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U Phyo Zeya Thaw, a Burmese hip-hop pioneer whose democracy-affirming lyrics led to a career in Parliament and, after Myanmar’s military coup last year, as a resistance leader, was executed on Saturday in Yangon, Myanmar, by the country’s military junta. He was 41.

His execution, and those of three other political prisoners, were announced in the junta-controlled news media on Monday. His mother, Daw Khin Win May, confirmed his death.

The four men were convicted of terrorism charges in trials widely denounced as a sham. The four executions, including that of the veteran democracy activist U Kyaw Min Yu, popularly known as Ko Jimmy, were the first to be carried out in decades in Myanmar.

Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw, already well known as a democracy activist, led an underground resistance cell in Yangon, Myanmar’s commercial capital. Many such civilian militias, loosely grouped together as the People’s Defense Force, are led by ousted legislators, pro-democracy activists and even the occasional doctor or lawyer.

After Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw was arrested on terrorism charges last November, the authorities released a photo of him surrounded by weapons that they said he had been planning to use to kill members of the military forces.

His defenders disputed the authenticity of the photo. Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw’s face in the photo was visibly bruised and puffy.

“I laughed when I saw the weapons in the picture,” said Ma Thazin Nyunt Aung, Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw’s fiancée, who said she had been with him when he was arrested. “The military council is an organization that is never trusted because it never tells the truth.”

Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw, who was commonly known as Zayar Thaw (pronounced zay-yahr thaw), was adept at career makeovers.

Toward the end of the military’s first round of iron-fisted rule, in the early 2000s, he fronted one of Myanmar’s first hip-hop groups and co-founded Generation Wave, a collective of rappers, activists and other young people who used music as a medium of dissent.

“With hip-hop, we can express ourselves without fear,” Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw said in a 2011 interview, shortly after he was released from his first stint in prison. “Music can make us brave.”

As the ruling generals began to open up the country and allow members of the long oppressed National League for Democracy to run for Parliament in a 2012 by-election, Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw reinvented himself as a politician, trading his baggy hip-hop outfits for the demure shirt and sarong of the political class. His sideways baseball cap gave way to a neat hairdo worthy of a business executive.

He won a seat in Parliament for the N.L.D., the party of the democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

His was a rare young face in a political party whose stalwarts had grown old battling the military generals who had ruled Myanmar for nearly five decades, a period of international isolation and destruction.

“I was just an activist who rebelled against injustice,” Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw said shortly after his electoral victory. “When I was in prison, I thought seriously about what I wanted. I wanted to end injustice, so I joined the N.L.D.”

He grew close to Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, traveling overseas with her and soothing her often cranky dog.

“He is almost like a son to her,” U Win Htein, a now-imprisoned N.L.D. elder, said of Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw in 2019. “He is very obedient. He believes in her, and she believes in him.”

Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, who rose to de facto leader of Myanmar after elections in 2015 and 2020, is also imprisoned and has been convicted of crimes that Western governments and human rights groups say are trumped up.

Phyo Zeya Thaw was born on March 26, 1981, in Yangon. His father was a rector of a dental school, and his mother was a dentist. In ninth grade, he told his parents that he wanted to become an artist. They encouraged him to pursue more traditional studies.

A year later, he informed his mother, Ms. Khin Win May, that he wanted to become a D.J.

“I asked him to explain what a D.J. is,” she said. He obliged.

She survives him, along with his father, U Mya Thaw; his sister, Daw Phyu Pa Pa Thaw; and his fiancée, Ms. Thazin Nyunt Aung.

Myanmar was then one of the most closed countries on earth, moldering under the generals’ inept rule. The military secret police terrorized the population. Listening to foreign radio broadcasts or holding foreign currency could result in long prison sentences.

While completing his university studies in English, Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw opened a recording studio and began to form Myanmar’s first major hip-hop band. The band was called Acid, and his music name was Nitric Acid.

In 2007, amid rising fuel prices and yet another economic crisis, Buddhist monks led mass protests in Yangon and other cities, overturning their alms bowls to signal disenchantment with the military junta. Young protesters syncopated their rebellion with local hip-hop.

As it had with previous mass demonstrations, the military ultimately responded with gunfire. Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw then co-founded Generation Wave, a secret band of anti-government hip-hoppers and youth activists.

He was arrested in 2008 and convicted of violating a law-and-order statute and of illegally possessing the equivalent of about $20 in foreign currency.

After his release from prison in 2011, he still performed at occasional gigs, but he began to focus on promoting the National League for Democracy.

With the military agreeing to power-sharing with a civilian authority, he was elected to Parliament in 2012 and re-elected in 2015, this time to represent a district in Naypyidaw, the capital built by the generals early this century to replace Yangon. The military-linked party was shocked by its defeat on home turf.

Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw busied himself as an assistant to Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, helping to prepare briefing papers on legislation and peace talks with ethnic minority rebels. He remained loyal, even as she earned international condemnation for her support of the military when it unleashed a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims.

During parliamentary season in Naypyidaw, Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw lived in an austere concrete dormitory for legislators, his room outfitted with little more than a hard bed with a mosquito net and a table piled high with legislative paperwork. There was little evidence of his life as one of Myanmar’s most renowned hip-hop artists.

“He liked singing more than politics,” said Ms. Thazin Nyunt Aung, his fiancée. “But he did his duty to the end.”

Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw declined to run for re-election in 2020, hoping to return to rap. The National League for Democracy won an even bigger margin of victory that year. The military-aligned party was mortified.

The putsch came less than three months later, and the country’s top leaders were quickly rounded up and imprisoned.

When mass protests against the new junta spilled onto the streets, Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw joined the rallies. But with soldiers killing unarmed protesters with single shots to the head, even targeting small children, he and others went underground.

His activities in the resistance are not publicly known. He was arrested in November when 300 soldiers descended on the Yangon housing project where he was in hiding.

In January, the junta’s court sentenced Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw and the three other activists to death.

“These death sentences, handed down by an illegitimate court of an illegitimate junta, are a vile attempt at instilling fear among the people of Myanmar,” the United Nations said in a statement.

Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw was hanged before dawn on Saturday, along with the three other democracy activists.

“I will always be proud of my son because he gave his life for the country,” Ms. Khin Win May said. “He is the martyr who tried to bring democracy to Myanmar.”

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U Phyo Zeya Thaw, a Burmese hip-hop

Kate Lear is a writer, arts advocate and proud Board Chair of Ballet Hispánico. She is also the daughter of television writer and producer Norman Lear. She shares the wit and wisdom of her father in celebration of his 100th birthday.


Norman Lear and daughter Kate Lear.

I am the daughter of an extraordinary man, and I have been a loving observer of his life for more than six decades. On July 27th, 2022, he turns 100! As the second of his six children, I marvel not only that he has lived to be 100, but that he has enjoyed the heck out of getting here, learning just as much from his challenges as from his victories. So, what are his secrets?

To reach 100 you need many things, and the most obvious is good luck and lots of it. But to me, Norman Lear’s longevity has just as much to do with his in-born optimism. This is a man who goes to bed each night dreaming of the cup of coffee he will have in the morning, who has lived a life in which each meal magically turns out to be better than the one before (“this is the best pasta I’ve ever had!”), and who has said, many times, that he doesn’t want to wake up the day that he doesn’t have hope.

But his optimism just might be eclipsed by his profound interest in people and in the world. My father is the most outward-looking person I have ever known. He has never met a person he didn’t find fascinating. And because of this, as he grew older, his world expanded rather than contracted. What other 99-year-old is the last person to leave a party, or has an overall deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment? My father is a fortunate person, to be sure. But he is also a person who sees the opportunity in each day to meet someone new, eat something new, discover something new. There is a childlike innocence and curiosity that are as present in him at 100 as they were at 10.

There are two pieces of philosophy that I believe have helped my father continue to live a life of action and consequence.

One is a quote attributed to Rabbi Simcha Bunom: “Every person should have two pockets. In one pocket should be a piece of paper saying: ‘I am but dust and ashes.’ In the other pocket should be a piece of paper saying: ‘For my sake was the world created.’” I think he finds comfort in the last words because they affirm his instinct to follow his passions: to fight for his country as a radio operator in World War II, to fight for “All In The Family” to get on the air because he figured if he thought it was funny, so would America, to fight for our democracy by creating People For The American Way, and to do all of those things without apology. But it is the first part of the saying, about the importance of humility, that cautioned him never to get too comfortable, and that acts as a motivating factor even today.

The other piece of philosophy is his own. The doctrine of Norman Lear is “over, next.” My father will tell anyone who will listen, “when something is over, it is over and it’s on to next. And if there were a hammock in between, that is the best description, that I know of, of living in the moment.” Believe me, I didn’t always love the “over, next” life. When you are a teenager and your vacation is about to end, the last thing you want to hear is your father ebulliently saying those words. But I have learned that this piece of wisdom has enabled him to move past the darker chapters of his life and remain exhilarated about what lies ahead. My father recently said, “in thinking about death I don’t mind the going, it’s the leaving that is the problem for me.” After all, who would want to leave when tomorrow could bring a new friendship, the taste of a new brand of potato chip, or a bit of news from a grandchild. My father’s fascination with his fellow human beings and his hunger for all that our world has to offer has moved him ever forward. And for that both he—and the rest of us—are blessed.

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Kate Lear is a writer, arts advocate

WASHINGTON — The $369 billion climate and tax package forged in a surprise deal by Senate Democrats on Wednesday would be the most ambitious action ever taken by the United States to try to stop the planet from catastrophically overheating.

The agreement, which Senate Democrats hope to pass as early as next week, shocked even some who had been involved in the sputtering negotiations over climate legislation during the past year. The announcement of a deal, after many activists had given up hope, almost instantly reset the role of the United States in the global effort to fight climate change.

And it was delivered by Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, the holdout Democrat who had been reviled by environmentalists and some of his own colleagues after he said this month that he could not support a climate bill because of inflation concerns.

“By a wide margin, this legislation will be the greatest pro-climate legislation that has ever been passed by Congress,” Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic majority leader, said in announcing the deal with Mr. Manchin.

The bill aims to tackle global warming by using billions of dollars in tax incentives to ramp up wind, solar, geothermal, battery and other clean energy industries over the next decade. Companies would receive financial incentives to keep open nuclear plants that might have closed, or to capture emissions from industrial facilities and bury them underground before they can warm the planet. Car buyers with incomes below a certain level would receive a $7,500 tax credit to purchase a new electric vehicle and $4,000 for a used one. Americans would receive rebates to install heat pumps and make their homes more energy-efficient.

“This is the action the American people have been waiting for,” President Biden said, hailing the bill’s “investments in our energy security for the future.”

Senate Democrats estimated that the legislation would enable the United States to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, putting the nation within striking distance of the aggressive climate goals laid out by Mr. Biden last year.

Mr. Biden wants to slash U.S. emissions to at least 50 percent below 2005 levels by the end of this decade, which is roughly the pace scientists say the whole world must follow to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels. That’s the threshold beyond which scientists say the likelihood of catastrophic floods, fires, storms and drought increases significantly. The planet has already warmed by about 1.1 degrees over the past century.

The bill “keeps us in the climate fight and makes it possible that executive action, state and local government policies, and private sector leadership can get us across the finish line,” said Jesse Jenkins of Princeton University, who modeled the effects of earlier versions of the legislation. “Without this bill, we’d be hopelessly far from our climate goals.”

Diplomats and climate experts said they hoped the deal would revitalize international efforts to tackle global warming, which have flagged in recent months as the war in Ukraine and surging oil prices have led many countries to focus on shoring up fossil fuel supplies. The world’s governments are far from doing what they must to meet the target of 1.5 degrees, and leaders are scheduled to meet in Egypt in November to discuss stepping up their efforts.

“We all needed good news,” said Tina Stege, the climate envoy for the Marshall Islands, which is at risk of disappearing beneath rising seas. The announcement of a climate deal “puts much-needed wind in our sails,” she said, though she cautioned that “we remain far from where we need to be.”

Jonathan Pershing, who served as Mr. Biden’s deputy climate change envoy until January, said that in recent weeks he had fielded concerns from former counterparts from Africa and China who were acutely aware of the seeming collapse of U.S. climate legislation.

“They were like, ‘OK, you guys aren’t going to do this, so why should we do it,’” Mr. Pershing recalled. “I think you now have a fundamentally different narrative.”

Senator Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, said the legislation would restore American credibility in international negotiations. “You can’t preach temperance from a bar stool, and you can’t ask China, India, Brazil or other countries to cut emissions if we’re not doing it ourselves in a significant way,” he said.

