Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman said she gives no heed to critics of her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photo shoot -- it"s something she expected.
"I knew people were going to say that I wasn"t a good role model and all of this stuff," Raisman, who posed t*****s in the magazine, told Motto. "I did the issue because I love my body. I can express myself in any way that I want. But that doesn"t give anyone the right to judge me. I think being a role model is about being a kind person."
"It really made me realize women do not have to be modest in order to be respected," Raisman added.
Raisman is often outspoken about body image and the need for young women to have confidence. She"s recently partnered with Playtex Sport to encourage women to continue participating in sports while on their periods. Raisman spoke about the need to support girls when they are going through puberty.
"Girls feel really insecure and awkward at that stage -- your body starts to change," she said. "Instead of feeling uncomfortable and not talking about it, I think it"s important to have this conversation."
raisman also tackles the issue of sexual assault and the need for girls to speak up when someone"s behavior makes them uncomfortable.
"It"s very hard for young women to speak up," she said. "I think young girls need to understand that if something doesn"t feel right or they feel uncomfortable, then it"s probably wrong. And it"s OK to speak up."
No matter how heartfelt the outrage was, the controversy itself was premeditated. the survivor episode was filmed months ago and the producers and CBS had a choice to make about whether to air the footage outing Mr. Smith on national television.
Once the decision to do so was made, Mr. Smith and his defenders prepared responses in the time before the broadcast of the episode. Several opinion columns on the matter were even written in advance, in effect highlighting the outing and stoking the reactions. And some critics have subsequently placed the blame with CBS, for airing it.
Mr. Smith himself wrote a column for The Hollywood Reporter published on Wednesday night, timed to the broadcast of the episode, and he also spoke to People about the episode.
When I got on a plane to Fiji last March, I expected to get voted out third, Mr. Smith, who is an asset manager in Brooklyn, wrote in The Hollywood Reporter. Id return home, laugh at my misadventure, and go about my life, casually trans in the same way that Zac Efron is casually Jewish.
He continued: In calling me deceptive, Varner invoked one of the most odious stereotypes of transgender people, a stereotype that is often used as an excuse for violence and even murder. In proclaiming Zeke is not the guy you think he is, and that there is deception on levels yall dont understand, Varner is saying that Im not really a man and that simply living as my authentic self is a nefarious trick. In reality, by being Zeke the dude, I am being my most honest self.
Reaction poured in.
Zeke Smith, and transgender people like him, are not deceiving anyone by being their authentic selves, and it is dangerous and unacceptable to out a transgender person, Nick Adams, an official with Glaad, the group formerly known as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said in a statement. It is heartening, however, to see the strong support for Zeke from the other people in his tribe. Moments like this prove that when people from all walks of life get to know a transgender person, they accept us for who we are.
Glaad said it had worked with Mr. Smith and CBS; the episode was not broadcast live.
Viewers were unforgiving.
The worst, cruelest moment ever on Survivor, one wrote on Twitter.
Stunned, another fumed. Cant believe anyone would take it to that level.
Mr. Varner, a real estate agent from High Point, N.C., published an apology to his Facebook and Twitter accounts shortly after the episode aired.
Yep. I did that, he wrote. And I offer my deepest, most heartfelt apologies to Zeke Smith, his friends and life allies, his family, and to all those who my mistake hurt and offended. I recklessly revealed something I mistakenly believed everyone already knew. I was wrong and make no excuses for it. I own responsibility in what is the worst decision of my life.
He added, Let me be clear, outing someone is assault.
Mr. Probst, who has hosted the American version of the show since its inception in 2000, told Entertainment Weekly that this was a unique event. In 34 seasons of Survivor, I have rarely, if ever, personally commented on what is said or done in the game, he said. I cannot imagine anyone thinking what was done to Zeke was O.K. on any level, under any circumstances, and certainly not simply because there was a million dollars on the line.
Some on social media pointed out that CBS could have chosen not to air the segment. No Probst, YOU told millions of people. #Survivor, the recent contestant Max Dawson wrote on Twitter. Another former contestant, Eliza Orlins said on Twitter that including the outing moment was unavoidable. No way to edit around it. Yikes.
(Two spokeswomen for the show did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.)
President Trumps relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin may turn out to be too close for comfort, but Trumps instincts about U.S.-Russia ties are at least partly right. The U.S. simply cant afford poor relations with the planets other nuclear superpower.
Security in Syria depends on it, for one. The even bigger issue, however, is security in Europe, where tensions between Russia and NATO have been acute for three years.
