Riding the ridge near Mirador de la Cardosa‚ Cantabria‚ on the IMTBike Essence of Northern Spain Tour. The landscape of northern Spain erupted with jagged peaks and rolled along lush green hillsides. Farms folded across every nook‚ and waves pounded the Atlantic coast. Mile after mile of smooth‚ tight curves were waiting to be savored. The evidence was all around: Northern Spain is a rider’s paradise.  This past September‚ I joined IMTBike’s Essence of Northern Spain Tour. Leaving the planning to the pros at IMTBike‚ I simply arrived with my gear in Bilbao up north in the País Vasco (Basque Country) and enjoyed the ride. Over eight days‚ I explored new places with new friends‚ and fabulous riding connected every experience. This tour strung together curvy backroads through vast open spaces‚ rural pastoral lands‚ dense forests‚ and stunning coasts. The tour frequently visits Spain’s Atlantic Coast‚ like here in Colunga‚ Asturias. “Essence” tours like this one are new weeklong versions of longer IMTBike tours. Riders who can only get a week off from work can now enjoy full‑­on tours of northern Spain‚ southern Spain‚ Portugal‚ or Morocco with a shorter time commitment. IMTBike has been perfecting the art and science of motorcycle tours for 27 years. Initially‚ the focus was the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). Today‚ it also offers tours of Morocco‚ France‚ Italy‚ and the Alps; exclusive MotoGP tours in Catalunya‚ Jerez‚ and Valencia; global tours in Turkey‚ Japan‚ Thailand‚ Vietnam‚ and New Zealand; and self‑­guided and custom‑­designed tours. Related: IMTBike Sardinia and Corsica Motorcycle Tour Review My fellow tour members came to northern Spain from Costa Rica‚ Guatemala‚ Japan‚ the Netherlands‚ and the U.S. We all love travel‚ adventure‚ and motorcycling – that’s what brought us together – and as always‚ I enjoyed the experience of meeting and riding with people from countries other than my own. Juanan Martin‚ our tour guide‚ has graduate degrees in history and travel journalism – perfect credentials for his role. Paulo Murteira‚ who drove the IMTBike support van‚ loves off‑­road endurance riding and was a laugh a minute! Both were excellent sources of information‚ assistance‚ and insight. During a coffee break‚ our tour guide Juanan reviewed the next section of the day’s ride. From IMTBike’s garage in Bilbao‚ Juanan led us to the Cantabrian Mountains and strings of hairpin turns. At Collados del Asón Natural Park‚ we paused to take in a spectacular panoramic mountain vista. That first day‚ we traversed five mountain passes en route to Santillana del Mar. Our night’s lodging was a parador located on a magnificently preserved medieval town square. Paradors are historic‚ architecturally significant buildings such as former castles‚ monasteries‚ and manor homes. Owned by the Spanish government and operated as luxury hotels‚ paradors preserve these treasured buildings and keep them relevant. We stayed in three of them on this tour. This parador in Asturias was formerly the Monastery of San Pedro de Villanueva. We also grew accustomed to dinner served on Spanish time: 8 p.m. at the earliest and frequently later. Your humble scribe is a big fan of seafood‚ and our daily menus included locally sourced fish and other delicacies from the North Atlantic‚ as well as delicious meat dishes‚ fresh fruits and veggies‚ and a variety of decadent desserts. No one went hungry. Related: Iberian Escape | IMTBike Southern Spain Andalusia Tour Review By the second day‚ tour members had organically clustered into three groups of four bikes each according to their preferred pace. This unofficial order enabled everyone to ride their own ride. Juanan told me that every tour is its own living entity‚ with distinct personalities and group dynamics‚ individual rider skills‚ weather and seasonal factors‚ and more. Everyone wanted something different from their tour experience‚ and Juanan and Paulo were focused on delivering for us all. Later‚ we had our first of numerous encounters with livestock in the road. Flat‚ open expanses of pastureland are uncommon in northern Spain‚ so cows (and occasionally horses and goats) nibble on grass wherever they find it. They seemed accustomed to the passing vehicles‚ so I rolled off the throttle a bit and bellowed “Moo!” before motoring past. We experienced endless