doesn’t make people feel good. It’s irresponsible journalism. It’s irresponsible leadership because it affects all of us.”

The North Dakota pipeline battle may be over but veterans and community activists supporting the opposition of the project say their fight isn’t finished and the Flint water crisis is next on their list.

Matthews said he along with a group of people from North Dakota started hashing out details on Dec. 3 as to what to do with bottled water donations sent to Standing Rock.

With this weekend’s end to the Standing Rock standoff, Matthews and his group are working on getting trucks to load up water to bring to Flint.

“You don’t hear about Flint anymore but they didn’t clean up those pipes,” said Matthews. “The problem is still here.”

The Flint water crisis gained national attention January 2016. Residents had struggled with water issues including boil advisory alerts after the city switched from using Detroit for their water system in 2014 to tap into the Flint River for Flint’s water supply…

“In my opinion it’s unforgivable,” said Matthews of both the Flint water crisis and the North Dakota pipeline fight. “It’s shameful to show in a county that has so much that there can be people disregarded because of their place or there situation because of their lack of access. It’s shameful. It’s terrible.”

[From Mlive]

It’s shocking and sad that people in Flint are still dealing with this terrible hardship. But how fitting that the water protectors in Standing Rock are helping out the water victims in Flint. We’ve seen Shailene Woodley, Mark Ruffalo, Jane Fonda and Susan Sarandon lend their celebrity to Standing Rock and that’s important because it helps these important causes get more coverage. Who will join the people of Flint to stand in solidarity with them? Dave Matthews is a good start, but I’d like to hear about some bigger names there too.

Ooh I didn’t know Ben and Jerrys was a sponsor! This is the perfect excuse to get a pint of salted caramel core.

We are live! Watch the Stand With Standing Rock concert live stream NOW: http://concert.standwithstandingrock.net

A photo posted by Dave Matthews Band (@davematthewsband) on Nov 27, 2016 at 6:48am PST

photos credit: WENN and Fame

Keeping Up With the Kardashians star Kourtney Kardashian stepped out with son Mason, nearly 7, on Tuesday (December 6).

Rocking her brother Rob Kardashian’s Arthur George socks, the reality star, 37, took her son to art class in Los Angeles, Calif.

On Monday, the proud auntie shared birthday greetings for her nephew Saint West.

“I can’t believe this was one year ago today. Happy birthday my little Sainty,” Kourtney Instagrammed the image holding her then-newborn nephew.

She also shared a sweet snapshot toting her nearly 2-year-old son Reign rocking a high ponytail.

The KUWTK star and her on-again-off-again beau Scott Disick – who are also parents to 4-year-old daughter Penelope – are back on again.

After a year-and-a-half apart, the famous exes, “are back together and giving their relationship a try again,” said a source.

I can’t believe this was one year ago today. Happy birthday my little Sainty.

A photo posted by Kourtney Kardashian (@kourtneykardash) on Dec 5, 2016 at 12:13pm PST

??? A photo posted by Kourtney Kardashian (@kourtneykardash) on Dec 5, 2016 at 8:39pm PST

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If anyone is surprised by this, you haven’t been paying attention. Donald Trump has been named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. That happens most presidential-election years, by the way. The winner of the election is almost always the Person of the Year. If Hillary had won, she would probably be Person of the Year, but as it is, she was #2 on the shortlist. The shortlist also included (in descending order): The Hackers, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the CRISPR Pioneers (cancer researchers/doctors) and Beyonce. Personally, I would have f—king loved it if Beyonce was the Person of the Year. Wouldn’t that have been amazing? (You can read Beyonce’s write-up here – it was written by Melissa Harris-Perry.)

As for the selection of Donald Trump… it is what it is. You can read Time’s write-up here. I only skimmed a few paragraphs. It’s not that I’m boycotting the news these days, it’s just that I have a really low tolerance for the narrative re-write on Donald Trump. I tried watching Hardball last night and I almost broke my TV because all of the white guys were still trying to push this idea of “maybe he won’t be that bad.” WAKE UP. He will be that bad. And worse. So, yeah, I’m not reading Time Magazine’s POTY article. Establishment Washington and establishment media are working together to normalize a fascist.

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Getty, cover courtesy of Time Magazine.

30 Rock star Alec Baldwin and wife, yoga instructor Hilaria Baldwin, cover the latest issue of HOLA! USA and open up about raising daughter Carmen, 3, and sons Rafael, 17 months, and Leonardo, 2 months.