Senate Republicans are unanimously opposed to the legislation.

“It is nothing short of an attack on the American family,” Senator John Barrasso, Republican of Wyoming, said in a statement. “If we want to reduce inflation, lower energy costs, and cut the deficit, the recipe is clear. Congress should cut spending and unleash American oil and natural gas production.”

The bill would affect nearly every aspect of U.S. energy production. It includes $30 billion in incentives for companies to build solar panels, wind turbines and batteries and to process critical minerals in the United States, aiming to reverse the longstanding migration of clean energy manufacturing to China and elsewhere.

Companies have said they are ready to respond quickly. QCells, a South Korean-based solar company that is already building a $171 million assembly factory in Dalton, Ga., is planning a multibillion-dollar expansion of supply chains in the United States if the bill passes, said Scott Moskowitz, QCells’ head of market strategy and public affairs.

Also included is $60 billion to address the disproportionate burden of pollution on low-income communities and communities of color; $27 billion for a “green bank” aimed at delivering financial support to clean energy projects; and $20 billion for programs to cut emissions in the agriculture sector.

The most immediate effect of the bill, energy experts said, will be to supercharge the growth of wind turbine, solar panel and electric vehicle production in the United States. Renewable energy production has slowed significantly this year, due to pandemic-related disruptions, trade disputes and uncertainty about federal policy, according to a recent report by the American Clean Power Association, which represents wind and solar energy companies and battery manufacturers.

“The entire clean energy industry just breathed an enormous sigh of relief,” said Heather Zichal, chief executive of the association. “This is an 11th-hour reprieve for climate action and clean energy jobs.”

For decades, the U.S. has provided tax credits for wind and solar power that expire after one to two years, subjecting the industry to a boom-bust cycle until the credits are renewed. Under the new legislation, the tax credits would last up to 10 years, to give companies the confidence to make long-term investment decisions.

The bill does not, however, address one of the biggest hurdles facing renewable energy: a lack of long-distance power lines to help bring wind and solar power to cities from far-flung rural regions. An earlier version of the bill had included tax credits for new transmission, but that was removed. Without that provision, many wind and solar projects could struggle to get built, said Rob Gramlich, founder of Grid Strategies.

In the longer term, the tax incentives in the bill are expected to nurture emerging technologies like carbon capture for industrial facilities such as steel and cement, next-generation nuclear reactors and the use of hydrogen as a low-carbon fuel. Many of these technologies are too costly for widespread use today, but the hope is that by creating a market for an initial round of projects, costs could be driven down — much as federal tax credits in the 2000s and 2010s helped transform wind and solar power from a pricey niche technology into an affordable mainstream option.

The bill does provide some support for fossil fuels, a concession widely seen as necessary to win support from Mr. Manchin, whose home state of West Virginia is rich in coal and natural gas. For instance, the bill would mandate new lease sales for oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, something environmental groups had opposed and Mr. Biden had promised to halt as a candidate for the White House.

“It is truly all of the above, which means this bill does not arbitrarily shut off our abundant fossil fuels,” Mr. Manchin said in a statement. He called the package “a “realistic energy and climate policy.”

As part of the agreement, Mr. Manchin said he had also secured a commitment from both Mr. Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California that Congress would approve a separate measure to address the permitting of energy infrastructure, potentially including natural gas pipelines, before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.

That could ease the way for a project in which Mr. Manchin has taken a personal interest, the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which would transport Appalachian shale gas from West Virginia to Virginia.

But even with the concessions to the fossil-fuel industry, “the bill is still absolutely worth it for climate change,” said Leah Stokes, a professor of environmental policy at the University of Santa Barbara, California, who had been advising Senate Democrats.

Two weeks ago, when even Mr. Biden seemed to be writing an obituary for climate legislation, a small group of lawmakers continued to work with Mr. Manchin. Several Democrats and climate activists credited Senator John Hickenlooper of Colorado with keeping the lines of communication to Mr. Manchin open.

“When a lot of people said ‘That’s the end’ and everyone’s writing it off, I went to everybody I knew and said, ‘Wait a minute, we can’t quit,” said Mr. Hickenlooper, a onetime geologist for an oil and gas company. “We don’t have a satisfactory alternative.”

Many were wary about continuing negotiations because “they didn’t want to have their heart broken again,” Mr. Hickenlooper said. But, he said, Mr. Manchin insisted that he was still open to a deal.

Mr. Hickenlooper said the group worked closely with experts at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, and that Mr. Manchin put much stock in their data indicating that legislation could be designed that did not worsen inflation.

He called Mr. Manchin “an honest broker” in the talks, one who wanted to find a way to address climate change without creating a burden for the fossil fuel workers in his state.

“He never told me he was done, and I said as long as Joe Manchin is at the table, I’m at the table,” Mr. Hickenlooper said.

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WASHINGTON — The $369 billion climate and

Not only was the show all about California pride (as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar are all natives), it was also packed with nostalgia as so many of the stars rose to fame decades ago — and played their old hits.

Dr. Dre shot to fame in 1988 with his former group N.W.A. after their album, “Straight Outta Compton,” sold millions, and he’s the powerhouse producer behind many iconic artists as well as the Beats headphones empire. Snoop Dogg’s career launched on Death Row Records (co-founded by Dre), and while he continues to release music, he’s also focused on his career as an entrepreneur. Together, the duo performed “California Love,” the hit by the late Tupac Shakur, on the show.

Eminem, Blige and 50 Cent are still producing music, but for this performance, it was all about going back in time. Eminem represented 2002 with his “8 Mile” hit “Lose Yourself,” the first hip hop song to win best original song at the Oscars. Blige performed beloved 2001 anthems “Family Affair” and “No More Drama.”

50 Cent, the surprise guest of the night who appeared in his classic white tank top, sang his 2003 smash “In Da Club.” The rapper is now mostly focused on being a creator and producer with his extremely successful “Power” franchise on Starz.

“Performing together at the Super Bowl was an award in itself,” Jackson tells Variety. “The excitement for me is being in the presence of other artists, the rarity of all of us being able to come together and perform was a once in a lifetime experience. I’m honored to have been a part of it and have the Academy recognize that.”

In scripted television, that theme continues. “Yellowjackets” on Showtime follows two different timelines — one in 1996, as a girls’ high school soccer team tries to stay alive in the wild after a plane crash; and the other in 2021, as the survivors deal with the trauma from that event. With seven nominations, the show’s ’90s themes immediately transport audiences back to the grunge era.

Sophie Nélisse as Teen Shauna and Ella Purnell as Teen Jackie in “Yellowjackets.”
Courtesy of Kailey Schwerman/SHOWTIME

Take the casting: Melanie Lynskey first made a splash in “Heavenly Creatures” in 1994 before really cementing herself with “But I’m a Cheerleader” five years later. Christina Ricci is a ’90s staple who has been on screens since age 11 with roles in “The Addams Family,” “Casper,” “Now and Then” and “Sleepy Hollow,” to name a few. Juliette Lewis was a mainstay in ’90s pop culture with roles in “Cape Fear,” “Natural Born Killers” and “From Dusk Til Dawn.”

The show’s music supervisors, Jen Malone and Whitney Pilzer, were also sure to continue that ’90s trend with their the needle drops. The duo, along with showrunners Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson and Jonathan Lisco, made sure that in addition to chart-topping hits from that decade, they mixed in more niche songs and references. In fact, they even used the “Phantom of the Opera” overture and “Mr. Mistoffelees” from “Cats.”

The show also brought in the music of two ’90s veterans: Craig Wedren of the band Shudder to Think, and Anna Waronker of That Dog, who created both the opening and end credits.

“When we started, it was just the score, but we knew there were going to be end-credit needs. End credits are always fun because oftentimes you can go off-grid from the score tone. If the score for a show is very traditional, you can get a little weirder for the end credits,” Wedren recently told Variety. “In this case, it was the opposite, because the score was already pushing a lot of boundaries, so we were like, ‘Oh, we can draw from our ’90s, alternative, punk, art, whatever you want to call it, band roots — and really play.’ And just based on the needle drops that they had in the show, the licensed songs, we’re like, ‘Oh, my God, we can indulge all of our instincts that we would never have let ourselves do in the ’90s, because we were both in very distinct, original bands.”

Behind the camera, popular 1990s and early 2000s stars are also emerging as Emmy contenders. Danny Strong, the creator of Hulu’s “Dopesick,” recently shared that while he’s a multihyphenate now, that wasn’t always the case. In fact, many recognize him from his acting roles — he starred in 29 episodes of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” between 1997 and 2003; in 2003, he was cast in “Gilmore Girls” in a recurring role that lasted 29 episodes.

“When I was 25, I had been supporting myself as an actor for almost two years at that point. I had this mild depression from all the rejection, and I thought, ‘Wow, why am I feeling this way? I’m actually doing it. I’m actually achieving what I set out to do — maybe not at the level that I am trying to achieve. But that could still happen. But I don’t understand why I’m not more fulfilled by this.’”

Then he tweaked his focus to writing and that all changed. Now, he’s a staple; his first Emmy nomination came in 2008 with “Recount,” a TV film about the 2000 U.S. election. In 2012, his adaptation of “Game Change” won him two Emmys. Now, he’s on the hunt (and likely will take home) even more as the limited series about the opioid crisis has a whopping 14 nominations.

The limited series category proves how powerful history is, as four of the five shows nominated (“The White Lotus” as the exception) are about events of the past. Hulu’s “The Dropout” follows Elizabeth Holmes’ Theranos scandal; Netflix’s “Inventing Anna” looks at Anna Sorokin’s crimes between 2013 and 2017; and Hulu’s “Pam and Tommy” retraces Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s relationship, focusing on their sex tape that was stolen from them in 1995.

Apparently, what’s old is new again.

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Not only was the show all about

A number of recent news items over the past few weeks have given us more insight into the soon to be announced next-gen graphics cards and processors, and if what we’ve heard is true, it looks like we’ve decided that energy efficiency and conservation is for suckers and newbs.

First, there’s long been rumors that the next-gen Nvidia Lovelace graphics cards are going to be energy hogs, but earlier this week reliable Twitter leaker Kopite7kimi posted some supposed specs for a high-end Nvidia RTX 4000-series card, possibly a Titan-class card, that could have upwards of 800W of power draw.

Now, we’re hearing news from Wccftech (opens in new tab) that the soon-to-be-announced AMD Ryzen 7000-series desktop processors appear to be throwing off any pretense at efficiency as well, with a reported 170W TDP for the top-tier Ryzen 9 chip. 

Assuming you paired these two components together and nothing else, you’d have nearly a whole kilowatt of power being sucked up by just the processor and graphics card, meaning that everything else will absolutely push this system over the 1000W line.

Without question, this would likely be the best gaming PC ever built, but is it even worth it at this point?

Do we really need this much power?

Plenty of the best graphics cards are energy sinks, like the Nvidia RTX 3090 Ti which has a rated TGP of 450W. It is unquestionably powerful, and it can make the best PC games look amazing, but I’ve had the priviledge of playing these games on all of this high-end hardware, and I can honestly say that the 4K eye candy that you’ll get from an RTX 3090 Ti is very real, but the RTX 3070 or even the RTX 3060 Ti looks more than sweet enough for the vast majority of people.

As for 170W for, let’s say, an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, this would definitely make for a very powerful processor, but one whose power is absolutely wasted on the consumer market. This kind of power would be a multitasking champ, no doubt, but it’s getting to be the processor equivalent of juggling a half-dozen knives while riding a circus bear in a tutu and balancing a bottle on your nose. An impressive feat, but it’s ultimately just a spectacle. Nobody ever really needs to do this many things that necessitate this kind of performance in everyday life.

Meanwhile, Intel seemed to be going in the right direction before Alder Lake with an emphasis on improving efficiency on their processors, but the 12th-gen chips seem to have reversed a lot of that good work in order to reclaim the company’s previous best-in-class performance.

Accepting good enough

There is a notion that only 1.25x or 1.5x performance increases can be considered a success, and that you need to pull off this kind of thing every one to two years. Some are talking about 2x performance increases for Nvidia Lovelace, and who knows what Intel Raptor Lake will bring. 

At some point, we’re amassing all this computing power at the consumer level for the sake of amassing this power because we can. Then we just go and use it to stream Netflix.

This is not to say that performance increases aren’t worth pursuing, but we should aim to match performance with our needs, not introduce this kind of performance and then look for new ways to use it – at least that can’t be the default assumption every time. 