Some analysts maintain that Putin cultivates an adversarial relationship with the outside world to strengthen his popularity at home and thus his hold on power, and also to provide him with an excuse to suppress dissent. This may be true, but he also appears to bear a genuine grudge against the United States for its post-Cold War assertiveness near Russian territory. For two decades, and especially over the last 10 years, Putin and many other Russian officials have complained that NATO"s eastward march threatens Russias security.
Granted, NATO has gone out of its way to consult and work with Russia since the Cold War ended. It has also avoided putting major combat forces in new member states that are located near Russias borders.
Still, one can understand why Russians would find it overbearing and triumphalist that NATO moved 1,000 miles east while taking in a dozen new members, most of which were previously part of the Warsaw Pact or the Soviet Union. The U.S. also supported democratic forces that gave rise to revolutions in Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan, and, as Moscow sees it, we attacked other countries, including Serbia, Iraq and Libya, without a legal basis for doing so and often with poor results. Meanwhile, NATO expansion continues. Last month, the U.S. Senate ratified the Balkan nation of Montenegros accession to the alliance, and Trump on Tuesday signed off on the move.
In Putin"s eyes, we are an out-of-control hyper-power that must be opposed. His view is warped, but it appears to be sincere.
The whole situation is counterproductive, and nowhere more so than in Ukraine and Georgia. President George W. Bush persuaded NATO to publicly offer eventual membership to the two countries both former Soviet republics, both adjacent to Russia but there was no timetable established and no interim guarantee of security in the meantime. They are thus fully exposed to Russian aggression. Exacerbating matters, NATO has a longstanding policy of not accepting new members until they resolve any territorial disputes with neighbors. Though a sensible idea in the abstract, the policy gives Putin an incentive to stoke trouble with Ukraine and Georgia, because any ongoing disputes invalidate their near-term eligibility for NATO membership.
Trump should at least try to deescalate tensions. He could do so with a broad agreement between NATO states, Moscow and the neutral countries of Europe. In such an agreement, nato could vow not to expand further. In return, Russia would commit to leave the neutral countries alone, withdraw military forces from their territories, allow them to join whatever diplomatic and economic groups they want (including the European Union), and stop arming and abetting separatists in places such as the Donbas region of Ukraine and northern Georgia. Once Putin met these conditions, the U.S. could lift its sanctions against Russia.
Trumps two predecessors also wanted to improve U.S.-Russia relations, of course. Bush tried until disputes over Iraq and NATO soured the atmosphere; Russia then invaded Georgia in the summer of 2008. President Obama talked of a reset with Moscow before his hopes were dashed by Russia"s aggression against Ukraine and Syria, and by Putin"s suppression of dissent and democracy at home.
Putin continues to make diplomacy difficult. He is now adamantly opposing Trumps limited and careful reprisal against the gruesome use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime. And as investigations heat up into Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election, much of Trump"s top national security team is reverting to anti-Russia rhetoric.
If we continue down this path, a U.S.-Russia war could even erupt over a contested area in Europe. To reduce the risk, we need to develop an alternative to further expansion of NATO, one that promotes the security and prosperity of the neutral countries in Eastern Europe.
Michael E. OHanlon is a senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution.
Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook
The Cleveland Cavaliers are planning to waive Larry Sanders and sign center Edy Tavares from NBA Development League, league sources told The Vertical.
Sanders had no issues in his stay with the Cavaliers and the sides mutually worked out his release as the team had no plans to place him in the playing rotation, league sources told The Vertical.
Source: Shams Charania of The Vertical
Make sure to follow Basketball Insiders on Twitter at @BBallInsiders.
NYM@KC: Royals honored with 2015 World Series rings
CHICAGO (WLS) --
"Grandpa" David Ross is a serious contender for the Mirror Ball Trophy on "Dancing with the Stars," but on Wednesday night he picked up the biggest bling of all: his World Series championship ring.
The Chicago Cubs championship team was reunited one more time for a team photo with those rings which were made by the jewelry company Jostens.
Each ring included 108 diamonds and the design was closely guarded until the ceremony. Each diamond represents a year since the Cubs last won a World Series in 1908.
Chris Poitras, Jostens Division Vice President, College and Sports, stopped by ABC 7 to share more about the ring and brought a replica.
The Cubs players got their World Series championship rings Wednesday night during a ceremony at Wrigley Field before their game against the LA Dodgers.
PHOTOS: CUBS WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS
Replica rings were abound Wednesday afternoon on the streets of Wrigleyville, but the ring maker said Cubs fans can get their own for a mere $10,000.