On Carmen being bilingual: “Carmen’s first language is Spanish. I only speak Spanish with her…and with Alec she is smart enough to know that she needs to switch to English. Alec’s Spanish is getting better and better. His accent is very good.”

On speaking Spanish: “My Spanish can only get better. It can only improve…maybe by the time I’m 90, I will nail it. I love Madrid. I think it’s one of my favorite cities in the world.”

On fans loving Alec’s portrayal of President-elect Donald Trump on SNL: “I’m glad people find it funny. But at the same time, I think people were very worried about the election. Both sides are very passionate so it’s been a very, very difficult time in this country. I haven’t felt like this in a long, long time.”

On Hilaria’s The Living Clearly Method: 5 Principles for a Fit Body, Healthy Mind & Joyful Life will go on sale Dec. 27: “It has been a very natural process…I’ve been teaching for 12 years now…you don’t become a yoga teach for the teachings, you do it because you love it. Teaching is very fulfilling because every day I go home feeling like I helped people. Putting ideas into a book means I can help even more people by getting the book into everyone’s hands….It all comes down to eating right. Sleeping is also imperative, but I’m not able to really do that right now. Whatever you eat is what you see.”

For more from Alec and Hilaria, go to HOLA! USA…

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Over the summer, there was yet another “whitewashing” controversy, this time involving Matt Damon starring in a film called The Great Wall, a fantasy/sci-fi about the making of the Great Wall of China. Basically, Matt Damon is the “hero” of a film set in China, financed by Chinese money, and directed by a Chinese director. Even if the film isn’t based on actual history (it is not), it’s still problematic as hell to have a white American actor play the lead in a film about The Great Wall of China. Which is the point Constance Wu tried to make when the trailer came out – that we should all be aware of whitewashing, that we – as a society – don’t need the default white heroes, and more. Wu’s criticism was just one part of a larger discussion about whitewashing, which (full disclosure) I agree that we need to keep having these conversations. It’s sad but true. But Matt Damon doesn’t think so. He thinks the whitewashing conversation is just some fake-news clickbait.

“That whole idea of whitewashing, I take that very seriously,” Damon said, using the example of the Irish-American actor Chuck Connors, who played the lead character in the 1962 film “Geronimo,” about the famed Apache chief. Damon, 46, plays an English mercenary in the upcoming $150 million adventure fantasy about a Chinese army battling monsters, helmed by acclaimed Chinese director Zhang Yimou…

Damon questioned whether the critical stories on online news sites based on “a 30-second teaser trailer” would have existed before the era of fake news and headlines designed to make people click on them.

“It suddenly becomes a story because people click on it, versus the traditional ways that a story would get vetted before it would get to that point,” said the star of the “Bourne” franchise.

People fall for outrageous headlines, but “eventually you stop clicking on some of those more outrageous things because you just realize there is nothing to the story when you get to it,” Damon said. Damon and Zhang told the AP that because of the demands of the story, Damon’s role — a mercenary who comes to China to steal gunpowder — was always intended to be European.

Damon said he thought the criticism over his casting would subside “once people see that it’s a monster movie and it’s a historical fantasy and I didn’t take a role away from a Chinese actor … it wasn’t altered because of me in any way.”

[From The Associated Press]

A national – and hopefully international – conversation about whitewashing, diversity and the structural inequalities for artists of color in the film industry IS NOT FAKE NEWS. It is not clickbait. It is a much-needed conversation we keep needing to have because scripts continue to be written in which white folks are the heroes and leads of films about China. Because Scarlett Johansson is playing a character named Major Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell. Because Emma Stone plays Asian characters now. These are not FAKE NEWS STORIES. Matt Damon saying he wishes criticism of his films would be “vetted” before they become news just sounds like Matty D is throwing around his privilege again, just like he did when he interrupted producer Effie Brown (an African-American woman) to mansplain diversity to her. Let me ask a serious question: has Matty D always had a big blindspot about race?

Photos courtesy of ‘The Great Wall’ and WENN.

Victoria’s Secret model Lily Aldridge and husband, Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill, were photographed with 4-year-old daughter Dixie on Tuesday (December 6).

The trio stepped out to visit Santa Claus at The Grove in Los Angeles, Calif.

After visiting Saint Nick, the mother-daughter duo were seen feeding the ducks at the pond.

On Friday, we spotted the family-of-three in Washington, D.C.