There’s nothing wrong with Nvidia coming out and saying that the RTX 4090 isn’t any more powerful than the RTX 3090, but that it uses half the energy, or that it cost a fifth of the price. Value and efficiency seem to have been completely thrown by the wayside, and that isn’t just a mistake, it’s increasingly unethical.

Performance at all costs actually imposes real, concrete costs

A Color-Enhanced Satellite View Of The Northwest Portion Of The Dixie Fire On August 17, 2021 (Image credit: Pierre Markuse / Flickr)

There are two major issues with performance being the only metric that seems to matter anymore.

First, energy isn’t free; not environmentally, and not economically. As it stands, rising carbon emissions are projected to make large, heavily populated swaths of the planet partially if not entirely uninhabitable at an accelerating pace. Our flagrant misuse of scarce energy resources requires producing more carbon emissions to keep up with our actual needs, and the trade-off simply isn’t worth it. 

The consequences are assumed to be far enough in the future for most people to believe that it’s a problem that we can solve tomorrow. That simply isn’t true, as the recent heatwave in Europe and the continuing wildfires in the Western United States make plainly obvious, not to mention one of the worst droughts in recent history in parts of the Global South that gets far less, if any, attention the way middle- and upper-class families fleeing their suburban homes in California do.

What will it take?

If that can’t convince us to be more rational about what we consider “progress” let’s just point out a simple economic reality here: getting to this level of performance is just going to make these products even more expensive, pricing even more people out as families struggle with inflation and rising energy costs.

The current generation of graphics cards is already out of reach for most because they are just too expensive. This trend looks to continue in the future, making essential technology for the modern economy something that only the well-off can afford, whether that means families or affluent gamers buying wildly overpowered showpieces or rich countries that can afford to make research investments in these increasingly expensive technologies while universities in poorer countries increasingly get pushed aside.

All of this is a recipe for widening social divides at a time when everyone is going to be under more pressure than ever from a changing climate for everything from vaccines to drinking water.

I love computers and I am a lifelong PC gamer, so I get it, I really do. But I can also tell you that the performance of the RTX 3090 Ti, as impressive as it is has seriously diminishing returns after a while. At some point, it’s ok to say, “you know, 60 to 70 fps at 1440p is good enough,” because honestly, it is.

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A number of recent news items over

Rene Ritchie, the former editor-in-chief of Apple-focused site iMore who has been a full-time YouTuber for the past two years, is joining YouTube as its new creator liaison, he announced on Wednesday. As creator liaison, Ritchie will serve within YouTube as an advocate for creators and work with creators to help them better understand YouTube, he said.

On YouTube, Ritchie has grown his own channel to more than 325,000 subscribers, and I count myself as one of them. The majority of his videos are deep dives on Apple-focused topics, and I learn a lot from his truly encyclopedic knowledge of the company.

Ritchie has clearly worked hard to network within the YouTube community; his video announcing his new job features personalized clips from a lot of creators, including big names like MrBeast, iJustine, and MKBHD. As YouTube continues to expand features like Shorts, livestreaming, and improved comment spam removal tools, Ritchie’s experience building his own channel, his connections with other creators, and deep knowledge of tech set him up to be an ideal candidate for the liaison role.

Ritchie will be YouTube’s second creator liaison. The first, Matt Koval, left YouTube in February. As part of the role, Ritchie will be taking over the @YouTubeLiaison Twitter account — his face is already the account’s avatar. And even though he has a new job, Ritchie says he’ll continue working on his personal YouTube channel.

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Rene Ritchie, the former editor-in-chief

War in Ukraine: What you need to know

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War in Ukraine: What you need to

Last Updated: July 28, 2022, 12:50 IST

A poster of 2005 release No Entry, starring Salman Khan, Fardeen Khan, Anil Kapoor and Bipasha Basu.

Salman Khan, at a recent event. dropped hints that he will start the shoot of Anees Bazmee’s No Entry sequel, No Entry Mein Entry from January 2023

Salman Khan has left his fans super-excited as he dropped a subtle hint that he will commence shooting for the sequel to No Entry with Anees Bazmee soon. At a press event in Mumbai, the Ek Tha Tiger actor was present to promote the Hindi version of Kiccha Sudeep’s upcoming Kannada film Vikrant Rona. He hailed Anees for his directorial Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, which has emerged as a hit at the box office. The director was also present at the event. Now, in an exclusive report, ETimes stated that Salman invited Anees to attend the event because he wanted to discuss the dates that he would like to allocate for No Entry Mein Entry.

Anees’ directorial Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, which has successfully thrived at the box office, has made Kartik Aaryan one of the bankable actors in Bollywood. During the event, Salman called Anees a 100-crore club director. It is also been reported that the director has been ready with the flick’s script and was waiting for the Kick actor to give a green signal.

ETimes reported that Salman Khan was upset with No Entry Mein Entry producer Boney Kapoor because of his son Arjun Kapoor’s relationship with the Kick actor’s ex-sister-in-law Malaika Arora. But it seems that the actor has put all the things in past. At a recent event, Salman acknowledged Boney’s contribution to his career when he hit the lowest point. He stated that films like No Entry, Tere Naam, and Wanted, (which were produced by Boney Kapoor) have salvaged his career.

The publication also stated that Bazmee has confirmed that Salman has picked January as the ideal time to begin shooting for the No Entry Mein Entry. Talking about the locations, he said that the shooting will mainly be done in Mumbai and some foreign countries as well.

When the director was asked about the ten actresses that are going to be cast in the film, he replied that most of them will be finalised in the next 15 days.

Read all the Latest News and Breaking News here

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Last Updated: July 28, 2022, 12:50 ISTA

If you, like us, have had a giant Selling Sunset–size hole in your heart ever since season 5 landed on Netflix in April this year, then fear not—Selling the OC, the long-awaited second spin-off show, is on its way.

From Wednesday, August 24, we’ll be able to binge-watch Selling the OC, a spin-off centered around a group of brand-new realtors selling property to the mega-rich of Southern California’s Orange County. They will of course be led by season veterans Jason and Brett Oppenheim–twin brothers and cofounders of the Oppenheim Group.

All eight 30-minute episodes will be available to stream–so the choice is yours whether you want to draw them out over a few evenings or book out four glorious hours to watch the season in its entirety. Anyway, here’s what you can expect.

Plot

The official show synopsis reads: “A fresh set of realtors square off, competing to establish themselves at The Oppenheim Group’s second office on the Orange County coast. Will the pressure prove too much for these agents to handle?”

In an interview with Tudum, Netflix’s official companion site, show creator Adam DiVello (the man who is behind both Selling Sunset and its first spin-off, Selling Tampa), gave a little more intel on what to expect.

“The cast is just wild, right from the jump; they don’t hold back. They don’t have any filters. They say what they’re thinking. And it’s a very drama-filled season,” he told the platform. 

While the show will be full of drama, it will also seemingly be a feast for the eyes. Adam—who once worked on the MTV reality show Laguna Beach, also set in Orange County—will also be looking to highlight the scenic views of the location itself. 

He told Tudum: “It’s such an escapist show, it’s just so beautiful. I hope people just fall in love with the town as much as I did when I first started working down there.… They’re just going to love seeing the beaches, the bonfires, and people surfing. I can’t wait for people around the world that didn’t get to catch Laguna Beach to see it. They’re going to get to see this town and be like, ‘It’s mind-boggling that people live down there.’”

Trailer

Netflix released an official teaser trailer for Selling the OC on May 6, 2022. 

And it did not disappoint. Immediately, drama is in the air as gossip abounds that cast member and agent Alexandra Rose slept with a developer in order to win a listing.

“I can’t believe the audacity to spread rumors,” Alexandra Rose (confusingly, one of three cast members called Alexandra) retorts–cue a lot of swearing, accusations, and brewing of rivalries. Looks like we’re in for a gripping watch!

Content

This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.

Cast 

We know that the cast of realtors will feature a more even gender mix this time around. “Sunset is known for its cast of women (with the few men usually trying to avoid getting caught in the crossfire), but the dynamics in the OC series will prove a bit different,” reads the Netflix statement.

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It’s about that time, Challenge fans: It’s trivia week!

If you’re just joining the franchise this season, you must know that T.J. Lavin’s favorite daily challenge is trivia. It’s one of the series’ staple events often designed to make the cast look as dumb as humanly possible, all while forcing them to endure a terrifying freefall, which often (but not always) includes a drop into water. This time, the cast stays dry, but they’re in for one death-defying stunt as they’re about to plummet 250 feet off the side of a skyscraper!

While we love to see their horrified faces as T.J. maniacally laughs, this particular trivia event doesn’t create the episode’s biggest fireworks. Past drama between the Big Brother 23 cast finally comes to a head after the winning BB duo sets its crosshairs on Xavier. Who won, and did they actually take the shot? Plus, which team emerged victorious from the Arena? Let’s discuss it all in our latest recap!

After the new duos are selected, Alyssa tells Derek that the best thing for his game (read: her game) is for Xavier and Shan to go. Despite the fact that they were on BB23 with the Cookout, Alyssa and DX want to take the former alliance members out. Meanwhile, the Love Islanders don’t think Big Brother is going to turn on itself so soon. The table seems to be set for one delicious #blindside, but it all depends on who takes the cake at the challenge.

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DAILY CHALLENGE | The cast is greeted by T.J. who is already laughing like a hyena. That’s right, kids: It’s trivia time!

In “Falling Off the Knowledge,” duos will be placed on a ledge 250 feet above the ground. They’ll be asked a series of questions. Get the answer wrong, and they’ll be taking that long fall down, down, down. The game is played in multiple rounds and here’s how it shakes out:

Round 1: Danny and Kyra are the first to take the plunge, so they’re heading directly for the losers round. Dom and Angela, move to the winners round.

Round 2: Derek and Sarah have no idea who’s played Catwoman. Ever. In the history of Batman films. So they’re going straight to the losers round. Kyland and Alyssa move on.

Round 3: David and Justine can’t name an Oscar-winning actress in the last 10 years, so they’re outta there! Ben and Azah become the last team to join the winners bracket.

Final Rounds: The first team to fall in the losers round is going straight into elimination, and sadly for David and Justine, a question about the NHL sends them straight to the Arena. And after correctly naming most of the zodiac signs, Kyland and Alyssa win the whole shebang.

DELIBERATION | Since Xavier backstabbed almost his entire Big Brother cast, he tells us via confessional that he’s totally expecting someone from his cast to come for him. Despite rebuilding their relationship, Kyland seems perfectly fine doing so, especially since Alyssa seems down for it.

The winners meet with the losers, and Justine says that although she doesn’t want to go up against Cinco, she’s not against taking on Shan and Xavier. Kyland and Alyssa check with Angela and Tyson, who both give their blessing for a possible Shan/Xavier vote. (Shan, meanwhile, is chatting on the side and calls Kyland “insufferable” and Alyssa a “weasel.” C’mon, this is The Challenge! Talk that smack to their faces and let’s stir up some DRAMA.)

ARENA | The time comes for the winners to decide who goes in, and Alyssa and Kyland pull the trigger. However, they try to pin the blame on Shan, saying that multiple people in the house told them to watch out for her, but Survivor‘s mafia pastor sees right through their BS. In an interview, she calls them petty and says they need to “grow a pair.” (She’s not wrong.)

The Challenge Recap Episode 4In “Smash In, Puzzle Out,” teams must break panes of glass in order to retrieve puzzle pieces. Once they crawl into the steel tunnels and grab their pieces one at a time, the first team to construct the puzzle wins. However, each teammate is responsible for hitting specific panes, so if they break the wrong one, they’ll be saddled with a five-second delay that they must pay before beginning the puzzle.

T.J. blows the horn and they’re off. Xavier decides to break all of the glass, penalties be damned, but Justine and David hold their own by taking turns. Xavier and Shan get to their puzzle pieces first thanks to X’s hulking out, but once they’re out of the contraption, the clock starts on their 50-second penalty. David and Justine accrue a 10-second penalty, and once their time expires, they start their puzzle first. Unfortunately for Xavier and Shan, the longer penalty was enough to give David and Justine the edge, and the Big Brother 23 victor and the mafia pastor are shockingly eliminated from the game.

Surprised that Big Brother cannibalized itself so soon? Did you think Xavier would actually lose that elimination? Light up the comments section below!

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It’s about that time, Challenge fans: It’s

After losing more than 75 pounds for Season 4 of “Stranger Things,” in which his character Jim Hopper was wasting away in a Russian gulag, David Harbour had one thing on his mind. 