Coaches, owners, executives and Hall of Fame alumni were presented their 2016 World Series Championship rings as well.
During the ceremony, announcer Len Kasper told the cheering crowd: "Tonight you"ll witness the first championship ring ever presented to Chicago Cubs players."
The Cubs selected 20 fans in a contest to present the rings. Among them was Amy Liss, 34, of Downers Grove, a lifelong Cubs fan who has cerebral palsy.
Another ring bearer was Grace Davis, a 20-year-old who was born with spina bifida, which is a condition that Cubs player Javier Baez"s late sister also had.
"It was amazing. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I will never forget it," Davis said.
On Monday, Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts said the design was a collaborative effort. The ring maker said it went through 300 different drawings before creating the final design.
"We basically, with the rings, you kind of like try to think of some guidelines and then we turned it over to a committee of players. And they put in a lot of the symbols that they think is important. So it"ll be interesting, when it comes out, to show people all the things that the players thought were important to put in the ring," Ricketts said.
One side features the player"s name set atop the iconic W Flag, which is created from 31 round white diamonds and a fire blue corundum understone that forms the "W." Silhouette images of Wrigley Field"s bricks and ivy surround the flag and the player"s number, which sits below the flag.
The other side features the year 2016 above the iconic Wrigley Field faade and Marquee, displaying the message "CUBS WIN!" A silhouette of the World Series Trophy sits below the Marquee with a large round white diamond set in the center, signifying the 2016 World Series victory. Two princess-cut diamonds flank the trophy, representing the team"s two previous World Series titles. Wrigley Field"s bricks complete the background.The rings were taken from a bank vault to Wrigley Field in an armored car, locked cases and protected by armed guards.
"It"s important to wear it and show it off. It was a long time to get that, so. And we should all be very proud of it. I"m a big believer that if you accomplish something like that show it off. I mean, we did it. And I"m sure that right when we get it all of us will be wearing it all the time, but as time goes on hopefully we have more on our fingers," said Kris Bryant.
Josh Brolin at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) - Opening Gala and "Hail, Caesar!" premiere on Feb. 11, 2016. (Thomas Bartilla/Future Image/WENN.com)
WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group)
Apparently not content with playing the big bad of the Avengers movie franchise, actor Josh Brolin has signed on for a role in a second film series based on Marvel Comics characters.
Brolin will play time-traveling, massive gun-toting mutant Cable in Deadpool 2. The characters arrival was teased by Ryan Reynolds Deadpool in a post-credit scene in the first film.
"We have no idea who we"re gonna cast yet, but it could be anyone," Deadpool says in the brief scene. Michael Shannon had been rumored to be up for the gig.
The R-rated Deadpool, featuring Reynolds as an irreverent mutant mercenary with a powerful healing factor, grossed $783 million worldwide and somehow garnered two Golden Globe nominations. The sequel, directed by David Leitch, is planned for release in 2018.
Brolins cosmic supervillain Thanos has briefly been glimpsed in the Avengers films and Guardians of the Galaxy, but he is expected to be the main antagonist in 2018s Avengers: Infinity War.
Reynolds nodded to the potential continuity headaches in a tweet Wednesday: "You can"t play 2 characters in the same universe!! Josh Brolin was in Sicario and I was in Sabrina The Teenage Witch."
The Marvel Cinematic Universe inhabited by the Avengers is separate from the X-Men universe because the rights to the characters are owned by different studios.
brolin is not the first actor to take on multiple Marvel roles. Michael B. Jordan, who played the Human Torch in 2015s Fantastic Four, will also be appearing in Ryan Cooglers Black Panther in 2018. And long before playing Deadpool, Reynolds was featured as Hannibal King in "Blade: Trinity."
Chicago Bulls vs Boston Celtics - Preview | 2017 NBA Playoffs
After an epic NBA season, the Playoffs are finally here and we"ve launched a new game to extend the NBA tipping fun through to the nba finals in june.
the nba playoffs challenge is a bracket-style game similar to our March Madness Tournament Challenge competition. All you need to do is pick the winner of each NBA Playoff match-up, right up to the overall winner of The Finals, and don"t forget to tip the margin in each of the first round of head-to-head clashes.
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You can change your selections until tip-off, after which your NBA Playoffs Challenge bracket is locked until The Finals winner is decided, with points awarded for each tip you get right.
You don"t need to do anything to activate this game, it"s been automatically added to competitions. Any standard finals tipping you may have activated remains in place for your tippers; this is just a bit of extra fun on the side for everyone.
Just fill in your bracket, and let tippers in your competition know they need to go in and enter their selections.