curves through the Cantabrian Mountains. Spain has the highest average elevation of all western European countries except Switzerland‚ and the mountains we rode around‚ over‚ and sometimes through were highpoints for me. Topping my list for beauty was Picos de Europa National Park. Founded in 1918‚ it was Spain’s first national park. Today it’s a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve‚ and its natural beauty was wondrous to experience while carving great roads on a motorcycle. While the mountains reminded me of the Alps‚ the Costa Verde (Green Coast) felt like Ireland. Okay‚ maybe not the palm trees. Herds of Asturian Valley cattle‚ the ubiquitous orange‑­colored breed raised in northern Spain‚ grazed on grassy hills overlooking the ocean. What a completely different scene from the brown plains of central Spain. As cows chewed greenery‚ surfers in wetsuits carried their boards down to the sandy beach below. Some of Europe’s most popular surfing destinations are here on Spain’s northern coast. I wondered if this convergence of cattle and surfers gave rise to the expression “Cowabunga!” Love mountains? This view of Riaño‚ León‚ helps one appreciate that Spain has western Europe’s second highest average elevation. From cliffs overlooking the coast‚ we headed inland‚ where entertaining secondary roads wound us through agrarian landscapes past the hilly farms of Asturias. The most common crop appeared to be manzanas (apples)‚ and most homes‚ even those that weren’t farmhouses‚ had a lemon tree in the yard. I admired the resilience of farmers here: There was hardly any land you’d call flat‚ yet orchards were abundant‚ tucked into every conceivable space. Livestock grazed along the roads here too. Though the weather in northern Spain was mostly clear‚ warm‚ and dry‚ we rode through a late‑­day rain shower near Oviedo‚ the bustling capital city of Asturias. On the last stretch to our hotel‚ it was useful having a guide with local knowledge and a solid plan to lead the group though wet‚ busy streets to the tight quarters of a downtown hotel parking garage. ¡Bien hecho‚ Juanan! Well done! The capital of Asturias is Oviedo‚ a beautiful city where we enjoyed a rest day. That evening in Oviedo‚ we had dinner in a sidrería (cidery)‚ a pub‑­like establishment where locals gather to drink cider‚ eat‚ and socialize. We enjoyed multiple courses of Asturian fare‚ washed down with sangría de sidra (cider sangria) made from the same variety of manzanas we saw growing on trees. It was an Asturian holiday‚ and patrons were joyously singing‚ their enthusiasm enhanced by pitchers of sangria. You don’t have to visit a museum to experience culture. An evening walk through Oviedo was a great way to end a riding day. I’ve never visited a prettier city. IMTBike scheduled a rest day halfway through this tour‚ but there was an optional lunch run to the seaside fishing village of Cudillero. Juanan led an exhilarating backroads jaunt through dense forest with little evidence of humans. Cudillero is built into rocky cliffs overlooking the Bay of Biscay. The ascending rows of colorful houses reminded me of similar towns I’d seen in Italy. At the edge of town‚ waves hitting the rocky shore presented spectacular views. That evening‚ I decided to explore more of Oviedo on my own while speaking only Spanish. It had been decades since I studied Spanish in school‚ but after a few days in Spain‚ the fundamentals were coming back. I managed to buy a gift for my wife and order a fish dinner‚ celebrating these minor triumphs with una cerveza. ¡Salud! The optional ride on the rest day followed narrow roads through deep forests. Next morning‚ tour members huddled for our daily riders briefing with Juanan. He emphasized the need to depart the hotel as an organized group – and stay together as we left the city. A major bicycle race called La Vuelta‚ Spain’s version of the Tour de France‚ was passing through the area that morning. Juanan explained that the racecourse overlapped our route‚ and unless we rode through before race organizers closed the road‚ we’d have to wait. Thanks to this helpful attention to detail from our tour guide‚ our well­organized group passed by the busy staging area for La Vuelta that morning on a still-­open road. Our group enjoyed a break at Puerto de Pandetrave in León. After coffee‚ our route cut