“As soon as we finished my last shirtless scene, I sent my assistant to this great pasta place for lasagna,” Harbour recalls. “It only came in trays, so I gave her a little section and then I just took the whole tray and dove in like a maniac.”  

After battling starvation, Soviet guards and a Demogorgon in the hit Netflix series, Harbour is currently facing some truly scary demons — family. The actor is appearing in Theresa Rebeck’s latest play, “Mad House,” at the Ambassadors Theatre in London, running through Sept. 4. Eight shows a week, Harbour storms and thunders as Michael, a schizophrenic man who is released from a mental institution and thrown into equally harrowing conditions as he moves home to care for his dying father Daniel (Bill Pullman). The already tense situation isn’t helped when his selfish siblings Nedward (Stephen Wight) and Pam (Sinéad Matthews) appear, aggravating the fractures in his already fragile state. It’s a tour-de-force from the Emmy and Tony nominee in a script that manages to be both horrifying and hilarious — sometimes in the same moment.  

It’s also an extremely personal role for Harbour, who has spoken frankly about being diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 26 after an episode that landed him in an institution. And it was written specifically for him by Rebeck. The two had a mutual admiration, despite never having worked together before. Rebeck recalls seeing him in his Tony-nominated turn in the 2005 revival of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” before they met.  

“He’s such a stage animal. There’s a kind of vitality that gets released with certain actors that really puts you in the pocket of their mind and soul and intelligence. It’s an extraordinary gift,” she reveals. “I did also track him in TV and film, but he was always beating people up or shooting people in the movies. When he showed up in ‘Stranger Things,’ I remember thinking: ‘Thank God someone has finally figured out something to do with this amazing actor.’” 

Rebeck says they formally met when Harbour came to see Rebeck’s “Bernhardt/Hamlet” on Broadway in 2019 — “I believe I blurted: ‘Oh my God, I’m obsessed with you.’ Luckily he said the same.” And soon talk of collaborating followed. 

With the success of “Stranger Things,” Harbour says he had been approached about returning to the stage, and people were suggesting the “Rolodex of great roles” from Tennessee Williams, Eugene O’Neill and Shakespeare. Says Harbour, “I realized I would like to do a new play and I would like it to be a woman’s voice. And immediately Theresa popped into my mind.” 

They had a meeting shortly before the pandemic shut down New York. “She told me she had this idea about a horrible patriarch and hospice care she wanted to explore, and I said I had experiences with what society calls mental illness that I wanted to explore,” recalls Harbour. “We came up with a very skeletal idea and both were really excited about it. Then the pandemic hit, and I wasn’t sure we would ever do theater again. But not long after, it was only May or June, I got the first act of a play.”  

Though Harbour says it was very different from the final script, he was immediately taken by those pages. “She really feels things in life, she doesn’t gloss over them,” he notes. “She’s in the world alive and her writing is alive and that, to me, is just beautiful.” By the end of the year, they had done a reading of the full play and immediately had interest from Ambassador Theatre Group in London. Moritz von Stuelpnagel directed the play, and the cast also includes Hanako Footman, Akiya Henry and Charlie Oscar.

Bill Pullman and David Harbour in “Mad House.”
Marc Brenner

Though Harbour talked to Rebeck about his experiences and even shared some of his own writing on the subject, Michael’s story is not his own. “The experiences in the play he talks about are not my actual experiences,” he says. But he can relate to the idea of “being branded crazy because of a certain sensitivity and lucidity and then a certain inability to deal with that sensitivity.” Harbour points out there are moments when Michael seems the sanest person in the family, but also has moments “when he gets overwhelmed and needy, and he has breakdowns and is this screaming guy that needs too much.”  

To that end, he finds it a truthful depiction, which is what he wanted from the start. “People often talk about wanting to open a dialogue about mental illness — it’s usually around some tragedy, unfortunately,” he notes. “But the colors of that dialogue need to be much broader in the sense of everything. We pathologize this idea of normal and in truth, everybody has a lot of different experiences we should try to appreciate. And I think that’s what I want to portray: a real uncompromising, unsentimental picture of what it might mean to be mentally ill.” 

It’s also a workout for the actor, who admits that after the first two-show day, he was exhausted before he found his rhythm — he also utilizes the steam room of a nearby spa to help soothe his voice between shows. “You adapt and you figure it out,” he says of pacing himself. It also helps that his co-stars, like Pullman, keep him on his toes. Though the pair had never worked together prior to “Mad House,” Harbour says he’s “fallen in love.” He adds, “He plays a lot of strait-laced characters, but underneath it, there is a real subversion. He’s always surprising me in exciting ways.”  

The actor says mischievousness is vital on stage, where he admits he worries about playing the same role day in and day out. It was also the reason he was hesitant to sign on to a series prior to “Stranger Things” and why he embraced all the changes — emotionally and physically — Hopper went through over the years. He loved the idea that he would put on weight as he became parent to a teenage Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) in Season 3. “He wasn’t popping pills anymore so you see him stuffing himself with chips and salsa instead,” Harbour says with a laugh.   

And then when Season 4 found him in prison, sometimes giving away his food to barter, Harbour was happy to pivot. “I don’t want to play the same notes,” Harbour states. “So I said let’s go for it and have him lose weight and shave his head and do something that is such a dramatic difference from Season 3.” He is aware that many on the internet grieved the loss of Hopper’s heftier frame, to which he says, “I’m sorry for all the fans who lost the dad bod, but I will tell you this: David Harbour will have dad bods in the future, I have no doubt.”  

In fact, the actor will next be seen playing none other than Santa Claus — albeit as an action star — in “Violent Night,” hitting theaters Dec. 2. Coming from producers of “John Wick” and “Nobody,” Harbour says it’s a wild ride in a similar vein with an ass-kicking Santa Claus rescuing a family kidnapped by mercenaries. “When I signed on to do it, I thought, ‘This is either going to be a terrible idea or a really fun movie.’ And I think we’ve come up with a really fun movie.” 

And, of course, Harbour will soon be back to work on the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things,” but he can’t say anything — mostly because he really doesn’t know too many specifics. While fans have been worrying over the fates of their favorites, Harbour says his feelings about Hopper’s mortality have changed over the years. “There were several times I thought he should die,” he admits. “I certainly thought that in the beginning, because he was so destroyed and hell bent on destruction. Then when it seemed like he went in Season 3, I was happy for him.” 

But now, Harbour says, things have changed. “As he’s being resurrected as the man he wants to become, it would almost be nicer to keep him alive. Let’s see what they choose.”  

“Mad House” runs at Ambassadors Theatre in London through Sept. 4. For information and tickets, visit https://www.theambassadorstheatre.co.uk/shows/mad-house.

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After losing more than 75 pounds for

On July 7, WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to smuggling drug products into Russia, where she has been detained for the past several months, Reuters reported. The New York Times notes that she faces up to 10 years in a penal colony if formally convicted and sentenced.

The WNBA player was first arrested on February 17 at Sheremetyevo International Airport near Moscow for possession of vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. She had arrived in Russia from New York to compete during her WNBA off-season. (Many players, including her Phoenix Mercury teammate Diana Taurasi, play in Russia during the winter to earn more money.) 

Griner has been detained since her arrest nearly five months ago; she has not been able to see or communicate freely with her family, friends, or teammates. While pleading guilty in court on July 7, she held up a photo of her and her wife.

Below is everything we know about Brittney Griner’s arrest, detainment, and ongoing legal battle in Russia.

According to Griner, the whole situation was an accident.

During her court appearance, the two-time Olympian told the Russian court she “had no intention of breaking any Russian law,” and accidentally packed her vape cartridges while in a rush, according to the Reuters report. When asked why she pleaded guilty, Griner’s lawyers said the athlete recognizes her status as a role model and would like to acknowledge her mistakes, even if bringing cannabis oil into the country was done so unintentionally.

Since her arrest, Griner has been held in Russian prison for four and a half months.

The United States government has been classifying Griner’s detainment overseas as unlawful, according to The Washington Post. Fewer than 1% of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, and unlike in the U.S., acquittals can be overturned, per the Associated Press. In late June, her detention was extended until December 20, 2022. 

“President Biden has been clear about the need to see all U.S. nationals who are held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad released, including Brittney Griner,” Adrienne Watson, spokeswoman for the National Security Council, told the Post. “The U.S. government continues to work aggressively—using every available means—to bring her home.” 

She faces 10 years in prison for drug charges. 

Griner’s crime holds a sentence related to large-scale transportation of drugs, the Associated Press reported. Russia’s drug policies are some of the strictest in the world, and the country has one of the highest imprisonment rates for drug crimes in Europe, according to The Moscow Times.

The vape cartridge Griner was stopped with at the airport contained cannabis oil, per The New York Times. Russian forces say it was a significant amount of drugs, although the exact quantity hasn’t been released yet.

Griner and her family have pleaded with the U.S. government to bring her home safely.

The athlete begged President Biden to do something about the situation via a handwritten note, according to CNBC. Griner revealed she’s “terrified” she’ll never be able to get out of Russian prison, and turned to the president and his administration for help. 

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On July 7, WNBA star Brittney Griner

Screen Time is your curated weekly guide to excellent documentaries and nonfiction programs that you can watch at home. 

Mark Moormann’s documentary The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s “American Pie” marks the story of the eponymous song that is considered “one of the great musical touchstones of the 20th century,” 50 years after its release. As Don McLean explains the story and history behind the iconic song, we see a recounting of his life and career, and many of those whose lives were touched by the song. Watch the film on Paramount+ 

Speaking of music documentaries, make sure you watch Todd Haynes’ The Velvet Underground if you haven’t already. The film, which premiered at New York Film Festival last year, is not just a retelling of the band and its story, but is a document of avant-garde New York and the many artists it inspired. The film is streaming on Apple TV. 

Fernando Trueba’s Calle 54 ​​is a regular on lists of all-time favorite music documentaries, and is one of the most seminal films about Latin Jazz. It travels from Miami to Havana, the Bronx to Andalusia, with menial voiceover, and entrances the audience by its pulsating rhythm and infectious beats. Bringing together legends of Latin Jazz, Calle 54 is now streaming on iTunes.

Stanley Nelson’s Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool was made with unprecedented access to the jazz legend’s estate. Naturally, it includes rare archival footage and interviews with people who knew and worked with Davis. It celebrates Davis’ vision as he broke creative boundaries, resisting tradition, convention and prevalent tastes. Watch the film on PBS’ American Masters.

Believe it or not, the world witnessed the magic and genius of Kate Bush way before Stranger Things made her a rage among Gen Z. Kate Bush: Under Review combines archival footage, interviews, and rare photographs to build a testament to Bush’s talents and argues that she is “the most unique female artist ever.” Watch the film on Google Play.

Lisa Rovner’s 2020 documentary Sisters with Transistors celebrates “electronic music’s unsung heroines,” as it explores the contributions of little-known performers like Clara Rockmore, Bebe Barron, Maryanne Amacher and other women who fought against patriarchy to carve out a niche for themselves and their music. Watch the film on Showtime and witness a part of our cultural history that no one told us about.

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Gas prices have soared today after Vladimir Putin further throttled supplies to Europe as revenge for sanctions that have crippled Russia over the war in Ukraine.

Prices in Europe have already soared to levels not seen since war broke out, and are climbing sharply amid fears the Kremlin could close the tap completely.  

That has a knock-on effect on the UK, which buys gas from Europe, where prices have risen 7 per cent today and are now six times higher than they were in July 2021.

Experts now predict the average UK household energy bill could top £500 per month from January. 

 UK gas prices are soaring after Russia began throttling off supplies to Europe, causing a global shortage as EU leaders scramble for supplies

EU prices are at near-record levels amid fears Russia could soon turn off the gas tap completely, with leaders already discussing energy rationing

UK gas ‘spot market’ prices – meaning prices to get gas delivered today – are now $460 per therm, which is about the same level seen last December as costs soared amid an energy shortage in the wake of Covid.

But they are rising sharply, prompting consultants BFY to predict the average yearly household bill will soar to £3,850 from January – triple what it was in 2021.

That would mean the average household paying around £500 per month this winter. 

Europe’s spot price is around $212 per megawatt hour – a much smaller unit than therms –  which is close to the record level it hit as the war broke out.

And costs are expected to keep rising as winter approaches and energy demand increases, with Germany already discussing rationing in order to get through.

European leaders yesterday struck a voluntary deal to cut gas use by 15 per cent this winter – an admission that there will not be enough to go around otherwise.

Germany, which is hugely reliant on Russian gas, will be worst-hit – with regional leaders already dimming street lights and shutting swimming pools to save energy.