And last Wednesday, the model mom, 31, walked in the 2016 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which was filmed in Paris and aired Monday on CBS.

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Mark Wahlberg is currently doing some press around Patriots Day, the movie about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Wahlberg stars in the film with actors like JK Simmons, John Goodman, Kevin Bacon, Michelle Monaghan and more. Considering he comes from a working class neighborhood of Boston, I would expect his accent work to be pretty decent, at the very least. Anyway, Wahlberg is also having to do interviews following the election, and he has some sh-t to say about how celebrities shouldn’t talk about politics.

“A lot of celebrities did, do, and shouldn’t,” he told Task & Purpose last week, at a swanky luncheon in New York, held on behalf of his upcoming film “Patriots Day.” We were talking about the parade of actors and musicians who lined up to denounce Donald Trump in the months and weeks leading up to Election Day.

“You know, it just goes to show you that people aren’t listening to that anyway,” he continued. “They might buy your CD or watch your movie, but you don’t put food on their table. You don’t pay their bills. A lot of Hollywood is living in a bubble. They’re pretty out of touch with the common person, the everyday guy out there providing for their family. Me, I’m very aware of the real world. I come from the real world and I exist in the real world. And although I can navigate Hollywood and I love the business and the opportunities it’s afforded me, I also understand what it’s like not to have all that.”

[From Task & Purpose]

I’m so thankful that there’s a steady stream of white cisgendered heterosexual men telling the rest of us to calm down and shut up following the election. I understand what Wahlberg is saying – that Hollywood types are out of touch and no one is listening to them anyway – but like Seth MacFarlane pointed out, Donald Trump IS Hollywood, and he’s out of touch with the “working man” too, much more so than most Hollywood types (most of whom came from working class or middle class backgrounds). And people were listening to Trump, weren’t they? I guess the rest of America only cares about what a Hollywood-type says when he’s being a racist and a misogynist. Something Mark Wahlberg would know first-hand.

And just FYI: many of the celebrity women who publicly supported Hillary Clinton did so (proudly) because they were standing up for women’s rights, reproductive rights, wage equality and more, all of which was discussed openly, and all of which affects every woman in this country. The idea that Mark Wahlberg – again, a white heterosexual man who was once convicted of a violent hate crime – is somehow more “living in the real world” as opposed to someone like Elizabeth Banks or Julianne Moore? It’s laughable.

Last thing: Mawkee-Mawk is in a new Transformers movie. Do I have to pretend to care about this? Here’s the new trailer:

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Baby bump watch!

Mom-to-be Amanda Seyfried was photographed on Tuesday (December 6). The Mamma Mia! actress, 30, stepped out in stripes while stopping at a Starbucks in Santa Monica, Calif.

This marks our first glimpse of Amanda’s growing baby bump since her pregnancy announcement last week.

The Dear John actress and her actor fiancé Thomas Sadoski, 40, are expecting their first child, the Givenchy spokesmodel announced last Tuesday at the brand’s press launch for their new Live Irrésistible fragrance.

The couple – who got engaged in September – first met while working together on the off-Broadway show The Way We Get By last year. They started dating when they reunited on the set of their upcoming film The Last Word.

Five years ago, the Mean Girls star already had babies on the brain.

“I love spending time with babies and daydreaming what it’s going to be like for me,” she said at the time. “I can’t wait to have kids but I have to keep myself in check. I’m not having a baby any time soon!”

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By my records, the Duchess of Cambridge has not done anything for one of her (very few) patronages in almost two years exactly. That patronage? The Scout Association. Her official patronage page says she’s a “volunteer” with The Scout Association, but she hasn’t “volunteered” to do anything for or with them since 2014. She used to average one or two appearances a year in the first few years of her marriage. But not lately! Thankfully, The Scout Association is celebrating their centenary anniversary this month, and Kate has deigned to RSVP to a big celebration which will be held next week, on December 14th.

Kate Middleton will attend a special pack meeting next week, where she will play games and join a baking class and first aid training. The meeting, at North Wooton scout hut next Wednesday, is part of the Cubs’ centenary celebrations.

Kensington Palace said: “The Duchess of Cambridge will attend a special Cub Scout Pack meeting with Cubs from the Kings Lynn District to celebrate 100 years of Cubs. Her Royal Highness will join the Pack as they take part in games and activities themed around looking after yourself and others physically and emotionally. Activities will include a parachute game to encourage teamwork and cooperation, first aid training and cub cake icing. They will then join together to renew their Cub Scout promise and celebrate the Cubs’ 100th anniversary with the lighting of 100 candles and a rendition of happy birthday.”