through Trubia River Gorge‚ where steep rock cliffs reached up on either side of us. Eventually we gained elevation‚ riding through the clouds until we poked above them into sunshine. I love when that happens. We crossed Alto de la Corbetoria Pass and then descended in tight curves to the Lena River to enjoy a stretch of easy sweepers to La Llama. The continuous flow of a curvy river road is always special on a motorcycle‚ and this tour included several of them. Returning to the Picos de Europa‚ we relished technical curves and climbed in elevation before a lunch stop at Puerto de San Isidro‚ an alpine ski resort. At midday in late summer‚ skiers were notably absent. As our group prepared to move on‚ I let Juanan know I was going to ride alone for the afternoon. In this rugged and remote region of León‚ I stopped whenever I wanted to marvel at views of the mountains and lakes against a crystal blue sky. Since I opted for a GPS with routes pre‑­loaded‚ it was no problem arriving on my own schedule (and well before dinnertime) at that night’s parador lodgings. To build roads through northern Spain’s mountainous terrain‚ engineers have designed some impressive solutions. After a mid‑­morning break in Potes‚ we reached Collada de Carmona Pass‚ where our mountain descent abruptly came into view. The road went through a hole cut through the cliff. Above the road‚ multilayer nets of steel mesh were moored onto the cliffside to catch falling rocks and held many they had snared. Then the road twisted down the mountainside‚ switchback after switchback‚ to the valley below. The smooth tar continued‚ snaking through positive camber curves along a meandering river for miles as the next mountain pass grew gradually closer. Up‚ over‚ and down again‚ the grin never left my face. At the next stop‚ our group of elated riders dismounted and exchanged high‑­fives. What a run! Camaleño in Cantabria provided many enjoyable sweepers. While winding roads with dramatic views earned my top score on this tour‚ architecture was a notable runner‑­up. The ultra modern Guggenheim museum in Bilbao is a marvel of design‚ encased in a skin of titanium. In stark contrast‚ the Sanctuary of Loyola in Azpeitia was a grand example of Spanish baroque architecture. And with its classical civic buildings‚ elegant parkside homes‚ and captivating old town edifices‚ Oviedo was as pretty as any city I’ve visited. By design‚ this tour put us on mostly empty roads. But on a warm‚ sunny afternoon in late summer‚ it was no surprise to encounter beach traffic along a scenic coastal route. The view of the seaside below was splendid from a gently curving road cut into the cliffside‚ and the tang of salt air scented every breath I took. A slower pace was fine for a bit. Rest stops present an opportunity for riders‚ each riding at their own pace‚ to regroup. We did that here at Puerto de Pandetrave in León. Then we found ourselves riding into the unexpected. An altered traffic pattern sent us into a congested cobblestone pedestrian zone where some kind of celebration was underway. Clearly‚ this wasn’t the plan. Folks were stunned by the arrival of a dozen motorcycles‚ but Juanan quickly calmed any concerns. The first few riders managed tight‚ bumpy U‑­turns‚ but those farther back were squeezed into an alley. Juanan pivoted several of those bikes 180 degrees on the sidestand – first time I’d seen that technique used on cobblestones – and in short order‚ we rode off as folks smiled and waved. Carving more curves through the Basque Country and down the steep hills into Bilbao‚ our tour came to an end where it began: IMTBike’s garage. We parked our bikes one last time as Juanan poured us a cava toast. Later‚ over our final dinner as a group‚ we relived favorite moments of this exciting tour and started planning more adventures. In 2024‚ the Essence of Northern Spain tour runs June 29‑­July 7 and Sept. 7‑­15. Prices start at 3‚845 euros (about $4‚100 USD) for a single rider on a BMW G 310 R and sharing a double room. Larger motorcycles and private rooms are optional. Not included in the tour price are air tickets‚ lunches‚ gasoline‚ drinks‚ tolls‚ GPS‚ personal spending‚ and tips. Learn more at the IMTBike website.  See all of Rider‘s international touring stories here. The post IMTBike Essence of Northern Spain Tour Review appeared first on Rider Magazine.