Putin is thought to be cutting gas as revenge for European leader defying him over the Ukraine war, but the move could backfire as his economy depends on money from sales

Putin is thought to be cutting gas as revenge for European leader defying him over the Ukraine war, but the move could backfire as his economy depends on money from sales 

Klaus Müller, head of the federal energy network, has said that household bills couple triple ‘at least’ as a result.

The same is true of the UK, which imports just five per cent of its gas from Russia but still buys large amounts from overseas – primarily Norway, Qatar and the US.

With Russian supplies dwindling, EU nations are also turning to the same sources to shore up their own supplies, driving prices up.

And the UK has just a fraction of the gas storage facilities of similar-sized European nations – less than a tenth of Italy’s capacity, for example – meaning we are forced to buy at high prices rather than relying on cheap stored energy. 

Putin began choking off Europe’s gas supply last month, when he cut the amount of gas flowing through the Nord Stream 1 pipe – the main supply route to Germany – to around 40 per cent capacity.

The pipe then closed for routine maintenance at the end of last month, sparking fears it may never reopen.

Thankfully those fears were not realised, but Russia has announced another cut in supply which is now down to just 20 per cent capacity.

Russia has reduced flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipe which goes to Germany to just 20 per cent capacity, sparking panic

Russia has reduced flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipe which goes to Germany to just 20 per cent capacity, sparking panic 

Officially, the Kremlin blames huge turbines which pump the gas – saying two have been taken offline for repairs.

But German experts have rubbished that reasoning, saying there is no technical explanation for the shortage.

European leaders are in little doubt that Putin is seeking to punish them for defying him over Ukraine, and is trying to break Western resolve as his war fails.

But the move could backfire, as the Kremlin is hugely reliant on revenues from its energy exports to keep the economy – already battered by sanctions – afloat.  

America, which has warned for years that Europe is too reliant on Russian energy, is now desperately trying to help the continent go cold-turkey.

Amos Hochstein, Biden’s coordinator for global energy, was dispatched to Europe yesterday to help coordinate efforts to move away from Russia.

His itinerary includes trips to Paris and Brussels to discuss contingency planning with a US-EU energy task force created back in March, CNN reported.

Washington hopes weaning Europe off Russian fuel will cripple its old foe whilst also shoring up support for Ukraine. 

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Gas prices have soared today after Vladimir

Natalie Morales will be double-dipping for a while. On Tuesday, she told her fellow cohosts on CBS’ The Talk about an upcoming gig.

“I have some exciting news to share!” Morales gushed. “Starting next month, I have a little role — well, it’s a recurring role — on the CBS Daytime drama The Young and the Restless.”

Morales will portray investigative reporter Talia Morgan, “and I’m investigating Diane Jenkins, played by Susan Walters. You know, she’s the one who faked her own death. She’s returned recently to Genoa City after just being gone for 10 years. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Her new co-stars include Melody Thomas Scott and Michelle Stafford, among others.

“I’m having so much fun, these ladies are incredible,” Morales said. What’s she looking forward to? She noted that she hasn’t yet gotten the opportunity to “do one of those soap opera slaps.”

The first episode on The Young and the Restless with Morales premieres Aug. 17.

Morales has also appeared as herself in such shows as Graves, This Is Us, and Nashville, as well as the films Zoolander 2, Pitch Perfect 2, Rio 2 and the Sharknado TV movie series.

The Young and the Restless has been the No. 1 daytime drama on television for 32 years. 

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Natalie Morales will be double-dipping for a

Donald Trump has threatened CNN with a lawsuit over the network’s reporting of “The Big Lie.”

His lawyers insist in a letter to the network that he simply believes it.

As far-fetched as it may seem, the threat comes less than a month after two Supreme Court Justices raised the stakes when they made it known they want to reconsider the First Amendment precedent that set actual malice as the libel standard for public figures.

The Trump letter, a copy of which was obtained by TheWrap, says that if CNN doesn’t publish a “full and fair correction,” apology or retraction within 10 days, a lawsuit will be filed seeking damages.

“This letter serves as formal notice of the false statements about President Donald J. Trump (“President Trump”) in numerous articles and televised transmissions published by Cable News Network, Inc. (“CNN”) including, but not limited to, those discussed below,” states the letter, dated last Thursday, July 21, giving CNN a deadline of Sunday. “Specifically, the Kafkaesque correspondence focuses on on-air and online use by CNN marque talent and reporters of the term the ‘Big Lie’ in regards to Trump’s repeated assertions that the 2020 election was stolen from him and the GOP.”

The letter comes less than a month after Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch said they wanted to reconsider the landmark First Amendment ruling from 1964 that set actual malice instead of negligence as the libel standard for public figures, placing the bar impossibly high for many such lawsuits. The justices’ comments were part of the dissenting opinion as the court declined to hear a libel case brought by Shkelzen Berisha, the son of a former prime minister of Albania, which stemmed from the contents of a book on arms dealers that the 2016 Jonah Hill movie “War Dogs” was based on.

The justices pegged their arguments to the vast changes in how modern news is consumed, saying 1964’s New York Times vs. Sullivan doctrine was outmoded.

“This court’s pronouncement that the First Amendment requires public figures to establish actual malice bears ‘no relation to the text, history or structure of the Constitution,’” Justice Thomas wrote, referring to a lower court’s ruling.

In Trump’s case, his lawyers essentially say in the letter to CNN, which spans 282 pages, that Trump can’t be a liar or promulgate a “Big Lie” — because he is simply and sincerely ignorant of the truth.

“In this instance, President Trump’s comments are not lies: He subjectively believes that the results of the 2020 presidential election turned on fraudulent voting activity in several key states,” the letter says.

Trump’s lawyers then define the word lie from Webster’s Dictionary.

“Without regard for President Trump’s genuine belief in his statements, CNN has published numerous articles characterizing him as a ‘liar’ and the purveyor of the ‘Big Lie,’” the letter goes on to say.

CNN did not comment Wednesday to TheWrap regarding Trump’s letter.

Trump has prolifically promulgated “The Big Lie” since the 2020 presidential election, though he has on rare occasion let slip publicly that Joe Biden was the winner.

“CNN must publish a full and fair correction, apology, or retraction,” the letter demands, “in the same editions or corresponding issues of the website publication in which the aforementioned articles, transcripts, or broadcasts appeared and in as conspicuous a place and type as said original article, transcript or broadcast within ten (10) days from the date of service of this notice.”

“Failure to publish such a correction, apology, or retraction will result in the filing of a lawsuit and damages being sought against you, CNN.” 

Trump, in a statement to media on Wednesday after news of the CNN letter broke, promised more potential threats and lawsuits are to come.

“I will also be commencing actions against other media outlets who have defamed me and defrauded the public regarding the overwhelming evidence of fraud throughout the 2020 Election,” Trump said in the statement. “I will never stop fighting for the truth and for the future of our Country!”

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

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Donald Trump has threatened CNN with a

George R.R. Martin caught COVID during his trip last week to Comic-Con, the “Game of Thrones” author said Wednesday night in a YouTube video, and is quarantining in a Los Angeles hotel with mild sniffles.

“I’ve had worse colds, so I hope it will stay that way,” Martin said, with a barely detectible rasp in his voice. “After this quarantine period I will be able to get on with various things.”

Martin noted that he’d be missing a “House of Dragons” premiere event that night in North Hollywood, where HBO content chief Casey Bloys later told the crowd that Martin was absent because of a positive COVID test that morning.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about me, I seem to be fine,” said Martin, who seemed genuinely disappointed to be missing the various Los Angeles events he was in town for. “I will say, if you’re going to have to go and quarantine, a four-star hotel is a pretty good place to do it.”

Martin, who said before the San Diego convention that he “managed to avoid getting COVID so far,” wrote extensively about his concerns about catching the virus there. “I do not want covid, not even a mild case, so please be advised, I will be doing all I can to prevent that,” he wrote on July 14.

Martin appeared on the panel for HBO’s “House of Dragons,” which hosted its Los Angeles premiere on Wednesday night. He said he avoided the convention floor, didn’t sign autographs and generally tried to avoid contracting the virus.

“I’m going to take my pills, rest a lot, drink a lot of fluids and get over this,” he said.

Sharon Waxman contributed to this report.

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George R.R. Martin caught COVID during his

Banijay has signed an agreement to acquire Sony Pictures Film und Fernsehen Producktions GmbH (Sony Pictures Television Germany), the company announced on Wednesday (July 27).

The Sony affiliate, which will soon undergo a name change, will join Banijay Germany’s portfolio of labels. Astrid Quentell and Mirek Nitsch, who currently lead the company, will remain in their roles. The deal will see the label’s existing unscripted IP join Banijay’s overarching catalog, and will serve to expand the company’s talent and slate offering.

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval.

SPT Germany, based in Cologne, has been in operation for more than 25 years, producing entertainment formats along with scripted productions.

“With its strong format brands and high production values, the entity certainly fits perfectly into our group,” Banijiay Germany CEO Marcus Wolter (pictured) said in a news release.

“We have always believed in maintaining the independence and individuality of our labels in order to shape the future of entertainment together, and with the power of this group behind them, we have every confidence the company will thrive in its new home.”

Founded in 2018, Banijay Germany GmbH develops, creates and produces an array of entertainment formats across genres. It counts more than 20 independent labels in its portfolio, including Banijay Productions Germany, Good Times Fernsehproducktion, Endemol Shine Germany, MadeFor, SR Management, Only Good People, Banijay Live Artist Brand, Good Humor, influence.vision and Brainpool.

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The first shots of “A Love Song” are a signal for the rest of the film — stubborn flowers and shrubs pushing through dry, stony earth in southwest Colorado. They’re rough beauties, been through a lot, and yet are still captivating in their rawness.

Max Walker-Silverman’s film is also a spare beauty, delicate but strong and tenacious, exploring time, love and nature. Though it is rated PG, “A Love Song” is very much an adult film, quiet and slow and very, very restrained. It may require the viewer to relearn how to be patient amid all the rival Marvel-boom nonsense offerings at the theaters these days.

Dale Dickey, of “Winter’s Bone,” stars as a woman late in life who has set up an RV at a campsite along a lake, pulling crayfish out of the water to eat and looking hopeful whenever anyone nears. She’s clearly waiting for someone and passes her time studying the stars and the birds.

Watch the official trailer for “A Love Song.”

Walker-Silverman, who also supplied the script — which literally could have fit on a few index cards — keeps the actors’ motives and background unclear until they reveal them, leaving huge chunks of unspoken film work.

Dickey is absolutely up to the challenge, somehow communicating longing and loneliness while gruffly busying herself with day-to-day life, keeping to a routine but also seeming to yearn to break it one day. Each time she hears a car on the gravel path, she fusses with her hair like a schoolgirl.

Well, one day a man shows up with a clutch of tough-looking flowers — who also nervously fusses with his hair. It’s Wes Studi playing a long-lost would-be lover from 10th grade. Can sparks fly a second time, decades apart?

“Reckon you can still love something that ain’t there no more?” she asks. He answers: “I know you can. Don’t you?”

We’d be boorish if we gave it away, but Walker-Silverman grounds his study in absolute soulful humanity. While waiting for her new-old man, our heroine visits another couple camping — Michelle Wilson and Benja K. Thomas — and they’re at a romantic standoff. Even the mailman has some overly poignant moments. The filmmaker has a tendency to make every word hang in the air importantly since there are so few of them.

The only thing that seems to unbalance the film is the appearance and reappearance of a local precocious and overly polite girl and her four older and silent brothers. There’s something slightly surreal and Wes Anderson about them. As dry humor, they don’t really work, threatening to mar a subtle piece.

The title comes from our heroine’s tendency to turn on her transistor radio and spin the dial, letting fate send her a message through the radio waves. “Always plays the perfect song even if in the moment you ain’t sure why,” she says. The film’s soundtrack has Michael Hurley’s “Be Kind To Me,” Dick Flood’s “The Man Who Walks Alone” and Valerie June’s “Slip Slide One By.”

As a viewer, you may leave the theater with more answers than when you arrived — and that’s refreshing. Walker-Silverman has no interest in putting pretty bows on things, loads of past histories or sentimentality. This is what love looks like with wrinkles and sorrow but also sunshine and joy — it pushes through the harshness of life and blooms with possibility.

“A Love Song,” a Bleeker Street release, is rated PG for “mild thematic elements.” Running time: 81 minutes. Three stars out of four.

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MPAA Definition of PG: Parental guidance suggested.