Cub scouting was co-founded by Robert BadenPowell and Vera Barclay on December 16, 1916. The anniversary year, called Cubs100, started with a special camp for cub scouts from across the UK at London Zoo. Since then thousands of small and large events have taken place to celebrate the cub scout centenary with events taking place at locations as far apart as Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Warwick Castle, the London Eye, Edinburgh Castle, The Angel of the North and the House of Commons.

[From the Eastern Daily Press]

It doesn’t sound like this is going to be some big gala, right? It sounds like she’ll be able to wear jeggings and boots and perhaps she’ll get to color in one of her books. What’s also sort of weird is that this is supposed to be sort of a busy time for Kate and the royals – they’re all trying to add some last-minute engagements so their year-end numbers will look better. But Kate hasn’t done an event since November 22nd. I don’t think she has anything scheduled for this week either. But she’ll have this Scout event next week, and then the following Monday (the 19th), she will join Harry and William for a Christmas party for Heads Together.

Here’s what Kate isn’t doing: attending galas for EACH, nor attending the annual Royal Variety Show (which was last night, and Charles and Camilla attended). Long story short: Kate seems to have basically given up on looking busy. She goes three weeks or longer without doing a stitch of work, even when “work” might involve a fancy gala for one of her few patronages. I still feel like something fishy is going on, but we’ll see. Maybe she is knocked up. Or maybe it’s something else entirely.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

As we discussed yesterday, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s custodial arrangement seems to be temporarily set. Meaning, Brad Pitt only gets monitored visits with the kids, and he only sees the kids on a psychiatrist’s say-so. This is the plan until Brad and Angelina hammer out a permanent custodial arrangement, which could take a long-ass time. On the heels of that story – which came from some paperwork Angelina filed last Friday – TMZ published a strange story on Tuesday, claiming that Angelina was still hellbent on moving to London with the kids because she really wants to take a “top position in the United Nations” (the UN is based in New York). The TMZ story was really weird and it felt like weird fan-fiction. Well, Angelina wants people to know that she’s not actually hellbent on moving to London any time soon. In fact, she’s house-hunting in LA.

Angelina Jolie is on the move. But, contrary to a report published by TMZ Tuesday, Jolie’s rep tells E! News the actress has no intention of moving to London. Instead, a source says she is looking for a house in the L.A. area.

Jolie, 41, feels it’s important to provide consistency for her kids as she finalizes her divorce from Brad Pitt, 52—a sentiment her ex surely shares. Maddox Jolie-Pitt, 15, Pax Jolie-Pitt, 12, Zahara Jolie-Pitt, 11, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, 10, and twins Knox Jolie-Pitt and Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, 8, are each receiving individual counseling, in addition to undergoing joint therapy with their dad…. According to the source, Angelina does not determine when the kids see Brad. Their therapist devises a schedule after talking with the kids. According to the source, she “has been nothing but cooperative with the court order.”

Brad recently wrapped a global promotional tour for Allied, but he reportedly did not spend Thanksgiving with his children. As for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, the source says the kids’ schedule is TBD, given that their therapist determines Brad’s visitation time like any other day.

[From E! News]

In Touch Weekly claimed, immediately following the Thanksgiving holiday, that Angelina had promised Brad a chance to see the kids for Thanksgiving and he flew home from Turks & Caicos early just to get some time with the kids, only for Angelina to “change her mind” at the last minute. That’s what these stories are about – she wants people to know that the custodial situation is out of her hands at this point. She also wants people to know that she’s fine with staying in LA for the time being.

Additionally, Entertainment Tonight had an interesting story about the current custody situation. A source says that originally, Brad submitted drug and alcohol testing voluntarily, but now it’s mandatory because the judge signed off on the temporary custody situation. If Brad wants to stop the drug and alcohol testing, his lawyers will have to file their own motions. A source also tells ET: “Brad has not seen his children alone without a monitored therapist since the plane incident. Angelina has not left the children’s side since the plane incident. She still has not completed her film [First They Killed My Father]. She has been with them the whole time trying to make sure they heal.” As for the family’s Christmas plans, everything is up in the air, according to ET’s sources. The therapist will ask each child if they want to see Brad, and if they don’t, the therapist won’t make them.

Photos courtesy of WENN.