A New York City Council member shared a leaked video on social media Sunday night that showed multiple students beating a police officer at Hillcrest High School. Councilwoman Vickie Paladino‚ a Republican‚ shared the video on X after a source in the city’s Department of Education gave her the video. The release of the video comes after the high school garnered national news headlines last week after a large group of extremists in the school forced a pro-Israel Jewish teacher to lock herself in her office as they rampaged through the halls searching for her. The New York Police Department (NYPD) was forced to send dozens police officers‚ including its counterterrorism bureau‚ to quell the uprising at the school. Paladino said that the incident happened the week before the anti-Semitic riot at the school. “The school administration tried to cover this up in the same way they tried to cover up the riot‚” she said. “It’s clear that the administration of Hillcrest is totally compromised and either unwilling or unable to do what’s necessary to provide a safe environment to their students or their faculty. Furthermore‚ they seem more than willing to cover up crimes committed by their students in service of a political narrative‚ and to prevent these criminal students from facing consequences.” She said that had someone not come turned the video over to her office that no one would know what happened and that at this point it’s unclear “what else they’re hiding.” “This cannot continue‚” she said. “Hillcrest High School must be shut down pending a full and thorough investigation‚ and the administration must be held accountable. Furthermore‚ the students who committed these acts must be arrested immediately and face appropriate criminal charges.” The NYPD said in a response to the post that the department was “aware of this incident.” “Violence in our schools will not be tolerated‚” the NPYD said. “The individuals responsible for assaulting the @NYPDSchools agents were taken into custody &; charged according to NYPD procedures. If further information is needed‚ please contact DCPI.” WATCH: An anonymous source within the DOE shared video with my office of students at Hillcrest High School brutally attacking a uniformed school safety officer. This event apparently happened a week before the riot. The school administration tried to cover this up in the same way… pic.twitter.com/AzSMmXkk75 — Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (@VickieforNYC) November 27‚ 2023

A Vermont Christian school that pulled out of a basketball game over a trans-identifying male player is suing the state for barring it from state tournaments as well as a state tuition program. Mid Vermont Christian School in Hartford filed a federal lawsuit against the state in Burlington on Tuesday‚ alleging that the Vermont Agency of Education committed religious discrimination when it refused to designate the school as an approved independent school. “Mid Vermont Christian and its students are being irreparably harmed by being denied participation in the Town Tuitioning and Dual Enrollment Programs and middle school and high school athletics‚” the lawsuit states. “This civil rights action seeks to protect a Christian school and its students and parents from unconstitutional religious discrimination and hostility‚” the complaint reads. Back in February‚ Mid Vermont Christian forfeited a girls basketball playoff game‚ saying a trans-identifying male player on the opposing team jeopardized “the fairness of the game and the safety of our players.” The opposing team from Long Trail High School automatically won the game. The next month‚ the body that governs school sports‚ the executive council of the Vermont Principals’ Association‚ banned the Christian school from future tournaments. The council ruled the school had violated the council’s policies on race‚ gender and disability awareness. Meanwhile‚ the Vermont State Board of Education requires independent schools to provide the board with a nondiscrimination statement and post the statement on their websites. If the board does not approve a school‚ that school may not participate in the state’s town tuition program‚ which funds private school tuition for students in areas without a public school. “The State is entitled to its own views‚ but it is not entitled‚ nor is it constitutional‚ to force private‚ religious schools across the state to follow that orthodoxy as a condition to participating in Vermont’s tuitioning program and the State’s athletic association‚” the school’s lawsuit says. The school’s girls basketball coach‚ who has coached the team for the last 10 years‚ said he could not have imagined telling his daughter she could not play sports due to her religious views. GET 50% OFF DAILYWIRE+ ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS “No one‚ including our student athletes‚ should have opportunities taken away from them because of their religious beliefs‚” coach Chris Goodwin told Fox News. The lawsuit was filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). “Vermont has repeatedly discriminated against Christian schools and their families for following their religious beliefs‚” ADF senior counsel Ryan Tucker said. “Put simply‚ Mid Vermont Christian School believes that boys are boys and girls are girls. They have been punished for this belief. No school or parent should have to change their beliefs to participate in athletics or a state tuitioning program‚” Tucker said.