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Online: https://bleeckerstreetmedia.com

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Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

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The first shots of “A Love Song”

The Marvel Studios panel at San Diego Comic-Con was rather exciting. In addition to laying out the entirety of Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige also teased that The Multiverse Saga would conclude in Phase 6 with two Avengers movies: Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.

By the time Avengers: The Kang Dynasty hits theaters in 2025, it will have been six years since the last Avengers movie graced our screens. That’s a rather large gap, but Kevin Feige told MTV that his view on their place in the MCU has changed since the initial phases. He no longer sees them as the culmination of each phase, but rather the capper to entire sagas.

The truth is, when we were doing Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3, there were less projects over more years. They were smaller projects and individual character stories, and it felt appropriate at that point, that after every two or three years that it took for a phase, we would do an ‘Avengers’ film.

Feige continued, “As [Phase] 4, 5 and 6 were coming together, there are more projects in less years – because of all the amazing stuff we’re now allowed to do on Disney+, and getting characters from Fox, Fantastic Four and Deadpool — that it felt like, you know, certainly after Infinity War and Endgame, that we thought Avengers movies aren’t cappers. So many of our movies now — The Multiverse of Madness and what you’re about to see in [Ant-Man and the Wasp:] Quantumania, all are big team-up films introducing big parts of the mythology… Avengers’ films really should be the capper to a saga.” It was announced just days ago that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who helmed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. However, Justin Kroll of Deadline stated on Twitter that Marvel is looking for another director to helm Avengers: Secret Wars.

Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will hit theaters on May 2, 2025, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on November 7, 2025. Do you wish that The Multiverse Saga included more Avengers movies or are you fine with them being used as saga cappers?

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The Marvel Studios panel at San Diego

The Walking Dead universe continues to expand with the announcement of a spinoff centered around Rick and Michonne Grimes on AMC+.

The announcement came this past Friday when actors Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira made a surprise appearance at The Walking Dead panel. The limited series will consist of six episodes to premiere in 2023. Scott Gimple will serve as showrunner, and Lincoln and Gurira will executive produce.

According to the logline provided by AMC+, the series will center on the epic love story between Rick and Michonne, who have both changed: “Rick and Michonne are thrown into another world, built on a war against the dead…and ultimately, a war against the living. Can they find each other and who they were in a place and situation unlike any they’ve ever known before? Are they enemies? Lovers? Victims? Victors? Without each other, are they even alive — or will they find that they, too, are the Walking Dead?”

The spinoff is a pivot from the originally planned Walking Dead films, which AMC announced following Lincoln’s departure from the main series in 2018.

AMC also announced a Walking Dead anthology, Tales of The Walking Dead, which will debut on AMC and AMC+ on August 14. The anthology series will feature six different hour-long episodes with established and new characters from The Walking Dead franchise.

 

 

 

 

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The Walking Dead universe continues to expand

Legacies alum Ben Levin and Kim Rhodes (Supernatural) have joined the upcoming third season of CW’s Kung Fu in heavily recurring roles.

Levin will play Bo, a barista/vigilante who lives across the Bay in Oakland. He’s cool, smart, and strong with a jack-of-all-trades fighting style. His extracurricular crime fighting leads to a collision with Nicky (Olivia Liang) and her siblings. New in town and far from home, Bo’s eager to pitch in with the Shen family’s adventures, and to fight by Nicky’s side.

Rhodes will portray Carrie, a blunt, funny professional who works as a representative for a large restaurant investment group. When Carrie’s company takes an interest in Harmony Dumplings, Mei-Li (Kheng Hua Tan) is quick to decline their overtures, but when an unexpected friendship blooms between her and Carrie, Mei-Li opens herself up to a possible alliance.

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Legacies alum Ben Levin and Kim Rhodes

“They were making fun of me and stuff while I was singing,” Butler revealed, adding he left set in tears.

Austin Butler truly did everything to prepare to play Elvis Presley.

From taking on a Southern accent to doing karate to transform into the King of Rock ‘n Roll, Butler pushed himself to the limit for the role. Yet “Elvis” writer-director Baz Luhrmann added another layer to recreate the emotions behind Presley’s biggest performances.

“Well, when I was on my first day in the recording studio, Baz wanted me to get as close to performing as possible,” Butler explained to VMAN. “He had all the executives and everybody from RCA, who were back in the offices, he brought them into the recording studio and he goes, ‘I want you all to sit facing Austin,’ and he told them to heckle me. So then they were making fun of me and stuff while I was singing.”

Butler noted Luhrmann wanted him to empathize with the criticism Presley endured over the course of his career.

“When we were filming this moment when Elvis first goes on stage and he’s getting heckled by the audience, I knew what that felt like,” Butler added, before admitting, “I went home in tears that night. I really did.”

Butler even sought advice from frequent Luhrmann collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in “Romeo + Juliet” and “The Great Gatsby.”

“Leo told me, ‘Baz is going to constantly keep you off balance, and it’s going to pull things out of you [that] you never knew you had inside you.’ That’s exactly the experience that I had,” Butler previously told Entertainment Weekly. “There were days where I just thought, ‘Baz, why don’t we just do what we prepared?’ I realized that he would push me right to the edge of what I was capable of. You capture lightning in a bottle in a way — if you had just done the thing that you had prepared, it may have been more stale.”

And even sometimes Butler would intervene on set if a scene was “not working.” Luhrmann shared that the “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” alum stopped the scene where he sings “That’s Alright (Mama)” because it came across as “corny” and “fake” in the moment.

After production wrapped, Butler became bedridden, saying his “body just started shutting down” while shedding Presley’s persona.

No wonder Luhrmann has described his Cannes-premiere film the “‘Apocalypse Now’ of musicals.”

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"They were making fun of me and

As the COVID-19 pandemic pummeled North American cities, many with the means to do so fled to greener pastures. By the sound of it, U.S. Girls’ Meg Remy has more than a few friends who traded their hip Brooklyn neighborhoods for a picket fence in the Hudson Valley. On “So Typically Now,” her first original, non-Christmas-themed track since 2020’s Heavy Light, she mocks the wealthy’s urban flight and conspicuous consumption. The song opens with a pummeling electronic drumbeat, then slides into a strutting synth melody as Remy casts a side-eye at the “traitors with loans” that “run this show.” Remy is no stranger to oblique anti-capitalist critiques, but this one feels more than a little tongue-in-cheek: “Gotta sell all my best to buy more, not less,” she sings, hinting at her own complicity. “See you someday in heaven.” With a soaring outro that sounds lifted straight from Robin S., this disco-house banger is more fun than socio-economic commentary has any business being. It might hit different if you’ve just closed on that cute three-bedroom cottage on the Hudson, but maybe that’s the point.

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As the COVID-19 pandemic pummeled North American

Following the success of The Gray Man’s limited release in theaters and debut on Netflix, Joe and Anthony Russo and co-writer Stephen McFeely who has done Avengers: Endgame and Captain America: Civil War, are all set to return for the sequel. The Russo’s will produce alongside AGBO’s Mike Larocca, as well as Roth Kirschenbaum Films’ Joe Roth and Jeffrey Kirschenbaum. AGBO is a production company founded by the Russo Brothers. In addition to the sequel Netflix and AGBO also announced they are also developing a spinoff film that is “set to explore a different element of The Gray Man universe.” This untitled spinoff will be scribed by Deadpool writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese who have done Deadpool and Zombieland). The film debuted this past Friday, at #1 on Netflix in 92 countries and got a 91% Rotten Tomatoes audience score.

Courtesy of Netflix

“The audience reaction to The Gray Man has been nothing short of phenomenal,” Joe and Anthony Russo have stated. “We are so appreciative of the enthusiasm that fans across the world have had for this film. With so many amazing characters in the movie, we had always intended for the Gray Man to be part of an expanded universe, and we are thrilled that Netflix is announcing a sequel with Ryan, as well as a second script that we’re excited to talk about soon.” Even before the sequel and spinoff were confirmed and announced, the Russos stated that their adaptation of Mark Greaney’s best-selling novel was made with aspirations of exploring the larger world around it. We can’t wait to see where their brilliant minds takes us next.

The books which are written by Mark Greaney, was first published in 2009 by Jove Books and are 12 books in total. The novel and the movie follows Gentry (Ryan Gosling) on a mission across Europe to rescue his handler, Sir Donald Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton), and his family in Normandy, France, from Lloyd (Chris Evans), a member of a gigantic French corporation and former CIA officer who wants Gentry terminated in order to shepherd a billion-dollar deal for oil interests in Nigeria, where its president, in turn, wants Gentry dead for the assassination of his brother. There is plenty for the Russo’s and Netflix to expand on in this universe.

ABOUT AGBO:

AGBO is an independent studio focused on developing and producing intellectual property universes spanning film, TV, audio, and interactive experiences. Founded in 2017 by award-winning and record-breaking directors Anthony and Joe Russo, along with producer Mike Larocca, AGBO’s mission is to innovate and advance the next generation of storytelling to entertain and inspire worldwide audiences. AGBO is based in Los Angeles.  Here

Following the success of The Gray Man’s

Our favorite Princess of Pop is finally making her comeback by collaborating with English singer and composer Sir Elton John in an iconic way on a new version of his 1972 single “Tiny Dancer.” The single is being produced by Andrew Watt, who has previously worked with everyone from Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Pearl Jam and Ozzy Osbourne. It is said to be releasing next month by Universal Music. Spears and John met in secret at a Beverly Hills recording studio last week to start recording the new single of his beloved 1971 classic. “Tiny Dancer” was written by John and Bernie Taupin. The hit single was originally released on his 1971 album, “Madman Across the Water,” and then as a single in 1972. It was ranked as No. 47 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2021. John is ready to hang up his touring shoes now as he continues on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour. The tour first kicked off in 2018 and is finally slated to finally wrap in July 2023.

Courtesy of TMZ

Spears has been hinting she is ready to get back to work after she was freed from her 13-year conservatorship which was terminated back in November. After her shocking testimony last summer, she retained her own lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, who helped her get out of the legal nightmare within the matter of a couple of months. Spear’s father, Jamie Spears, who oversaw the conservatorship and her finances, was finally suspended by the court in September, 2021. Afterwards, her conservatorship was terminated altogether in November. However, the legal battle continues to be messy with Spears fighting against her father and former business manager Lou M. Taylor, owner of Tri Star Sports & Entertainment, over her finances and allegations of abusive behavior and unethical dealings throughout the conservatorship. She has previously teased to use a different or more adult version of her 1998 breakout single “Hit Me Baby One More Time” in a video on Instagram by singing it in a lower register, revealing that she’s been campaigning for years to re-record said single, which she wasn’t able to do during her conservatorship. This will be the Grammy winner’s first official single since 2016’s “Slumber Party,” which followed “Make Me”, “Private Show,” “Clumsy,” and “Do You Wanna Come Over?” all appearing on her album Glory.

While she was under her conservatorship from 2008 through 2021, Spears has recorded new music and albums, went on tour and held a Las Vegas residency altogether. However, when she testified back in July, she stated to the Court that she was forced to work against her own will. Spears wrote in an Instagram post recently “I haven’t shared my voice in an extremely long time… may be too long“. Fans are overjoyed and have been wondering when the pop star will return to the studio and start singing again. This has come as a welcome surprise to all of us Britney fans and we certainly can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next. With Britney she can always keep us guessing. Look out for the new single which will be released in August.

Our favorite Princess of Pop is finally

Syphilis cases are on the rise. From 2016 to 2020, the Prairie provinces reported increases of more than 400 per cent.

In Saskatchewan the rate is at 33.7 per 100,000 population according to a 2011-2020 report by Health Canada. In 2020, the majority (86%) of all confirmed early congenital syphilis cases reported in the country were observed in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Beardy’s and Okemasis’ Cree Nation (BOCN) recently made a statement to raise awareness about syphilis outbreaks within the province. The release said that some parts of the province, including BOCN, have seen increases over 1000 per cent since 2019.

Read more:

Expectant parents bracing for epidural shortage in Saskatchewan

“There has been an increase in the number of women being infected in pregnancy and sadly, children dying in the womb from syphilis or being born with complications of syphilis that can cause long term disability or even death.”

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The release recommends sexually active people get tested for syphilis at least once a year. It also says that having unprotected sex with multiple partners increases risk of infection.

Early symptoms include a painless ulcer on the genitals, a rash, hair loss, headaches, swollen lymph nodes. But up to 50 per cent of cases do not have recognizable symptoms. The disease is best diagnosed with a blood test and treated with antibiotics.


