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Entertainment

Michelle Branch accuses husband of cheating amid split

American singer-songwriter Michelle Branch and husband Patrick Carney are separating after three years of marriage.

“To say that I am totally devastated doesn’t even come close to describing how I feel for myself and for my family,” the singer, 39, told TMZ in a statement today, Page Six reports.

“The rug has been completely pulled from underneath me and now I must figure out how to move forward. With such small children, I ask for privacy and kindness.”

Branch gave more shocking details about the split in a since-deleted tweet, alleging that she “just found out” her husband had cheated on her “while I was home with our 6 month old daughter.”

The couple shares are Rhys James, 4, and daughter, Willie, who was born earlier this year.

Branch and Carney, the drummer for The Black Keys, first met at a Grammy party in 2015 when she was just finalizing her divorce from ex-husband Teddy Landau. Two years later, they were engaged.

However, while planning their wedding, the singer discovered she was expecting their first child together. Rhys James was born in April 2018.

“Patrick and I are over the moon in love with our son Rhys James Carney,” the everywhere songstress wrote on Instagram at the time.

A year after welcoming their son, the couple finally tied the knot at the Marigny Opera House in New Orleans.

As they tried to expand their family again, the singer revealed in December 2020 that she had suffered a miscarriage.

“I experienced my first miscarriage…” she announced on social media while celebrating the holidays. “But alas, between the crying and binge eating of Christmas cookies, I decided to put on lipstick and a dress.

“We drank champagne alllll day. Made an incredible meal and sang Christmas songs snuggled up by a roaring fire.”

Just a few months later, in August 2021, the couple was expecting again and had their second child together, Willie Jacquet Carney.

Branch also shares daughter Owen Isabelle, 17, with her ex-husband, singer Teddy Landau.

This article originally appeared on Page Six and was reproduced with permission

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Categories
Business

Entire Starbucks team walks out during shift after manager fires union leader

An entire store of Starbucks workers have walked out of their cafe mid-shift, in support of a colleague they claim was “unjustly” terminated.

In a TikTok video which has been viewed more than 18.6 million times, a team of nine workers can be seen leaving the store in Buffalo, New York.

The protest occurred after barista Sam Amato – who is also a union leader – was reportedly fired on the week of his 13th anniversary with the company.

After the employees leave, a woman who appears to be the store manager can be seen talking on the phone. The on-screen caption in the video reads: “* manager realizes she she’s messed up *”.

In a previous video Mr Amato claimed he was pulled aside by two store managers and was told he was being let go because he “modified operations and closed the lobby” without getting his “store manager’s permission”.

“It is a BS reason. It’s because I’m a union leader,” claimed Sam.

“They failed to provide any details or give me any information. They wrote things that were not true.

“After 13 years they refused to give me any details why I was fired.”

In the comments, the majority of TikTok users supported the worker’s efforts.

“Starbucks really is hell bent on ruining their reputation aren’t they,” read one comment.

“Good on you guys. Stand together. Keep this energy going,” read another.

“Starbucks, I’m a loyal customer but trust me when I tell you. That can change real quick friend!” shared another.

Under United States labor laws, workers in all 50 states bar Montana are subject to at-will employment. This means employees can be fired without prior warning and without the need for the employer to establish a cause. However, employers can still be challenged on the grounds of wrongful termination – like discrimination.

While some states have exceptions – for example, workers in the public sector, or those under union agreements – the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska, New York, and Rhode Island have no exceptions in regards as to why an employee may be terminated.

Since late 2021, Starbucks employees across the US’ 9000+ corporate-owned stores have attempted to unionize with Workers United. As of June 14, 143 stores have unionized, while 120 other outposts were petitioning for union elections, Guardian reports.

Workers United stated that the coffee giant has been systematically cutting employee hours in an effort to convince longtime employees to retire, before replacing them with workers who won’t unionise, the New York Times reports.

“Starbucks is also using policies that have not previously been enforced, and policies that would not have resulted in termination, as a pretext for firing union leaders,” the union said in a statement.

With around 33,833 stories in 80 countries, Starbucks is the world’s largest coffeehouse chain and is estimated to be worth A$140 billion.

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Categories
US

Congressman and Louisiana House member Buddy Leach dies

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Anthony Claude “Buddy” Leach Jr., who spent a term in the US House and ran the budget committee in the Louisiana House before leading the state Democratic party, has died. He was 88.

Leach died Saturday, according to a statement by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards that did not include a cause of death.

Leach was elected to the Louisiana House three times starting in 1968 before winning a term in 1978 in the US House from the state’s 4th District along the state line with Texas. The Democrat lost his reelection bid in 1980 to Buddy Roemer, who was at the time a Democrat also.

Leach would return for one term in the Louisiana House in 1983, serving as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

Leach unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2003 and state treasurer in 1987. His last public role was two years as chairman of the Louisiana Democratic Party starting in 2010.

Leach was born in 1934 in Vernon Parish and served in the US Army from 1956 to 1959.

Edwards said Leach was a strong leader with a big heart who generously supported his wife’s Louisiana First Foundation to help children.

“Buddy Leach dedicated his life to serving our great state. From the Louisiana Legislature to Congress to his many civic contributions he, Buddy worked to make life better for all Louisianans, ”Edwards said in a statement. “When I decided to run for governor, he was one of the first people to encourage me.”

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Categories
Entertainment

Pat Carroll dead: Voice of Ursula dies aged 95

Pat Carroll, the actress known for voicing the underwater villain Ursula in Disney’s animated tale, The Little Mermaid, died on July 30. She was 95.

The Emmy Award-winning actress passed away at her home on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, while recovering from pneumonia, according to Variety.

Carroll found a niche as a comedian on the late-night circuit beginning in the 1940s, and voiced several cartoon characters through the years before earning an Emmy for her work on Sid Caesar’s Hour.

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Carroll’s family moved to Los Angeles when she was five years old, and she picked up acting in local productions shortly after.

She graduated from the local, all-girls Immaculate Heart High School, whose notable alumni include Meghan Markle, Diane Disney (the daughter of Walt and Lillian Disney), Mary Tyler Moore, Lucie Arnaz, Tyra Banks and Yara Shahidi.

After enlisting in the Army, she attended the Catholic University of America, and began her career in the industry with the 1947 film Hometown Girl.

She co-starred as Prunella in a 1965 production of the musical version of cinderellaand worked on Laverne & Shirley, Busting Loose, The Ted Knight Show and She’s The Sheriff.

Other appearances included The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Love Boat, Designing Women and ER.

She won several theatrical awards for her one-woman show on Gertrude Stein. The recorded version won a Grammy for Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama in 1980.

In 1989, she played the villainous sea witch Ursula and sang Poor Unfortunate Souls, a role she once said was one of her all-time favourites.

She reprized the infamous character’s voice for a number of Disney video games and television shows, most recently in 2020 with The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse short series.

Carroll is survived by daughters Kerry Karsian, Tara Karsian and granddaughter Evan Karsian-McCormick.

This story originally appeared on Fox News and is republished here with permission.

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