A coalition of religious leaders is pushing Congress to pass financial support for Israel’s war on Hamas as well as take steps to combat anti-Semitism. Fifteen leaders of religious organizations and institutions signed a letter sent to Democratic and Republican Congressional leaders on Monday urging legislators to step up support for Israel and the Jewish people. “We represent many faith traditions and have come together‚ in one united voice‚ to defend our shared humanity against barbarism and terror‚” the letter says. Israel declared war on Hamas after an October 7 attack by the terror group left over 1‚200 people dead and roughly 240 people taken captive‚ most of them Israeli civilians. The letter calls the massacre the “most significant massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust.” The letter‚ expressing support for Israel’s war against the terrorists‚ is signed by religious leaders such as Faith &; Freedom Coalition chairman Ralph Reed and Israel365 director Rabbi Tuly Weisz. “As we’ve said many times‚ we support our Jewish brothers and sisters both here at home and abroad. As Christians and as human beings it is our duty to do so. The nation of Israel is our strongest ally in the Middle East and the United States must stand by our ally‚” Aaron Gulbransen‚ executive director of the Tennessee Faith &; Freedom Coalition‚ told The Daily Wire in a statement. “Hamas must be defeated and state sponsors of terror like Iran ought to be neutered by the foreign policy of the United States‚” Gulbransen added. “Additionally‚ antisemitism has no place in our society and must be condemned at every turn. We are proud of our national leadership and allies that have presented this letter to the leadership of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.” The religious leaders call on Congress to “fund Israel’s defenses as soon as possible” and pass a series of bills that would aim to combat antisemitism‚ such as the Countering Hate Against Israel by Federal Contractors Act and Antisemitism Awareness Act. The letter also calls on the “Department of Justice‚ Department of Homeland Security‚ and other relevant agencies to take all necessary measures to prevent‚ prosecute‚ and punish antisemitic hate crimes in the United States.” GET 50% OFF DAILYWIRE+ ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS The faith leaders also call on the Biden administration to take stricter approach with Qatar‚ an Arab nation that has made inroads with the West while maintaining deep connections to the Middle East’s terror groups. “[F]orce Qatar to choose between remaining a major non-NATO ally of the United States or continuing its support for Hamas leadership and terrorism‚” the letter says. Qatar has close ties to Hamas and has granted the terror group’s leadership safe Haven in Doha‚ where Hamas’ main decision-making body meets.

Rock and roll singer Ozzy Osbourne recently gave an update about his health status‚ saying he’d like to perform in concert at least one more time. The 74-year-old British musician was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease‚ a progressive disorder which affects the nervous system‚ in 2003. He discussed his feelings about his public image during an interview with Rolling Stone UK. “I’m getting pissed off reading the papers‚ and they’re saying things like ‘Ozzy is fighting his last battle. He’s sung his last ‘Paranoid.’ You know‚ I don’t even think about Parkinson’s that much‚” Osbourne said. The interviewer noted how Osbourne demonstrated how his tremors were barely noticeable‚ even after all this time. “I said to [my wife] Sharon that I’d smoked a joint recently and she said‚ ‘What are you doing that for! It’ll f***-ing kill you!’” he continued. “I said‚ ‘How long do you want me to f***ing live for?!’ At best‚ I’ve got 10 years left and when you’re older‚ time picks up speed.” The “Crazy Train” singer also discussed the aftermath of his fourth back surgery‚ which he had in 2019. “It’s really knocked me about‚” he said. “The second surgery went drastically wrong and virtually left me crippled. I thought I’d be up and running after the second and third‚ but with the last one they put a f***ing rod in my spine. They found a tumor in one of the vertebrae‚ so they had to dig all that out too. It’s pretty rough‚ man‚ and my balance is all f***ed up.” Osbourne said despite his many health setbacks‚ his goal is to take the stage at least one more time. “I’m taking it one day at a time‚ and if I can perform again‚ I will‚” he said. “But it’s been like saying farewell to the best relationship of my life. At the start of my illness‚ when I stopped touring‚ I was really pissed off with myself‚ the doctors‚ and the world. But as time has gone on‚ I’ve just gone‚ ‘Well‚ maybe I’ve just got to accept that fact.'” “I’m not going to get up there and do a half-hearted Ozzy looking for sympathy‚” he added. What’s the f***ing point in that? I’m not going up there in a f***ing wheelchair. I’ve seen Phil Collins perform recently‚ and he’s got virtually the same problems as me. He gets up there in a wheelchair! But I couldn’t do that.” The former lead vocalist of Black Sabbath said he wishes he could have said goodbye and thank you to his fans‚ calling that fact‚ “one of the things I’ve been the most f***ing pissed off at.” “If I can’t continue doing shows on a regular basis‚ I just want to be well enough to do one show where I can say‚ ‘Hi guys‚ thanks so much for my life.’ That’s what I’m working towards‚ and if I drop down dead at the end of it‚ I’ll die a happy man‚” Osbourne told the outlet.