Click to play video: 'Hundreds of cases of monkeypox reported in Canada'







Hundreds of cases of monkeypox reported in Canada


Hundreds of cases of monkeypox reported in Canada

Being in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship or using protection are two ways to reduce the risk, according to the release.

Pregnant women can protect babies in the womb by getting tested for syphilis during pregnancy and getting treatment promptly.

More to come…

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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Syphilis cases are on the rise. From

Over the weekend, a genuine controversy broke out in the international media. The Wall Street Journal’s reporters discovered that Elon Musk had a relationship with Nicole Shanahan, the wife of Sergey Brin, a friend of theirs.

Insiders claim that the Google founder learned about his wife’s adultery in December of this year. The pair also filed for divorce in January, claiming “unresolved issues” as justification.

Elon Musk confirmed that he was hiding twins, and made it clear that he dreams of replenishment

It was particularly ironic in this case as Sergey had once saved Elon’s company from bankruptcy. After that, the billionaires grew close and frequently hung out with one another.

According to rumors, Musk reportedly bowed down to plead for Brin’s forgiveness once he learned about the affair.
The two ex-friends, however, lost contact following this event.

Elon, who meticulously reads every article about himself in the media, remained mute for a considerable amount of time. He ultimately chose to make a statement, though.

Elon Musk Implored Sergey Brin, A Co-Founder Of Google, For Forgiveness After An Alleged Infidelity With His Wife Nicole Shanahan

The world’s richest billionaire tweeted: “This is all pure nonsense. I’m friends with Sergey, and yesterday we attended a party together. Nicole, I’ve only recently seen a handful of times, and she was usually accompanied by others, the millionaire remarked.

He also mentioned that he hadn’t had any sexual activity recently. And everyone who uses the Internet knows that this is a blatant exaggeration. After all, Ilona has a number of young children.

The social media site filed a lawsuit against him earlier this month after he declared he was abandoning his plan to acquire the company.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Mr. Musk has the largest estimated fortune in the world, which is more than $240 billion.

Mr. Brin is the seventh richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $95 billion, based on the same index.

Inquiries from the BBC for comments were not immediately answered by Ms. Shanahan, Mr. Brin, or Google.

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Over the weekend, a genuine controversy broke

 

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For months, Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg has touted the company’s long-term plan to transition from being primarily a social media company to the maker of the virtual reality-powered digital worlds known as the metaverse.

On Wednesday, Zuckerberg took detour from that journey to reiterate the company’s most immediate priorities: To foster social connections and deliver users the algorithmic-powered stream of content from creators that has made modern social media companies, namely TikTok, popular.

“I want to be clear that we are still ultimately a social company focused on helping people connect,” Zuckerberg said during a call with investors.

The statement comes amid news that Facebook parent company Meta suffered its first quarterly revenue decline in a decade a publicly-traded company. And Zuckerberg’s comments illuminates the company’s short-term survival strategy, as it faces unprecedented macroeconomic challenges along with specific threats to its business model.

Facebook executives warned that marketers are pulling back spending in part because of an uncertain economic environment, which has some experts warning a recession could be on the horizon. Meanwhile the company is facing intensifying competition for advertising dollars and users in the social media market from upstart apps such as TikTok and Snapchat. Facebook’s stock declined in aftermarket trading.

Instagram knows you don’t like its changes. It doesn’t care.

Zuckerberg’s rosy picture about the future of communication on its services arrives as the company invests in replicating the formula that has made TikTok take off among young users. Last week, the company announced an overhaul of its flagship social network, designed to elevate entertaining content from strangers over posts from their friends and family.

Instagram has also started recommending short-form videos, called Reels, in users’ feeds, alongside photos and videos from people they know. These changes triggered a slew of criticism in recent days, including a protest from Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian and other high-profile influencers, sharing an image declaring: “Make Instagram Instagram again.”

Appearing to respond to the criticism, Zuckerberg said the company still intends to create spaces for social connections, but also needs to adapt to the way people communicate on social media. Instead of interacting in comments on their feeds, users are more likely to send private messages to their friends, according to Zuckerberg. Reels makes up more than half the content that is re-shared into messages on Instagram, he said.

Big Instagram and TikTok changes mean you’ll see longer videos, fewer friends

“This creates this flywheel of discovery and then social connection, and then inspiring those people to create more content themselves,” Zuckerberg said, touting the company’s continued investment in Reels, which he said is on track to make at least $1 billion in annual revenue.

In a bright spot, Facebook reported daily active users on its core social network rose 3% to 1.97 billion in the second quarter. Monthly users also rose about 1% to 2.93 billion, the company said.

Still, Zuckerberg and other executives pointed to looming financial challenges, including the continued impact of Apple’s new privacy rules, which aim to limit app makers’ ability to collect data on users to power their targeted advertising business.

Facebook forsakes friends and family to compete with TikTok

In recent weeks, Facebook executives have issued a dizzying number of directives, outlining a new era of higher performance expectations and slowed hiring as the company emerges from the pandemic with a growing list of economic challenges. Facebook indicated Wednesday that it planned to decrease its expenses and slow hiring this year.

In the long run, Zuckerberg said Facebook will continue to invest in building out the so called metaverse, a place where the company envisions people will want to work, play and shop.

The metaverse will “enable deeper social experiences, where you feel a realistic sense of presence with other people no matter where they are,” Zuckerberg said.

The Federal Trade Commission sued the company on Wednesday to block its acquisition of Within, the maker of popular virtual reality games. The FTC argued that the deal would mean “Meta would be one step closer to its ultimate goal of owning the entire ‘Metaverse.’ ”

Facebook workers fear cuts after blunt warnings from Zuckerberg, leaders

Facebook also announced on Wednesday a shake up among its highest leaders. Facebook Chief Financial Officer David Wehner will assume a newly-created role as chief strategy officer. Susan Li, the company’s current vice president of finance, will become the new chief financial officer. Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg announced last month that she would be stepping down after 14 years.

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Prime Video has unveiled the trailer for its action-thriller Samaritan, starring three-time Oscar nominee Sylvester Stallone (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), which is slated for a global release on the service on August 26.

The film from director Julius Avery (Overlord) follows 13-year-old Sam Cleary (Euphoria‘s Javon “Wanna” Walton), who suspects that his mysterious and reclusive neighbor Mr. Smith (Stallone) is actually a legend hiding in plain sight. 25 years ago, Granite City’s super-powered vigilante, Samaritan, was reported dead after a fi

Courtesy of Getty Images

ery warehouse battle with his rival, Nemesis. Most believe Samaritan perished in the fire, but some in the city, like Sam, have hope that he is still alive. With crime on the rise and the city on the brink of chaos, Sam makes it his mission to coax his neighbor out of hiding to save the city from ruin.

The feature from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Balboa Productions, based on Bragi F. Schut’s script, also stars Pilou Asbæk (Uncharted), Dascha Polanco (Gordita Chronicles), Moises Arias (Jockey) and more. Stallone and Braden Aftergood produced, with Schut, David Kern, Adam Rosenberg and Guy Riedel serving as executive producers.

Watch the trailer for Samaritan by clicking below:

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Geralt of Rivia is laying down his sword for a bit.

Netflix has halted production of The Witcher season three due to COVID-19.

The news comes amid unconfirmed online rumors that star Henry Cavill tested positive for the virus, but the streamer is only saying that filming has “paused due to COVID and we will be up and running as soon as it is safe to do so.” Cavill’s rep also declined to comment.

This isn’t the first time the U.K.-based production has had to shut down due the virus, with the show previously halting filming on season two in 2020.

The news comes on the heels of last week’s San Diego Comic-Con, where fans wondered if the Superman actor might make an appearance for DC’s Shazam! and Black Adam panels, then booed when Adam star Dwayne Johnson seemingly accidentally suggested that somebody else could take over the iconic role. Johnson has also reassured in an interview, “Henry is a buddy, and he is a phenomenal Superman, and Henry Cavill is the Superman of our generation, with respect to the other Supermans in the past.”

The Witcher’s upcoming third season doesn’t yet have a premiere date.

The current BA.5 variant of COVID-19 is considered the most easily transmissible yet and has managed to infect notable figures ranging from late night host Seth Meyer to President Joe Biden.

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Geralt of Rivia is laying down his


Darren Star has been telling tales about people thrown out of their comfort zone masked as rom-coms for years, and Uncoupled follows the same framework as prior hits like Younger and Emily in Paris.


The new comedy, premiering Friday, July 27 on Netflix, has an excellent cast and some funny one-liners, but it is very predictable.


Neil Patrick Harris plays Michael, a Manhattanite whose world implodes when his boyfriend of 17 years moves out of their apartment, determined for a new start that doesn’t involve him.


It’s tricky subject matter to handle, but Michael’s journey is infused with humor and awkward moments as he tries to get over the breakup and return to the dating scene as a 40-year-old with no idea how much it’s changed.


On Younger, Liza is a fish out of water as she plays a forty-something trying to pass as a twenty-something. On Emily in Paris, Emily is thrown into a very different way of life in Paris.


Michael’s personality gets him into many awkward situations across the eight-episode freshman season. You can tell Neil Patrick Harris is excited about taking on a different role than he has in the past.


He constantly questions himself about whether his actions are correct. Frankly, it’s an excellent way to help viewers connect with a character who is being fleshed out as the series progresses.


The series deserves major props for the characterization. Darren Star knows how to create worlds filled with nuanced individuals, and it’s the same story here.


Brooks Ashmanskas and Emerson Brooks are on board as Michael’s best friends, Stanley and Billy.


You can tell they’ve been close-knit friends for years, but they couldn’t be more different. Stanley is looking for love, but he’s having a hard time, and Billy seems to have a new love interest every other scene.


Some of the most comical scenes, however, stem from the bond of these three men as they navigate the highs and lows of life in New York City.


Tisha Campell plays Suzanne, Michael’s co-worker, and she’s a real breath of fresh air. Campell has perfect comedy timing, and Suzanne’s arc is one of the most enjoyable throughout the series.


Marcia Gay Harden is Claire, the Diana Trout, and Sylvie of this story. After watching Harden on high-stakes dramas like How to Get Away With Murder and Code Black, it’s nice to have her on a more lighthearted series.


There is a lot to like about Uncoupled, but it might be too similar to Star’s other works to thrill much of the audience.


Rom-coms are also well-known for their cliches and predictable nature, which Uncoupled doesn’t try too hard to avoid.


The show is an easy binge as an eight-part series, and the episodes clock in at less than 30 minutes.


It strikes me as the type of series that will get better with age, and after watching all of the episodes, I do want to watch a second season.


Check out the official trailer below.


Will you watch the series when it launches?


Hit the comments.


Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.

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Darren Star has been telling tales about

Warner Bros. Discovery announced the leadership for its merged advertising sales team, which will report to Chief Advertising Sales Officer Jon Steinlauf.

The majority of the senior leadership in the department are executives who held roles in Discovery Inc., to be expected considering Discovery chief David Zaslav‘s position as the new CEO of the merged company. Among the Discovery execs joining the team are EVP Karen Grinthal, who is overseeing linear and digital sales and revenue for a suit of WBD networks including TBS, Food Network, Cartoon Network and OWN; and digital advertising EVP Jim Keller, who will oversee sales for HBO Max, Discovery+ and other streaming and digital platforms.

Executives from the WarnerMedia side include Andrea Zapata, who will continue as head of Research, Data and Insights, and Turner Sports Chief Revenue Officer Jon Diament, who will oversee linear and digital sales for TBS Sports, TNT Sports, Discovery Channel, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, truTV, Science Channel, NBA TV and MotorTrend.

“Warner Bros. Discovery has the greatest collection of brands to offer advertisers, and our new leadership team will unlock that unique value to best drive success for our clients,” said Steinlauf. “This organizational structure combines strengths from each legacy organization with a set of client-focused, results-oriented leaders across brands and platforms who will create innovative, impactful advertising opportunities for our partners.”

Read the full list of Warner Bros. Discovery’s advertising sales senior leadership below:

John Dailey will lead Cross-Company Partnerships and New Business. He most recently served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Sales for Discovery, Inc., where he served as a conduit for partners interested in combining multiple Discovery assets to effectively reach the best audiences across Discovery’s portfolio of television and digital properties. 

Jon Diament will oversee linear and digital sales and revenue for TBS Sports, TNT Sports, Discovery Channel, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, truTV, Science Channel, NBA TV and MotorTrend. He most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer for Turner Sports Advertising Sales, providing leadership and strategy for all aspects of the division including ad sales, sponsorships, advanced advertising and promotional efforts across Turner Sports’ expanding multi-platform footprint.