Asked about the extraordinarily high casualty numbers claimed by Hamas as Israel has conducted its war effort against the terrorist group. Israel Defense Forces spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus asserted that the numbers given by Palestinian sources were exaggerated. “We will expose the Hamas lie of inflated civilian casualties in Gaza‚ just like we have dismantled all their other lies‚” he tweeted. “As every day goes by‚ we learn of additional Hamas combatant deaths. We will continue to fight Hamas while respecting humanitarian law.” Interviewed by Emily Schrader of ILTV News‚ Conricus declared‚ “I think those numbers issued by the Hamas-controlled entities in Gaza are‚ simply put‚ false. They are exaggerated numbers of women‚ children‚ and the elderly. The biggest age group‚ the part of the demographic of Gaza that you see heavily underrepresented in the Palestinian figures‚ are men at the age of 17-35‚ which is the combat age of men. They’re not there. And it doesn’t compute with the general population of Gaza; men are at least 49% or 50% of the population yet they are very little to be found in the list of casualties; that doesn’t compute.” “And I think what the Palestinians are trying to do‚ what Hamas is trying to do‚ is to inflate the amount of civilians killed and deflate and hide the amount of combatants killed‚” he contended. “Not the first time Hamas has tried to do this.” Hamas has been accused of lying about civilian deaths for nearly a decade. “What we are busy doing is fact-checking and referencing dead terrorists that we are aware of and then comparing that to the list of names and numbers that Hamas has given out; finding the discrepancies and then we will be showing that to the world and again exposing another lie: of how Hamas manipulates information; how they like and try to deceive‚” Conricus explained. Conricus criticized the leaders and organizations globally who accepted the word of the terrorist group‚ saying‚ “The sad thing is that so many organizations and even decision-makers around the world take these numbers at face value as if they are true without putting them into proper context of these are numbers and figures that have been disseminated by a terror organization. These are people that lie and deceive and kill and murder for a living‚ and they don’t have any issues about it. So why trust the data that they give? I think it’s very sad that UN institutions‚ international governments around the world are taking it at face value; that needs to change and there needs to be a lot of skepticism regarding anything that is handed out by Hamas in Gaza.” Asked if the data the IDF had gathered had given them an estimate of the civilian to combatant ratio among those killed in Gaza‚ Conricus answered‚ “When you look at other conflicts in urban terrain of the last decades‚ usually the ration is 1 to 10; 90% of casualties in urban terrain‚ sadly‚ are civilians. I think that the ratio here is different‚ and our preliminary analyses speak of thousands‚ three and more‚ thousands of dead Hamas combatants; many of them are still underground in the bunkers where they were hiding. We are talking about thousands of dead enemy combatants as opposed to the civilians that have been killed in the fighting.” “I want to emphasize we try our best not to kill civilians; we give early warnings; we have them move out of the combat area‚” he noted. “We even do roof knocking and we give warning shots and wherever feasible‚ we try to minimize what we call collateral damage‚ but basically‚ in plain language‚ killing civilians. That’s not what we’re after. We’re after Hamas. The sad situation is that Hamas uses women and children‚ schools‚ hospitals‚ mosques‚ in order to hide behind. That is why there are civilian casualties. We will continue to fight according to humanitarian law; we will continue to restrict our forces and fight only against the enemy.” He concluded‚ “Against the enemy we will continue to fight very hard. That shouldn’t be confused. We will be very forceful against the enemy but we will focus our combat capabilities on the enemy alone.” We will expose the Hamas lie of inflated civilian casualties in Gaza‚ just like we have dismantled all their other lies. As every day goes by‚ we learn of additional Hamas combatant deaths. We will continue to fight Hamas while respecting humanitarian law. Watch: https://t.co/Nza58zq3ns — Jonathan Conricus (@jconricus) November 26‚ 2023

Pop star Katy Perry has received some negative attention (not enough) for her disturbing battle with elderly nuns over a property‚ a former convent‚ in Los Angeles. But Perry’s suspect actions don’t come close to ending there. Here’s a list of five jarring moves from the sometimes-malfunctioning 39-year-old “Teenage Dream” singer: ‘Blood On Her Hands’  Perry in 2015 tried to buy a property in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles that was previously bought and used as a convent and public place of prayer by some 50 nuns known as the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to sell the property to the singer without the remaining living nuns’ consent. The nuns‚ in fact‚ felt very strongly that they did not want Perry to acquire the property after looking her up online‚ specifically referencing a video where the entertainer quips about selling her soul to the devil for fame.  “In selling to Katy Perry‚ we feel we are being forced to violate our canonical vows to the Catholic Church‚” Sister Catherine Rose Holzman said in 2015. Sister Rita Callanan also commented publicly‚ “I thought‚ is that a way to make money?”  Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images Perry attempted to win over the nuns through a personal meeting where she sang gospel music and showed the sisters a tattoo on her wrist that says “Jesus.” They were not won over‚ and quickly moved to sell to another person‚ Dana Hollister‚ whom they did feel comfortable buying the property‚ in part because Hollister would turn the convent into a hotel‚ which the public could still have access to.  In response‚ the archdiocese sued the two nuns‚ arguing that Perry deserves the property. And Perry sued Hollister for interfering with her purchase. A judge decided against the sisters and Hollister‚ who was being targeted for even further punitive damages from the ordeal.  The nuns begged Perry to stop going after them and Hollister‚ but Perry did not relent. Hollister‚ shortly after‚ had to declare bankruptcy‚ and the two nuns accompanied her in court to show their support. Outside the courtroom‚ Sister Rose pleaded‚ “Katy Perry‚ please stop. It’s not doing anyone any good except hurting a lot of people.” Hours later‚ the sister collapsed and died inside the courtroom. Sister Callanan said publicly that Perry “has blood on her hands.”  The court outcome said Perry could have the property after Vatican approval. It’s still unclear if she’s received such approval. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images ‘I Was Uncomfortable Immediately’  In 2018‚ Perry kissed a young man without his consent on live television – an action that would have set the media on fire had the genders in this situation been reversed. Perry was acting as a judge on “American Idol” when a 19-year-old contestant named Benjamin Glaze was talking about his job as a cashier. Fellow judge Luke Bryan jokingly asked Glaze if he had ever “kissed a girl and liked it” – a reference to one of Perry’s hit songs. Perry then had Glaze kiss her on the cheek. She asked him for another peck‚ but tricked him by turning her head so the boy was locking lips with the pop singer.  “Would I have done it if she (Perry) said‚ ‘Would you kiss me?’ No‚ I would have said no‚” Glaze admitted to The New York Times in the aftermath of the incident. “I know a lot of guys would be like‚ ‘Heck yeah!’ But for me‚ I was raised in a conservative family and I was uncomfortable immediately. I wanted my first kiss to be special.”  Glaze was so shaken up by the experience he spoke to his friends about it‚ and they reassured him that it was technically not his first kiss‚ since it wasn’t romantic. “It was lip contact versus a romantic situation with someone you care about‚” Glaze said. “That’s what a real first kiss is.” Mark Levine/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images Mom-Shaming Bully Earlier this year‚ Perry made waves for bullying and mom-shaming “American Idol” contestant Sara Beth Liebe. Before her audition‚ Liebe revealed that she had borne three children by the time she was 25-years-old. That prompted Perry to pretend she was going to faint. Liebe commented‚ “If Katy lays on the table‚ I think I’m going to pass out‚” to which Perry replied‚ “Honey‚ you been laying on the table too much.”  The awkward moment clearly made Liebe uncomfortable‚ but for good measure‚ Perry closed by telling the young mother‚ “Look‚ if it’s not your dream‚ you’re not gonna go far.” The comment was taken by some as a scolding from Perry because Liebe prioritized motherhood at a young age. As for Liebe‚ she addressed Perry’s remarks online: “I don’t really have too much to say on my feelings about it because I feel like it’s probably pretty self-explanatory‚” she said. “I mean‚ it was embarrassing to have that on TV and it was hurtful and you know‚ that’s that. But I did want to take this opportunity to just say that I think that women supporting and uplifting other women is so cool and I think that mom-shaming is super lame and I think that it’s hard enough to be a mom and it’s hard enough to be a woman. And I also wanted to take this opportunity to say that I see all of the young moms and just moms in general who have commented on all of the videos and posts and everything and I just wanted to say that I see you and I hear you and I am grateful for you and you’re worthy and keep loving your babies.” “Nobody deserves to feel crappy about that‚” she declared. “Like I mean‚ bottom line‚ I don’t think there’s anything really more to it. And I think if you’re a good mama and you love your babies that’s all that really matters and other comments just don’t feel necessary and that’s all I have to say on the matter.” Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images Target: Elderly Vet With A Brain Disease  Perry’s real estate woes did not stop at her years-long battle with aging nuns. The pop singer is now entangled in more drama‚ this time with an elderly veteran named Carl Westcott‚ the founder of 1-800-Flowers‚ who says he never meant to sell Perry and her husband‚ actor Orlando Bloom‚ his $15 million Santa Barbara estate. Westcott‚ an 83-year-old battling Huntington’s disease‚ reportedly said he signed sale documents in July 2020 when he was under the influence of painkillers after having major back surgery‚ The Daily Wire’s Amanda Harding recently reported. Westcott tried to back out of the sale days later when he said the influence of the painkillers wore off‚ but Perry and Bloom refused his request and threatened to sue if he did not go through with the sale.  A representative for Perry and Bloom sent a letter following Westcott’s request to rescind the documents‚ saying he was legally obligated to complete the sale of the home. Westcott claims he never listed the home for sale and never asked a real estate professional to help sell it. He said he purchased the 9‚285 square-foot‚ eight-bedroom‚ 11-bathroom home in May 2020‚ just two months before selling it to Perry and Bloom. Westcott further stated he had purchased with the intention of staying there “for the rest of his life.” The plaintiff had back surgery in July 2020 and three days later signed the sale paperwork. Westcott was allegedly presented with a written offer from Perry and Bloom for more money than he paid for the property in May. “Upon discharge from the hospital‚ Mr. Westcott was prescribed at least two opiates in pill form that he was to continue taking for pain‚ which he took as prescribed several times each day‚” the complaint states. “’The combination of his age‚ frailty from his back condition and recent surgery‚ and the opiates he was taking several times a day rendered Mr. Westcott of unsound mind.” The veteran’s lawyers argue he was “unable to understand the nature and probable consequences of his actions” due to being on pain medication. They say their client is “in the final years of his life and cannot sell his home.” Westcott will not attend the trial because he is mentally incapacitated and bedridden‚ leaving his family to fight the celebrity couple over who should be the rightful owners of the estate. A nonjury trial is scheduled for August 21‚ 2023‚ per USA Today.  The current status of the home’s occupants‚ if any‚ remains unclear. Phillip Faraone/Getty Images ‘I Sold My Soul To The Devil’  More than a decade ago‚ Katy Perry talked to Australian model and actress Ruby Rose about her transformation from gospel music to secular pop music. Perry noted that she grew up in a Christian church and wanted to dominate the Christian music industry‚ but the label she was working with went bust. That’s apparently when she made her switch over to secular music. “I swear‚ I wanted to be the Amy Grant of Music‚ but it didn’t work out‚ and‚ so‚ I sold my soul to the devil‚” Perry says during the interview. The joke‚ or the metaphor for her transformation‚ has been criticized online‚ particularly by Christians. Perry‚ of course‚ is not the only Hollywood celebrity to engage in suspect actions‚ but she has routinely evaded a “cancellation.” Others‚ who don’t hold Perry’s views‚ would surely not have the same fate. Amanda Harding contributed to this report