Laura Galietta will lead Integrated Advertising Sales Marketing across all digital and linear properties. She most recently served as Group Senior Vice President, Integrated Advertising Sales Marketing and Consumer Products Licensing for Discovery, Inc., where she was responsible for positioning the portfolio and forging strategic alliances with advertisers and leading the Advertising Sales Marketing team for Discovery’s suite of iconic, real-life networks. 

Karen Grinthal will oversee linear and digital sales and revenue for Food Network, TLC, TBS Entertainment, OWN, Cooking Channel, Cartoon Network and WB Syndication. She most recently served as Executive Vice President for Discovery, Inc., where she was responsible for all linear and digital advertising and partnership revenue for Food Network, TLC, OWN and Cooking Channel. 

Jim Keller will set strategy for Warner Bros. Discovery streaming and digital products including HBO Max, discovery+, CNN Digital, Sports, as well as oversee Advanced Advertising, Programmatic, TVE, Sites & Social and VOD. He most recently served as Executive Vice President, Digital Advertising Sales & Advanced Advertising at Discovery, Inc., where he was responsible for leading strategic development of all U.S. Digital Ad Sales, driving digital revenue efforts for the company’s U.S streaming services, including discovery+, and led the development and monetization of all advanced, data-driven and addressable products across Discovery’s vast portfolio of both linear and digital properties. 

Greg Regis will oversee linear and digital sales and revenue for HGTV, CNN, ID, TNT Entertainment, Magnolia Network, Travel and HLN. He most recently served as Executive Vice President for Discovery, Inc., where he was responsible for all linear and digital advertising and partnership revenue for HGTV, ID, Travel Channel and Magnolia Network. 

Sheereen Russell will continue to lead Warner Bros. Discovery’s DEI content monetization efforts, now as a direct report, and will leverage the WBD portfolio to meet the increasing marketplace demand for DE&I opportunities.  Sheereen will also maintain her leadership role within OWN.

Robert Voltaggio will oversee Pricing & Planning and will also be responsible for Sales Support, Commercial Operations and Direct Response. He most recently served as Executive Vice President of Advertising Sales Revenue & Planning for Discovery, Inc., where he was responsible for all inventory portfolio management as well as strategic sales services and estimates for Discovery’s 19 U.S. networks and joint ventures. 

Andrea Zapata will lead Research, Data and Insights. She previously held this role at WarnerMedia, overseeing research for the company’s portfolio of linear and digital brands, marketplace intelligence, category and client insights as well as outcome focused research for advertisers.

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Warner Bros. Discovery announced the leadership for

Following a teaser trailer, the first official trailer for Brett Morgan’s new David Bowie movie Moonage Daydream has been released. The new clip features footage and narration from Bowie. Watch below.

Moonage Daydream premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. The film, which Bowie’s estate approved, features unreleased 35mm and 16mm footage from his personal archives. Brett Morgen, best known for Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, directed, wrote, and produced the film. It hits theaters globally on Friday, September 16.

Revisit Pitchfork’s review of David Bowie’s Blackstar.

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Following a teaser trailer, the first official

World sales company Taskovski Films has acquired Veronika Lišková’s documentary “The Visitors,” ahead of its world premiere in Critics’ Week at the Locarno Film Festival.

The film follows a young anthropologist, Zdenka, who moves with her family to Svalbard, Norway, to study how life is changing in the polar regions. After falling in love with her new home, she discovers that more than icebergs and permafrost are vanishing in the Arctic. She has to work out to what extent she can get involved in the local community that she only originally intended to observe.

Lišková, whose feature documentary “Daniel’s World” world premiered at the Berlinale in the Panorama section in 2014, said in a statement: “When I decided to follow sociologist Zdenka Sokolickova to Svalbard, I expected the primary location for filming to be one of great beauty and profound fragility. However, it turned out to be a microcosm that intensely encapsulated some of the most burning challenges faced today, not least regarding the environment. The two-year-long journey of the documentary with Zdenka resulted in an intimate testimony reflecting the disappearance of a unique local community, the risks posed by exclusionary practices and, above all, the universal need for a sense of belonging and a stable home.”


Courtesy of Cinemotif Films

Taskovski Films’ CEO Irena Taskovski said: “We were following the work of Veronika Liškova since her controversial debut ‘Daniel’s World,’ underlining a huge talent and brave cinematic approach. ‘The Visitors’ touches the very sensitive topics of belonging and migration in a contemporary world. Set in the vast and cold Svalbard in the Arctic Circle, severely hit by global warming, the film is posing the question ‘where did we all go wrong.’ “

The film’s producer Kristýna Michálek Květová from Cinémotif Films said: “Even though it is a first time collaboration, we have known Irena and Taskovski Films for a long time. Both me and the director like their taste for films and the catalog they represent, thus we are excited about working together on our newest film, ‘The Visitors.’ ”

The director of photography is Vojtěch Vančura and the editor is Marek Šulík.

Lazy loaded image


Courtesy of Cinemotif Films

The producers are Kristýna Michálek Květová and Martina Netíková. The co-producers are Johanna Dorothea Raita, Mette Cheng Munthe-Kaas, Peter Kerekes and Anna Mach Rumanová.

The film was produced by Cinémotif Films, and coproduced by Ten Thousand Images, Peter Kerekes and Czech TV.

It was financed by Czech Film Fund, Slovak Audiovisual Fund, Norwegian Film Institute, Fritt Ord Foundation, Bergensen Foundation and Viken Filmsenter.

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World sales company Taskovski Films has acquired




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Image Credit: Shutterstock

The Osbournes continue to grow in numbers! In May 2022, Kelly Osbourne announced that she was expecting her first child, two months before her brother Jack Osbourne, shared the news that he and his fiancée, Aree Gearhart, welcomed their first child together. “I am over the moon to announce that I am going to be a Mumma,” Kelly captioned the social media post announcing her and DJ Sid Wilson’s baby. “To say that I’m happy does not quite cut it. I am ecstatic.”

“I’m very happy to announce Maple Artemis Osbourne!” Jack captioned his social media post, which included a sweet photo of his newborn daughter. “Born 7-09-2022. 7.13lbs. Aree and Maple are doing great and are happy and healthy.” This is Jack’s fourth child, meaning Maple is Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne‘s fourth grandchild. And Kelly’s baby will be their fifth.

Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Ozzy himself is a grandparent multiple times over. Louis Osbourne and Jessica Osbourne, Ozzy’s children from his first marriage to Thelma Riley, have both welcomed children into the world. However, for Ozzy and Sharon, they share a handful of grandchildren from Jack’s previous relationship. Before that number grows even more, here’s what you need to know about their grandkids.

Pearl Osbourne

Jack Osbourne and Pearl Osbourne at the 25th Annual Race To Erase MS Gala (Nina Prommer/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

Jack Osbourne was married to Lisa Stelly from 2012 to 2019. During that time, they welcomed three kids together, the oldest being Pearl Osbourne. Pearl was born in April 2012. Pearl has made a few appearances on her grandma’s and aunt’s Instagram, usually while on family vacations. “I had the most wonderful day at Universal with my family, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was spectacular and the snowfall absolutely beautiful,” Kelly captioned a 2018 Instagram post with her niece.

Lisa filed for divorce in 2018. Jack later addressed the split on Instagram. “We just want to be clear with what’s going on,” he wrote. “So, first and foremost, we absolutely still love each other. Our family is the most important thing in our lives, and we tried everything we could for many years to make this work. What’s best for our family right now is that that we separate lovingly, and remain best friend who are committed to raising our children together.”

Andy Rose Osbourne

Jack and Andy in 2016 Broadimage/Shutterstock

Jack and Lisa welcomed Andy Rose Osbourne in June 2015. “Pearl is very happy to become a big sister,” Lisa wrote on her blog, Raddest Mom, at the time (h/t PEOPLE). “ She diligently reads her ‘I’m a big sister’ books every night & recites to me her plans of bathing, feeding, singing to, and holding the baby.”

Jack has been cautious about raising his girls. He said he wants to set a good example for them, just so they don’t endure hardships when they start dating. “I’ve spent a lot of nights just thinking about this, and my whole thing is if I’m a great dad — you know, if you believe in the kind of Freudian theory that you’re attracted to what your parents [are like] — so I figure if I’m not a total piece of sh-t, she probably won’t end up dating or marrying a total piece of sh-t,” Jack said in a 2016 interview, per PEOPLE. “If [I] just be awesome, they will like awesome. And then, in turn, hopefully, I like that awesome person.”

Minnie Osbourne

Lisa and Jack welcomed Minnie Osbourne in February 2018, just months before they split. Despite the breakup, the two have co-parented their youngest, along with their two other children.

Jack and Lisa have also had help from his parents. “It’s all overwhelming. But in a good way — in a really positive, lovely way,” Sharon told People in 2012. “You go through every emotion. You go through joy and you thank God that everybody is healthy and happy. You realize how lucky you are. It’s like life has gone full cycle in our family.”

“I don’t have the words to express how happy I am for Jack and Lisa to have another beautiful little girl,” Sharon wrote when Minnie was born. “They named her Minnie which is [my] most very favorite name, other than Nana, which is what the girls call me. It’s a gift.”

Maple Artemis Osbourne

Maple Artemis Osbourne is Jack’s first child with his current fiancee, Aree Gearhart. She was born on July 9, 2022, and when Jack announced her birth on July 27, he said, “Aree and Maple are doing great and are happy and healthy.” Jack’s mom, Sharon, also took to Instagram to share in the joy of Maple’s birth, writing, “Ozzy and I are over the [moon] @seecreature & Maple are happy and healthy! @jackosbourne fasten your seatbelt”. As for Aree, she called the infant her “soulmate” in a social media upload of her own, writing, “New level of love unlocked.”

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View gallery Image Credit: Shutterstock The Osbournes continue to

UPDATED: Vox Media, the media company whose brands include New York Magazine, The Verge, Vulture, Thrillist and Popsugar, is laying off 39 employees in a new cost-cutting move the CEO says is in response to “economic uncertainty.”

The cuts, representing less than 2% of Vox Media’s roughly 2,000 workforce, come seven months after it merged with Group Nine Media, a digital media roll-up venture whose backers included Discovery Communications.

The latest Vox Media cuts include layoffs in sales and recruiting departments, as well as in certain editorial teams, including at Thrillist, the lifestyle brand that became part of the company through the Group Nine deal.

Those let go include Thrillist entertainment writers Esther Zuckerman and Emma Stefansky, both of whom tweeted that they were laid off from the outlet.

“I’m writing this morning to share the difficult news that today we will be informing colleagues, comprising under 2% of the company, that they no longer have roles at Vox Media,” Vox Media chief Jim Bankoff wrote in a memo to staff Wednesday obtained by Variety. “These decisions were made against the backdrop of economic turbulence, in the media and technology industries in particular.”

According to Bankoff, supply-chain issues across industries are “reducing marketing and advertising budgets… Our aim is to get ahead of greater uncertainty by making difficult but important decisions to pare back on initiatives that are lower priority or have lower staffing needs in the current climate.”

Vox Media also will take steps to “decrease hiring and reduce non-essential expenses,” Bankoff told staff in the memo, which had the subject line “Economic uncertainty & actions: important company update.”

“While we need to slow down the rapid pace of hiring that we experienced last year and expected to continue into 2022, we will continue to hire for roles that are critical to our work,” the CEO wrote.

In 2019, Vox Media acquired New York Media, publisher of New York Magazine, in an all-stock deal designed to gain synergies of scale, before inking the merger deal with Group Nine in December 2021.

The company’s current stable of brands comprises Curbed, The Cut, The Dodo, Eater, Grub Street, Intelligencer, New York Magazine, NowThis, Polygon, Popsugar, Recode, SB Nation, Seeker, The Strategist, Thrillist, The Verge, Vox and Vulture.

Axios first reported news of the Vox Media layoffs.

VIP+ Analysis: A Recession Could Send Media Layoffs Surging

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UPDATED: Vox Media, the media company whose

Friends who play together, stay together. That’s certainly true for talent manager Guy Oseary, Woody Harrelson, Matthew McConaughey and Chris Rock. As the four pals take a break during a recent yacht vacation to celebrate Oseary being named Variety’s Music Mogul of the Year, Oseary can barely get through his introduction for a Variety video without McConaughey laughing at him or Harrelson telling him to “add more energy” to his line readings and to “smile more.”

“It’s to do things outside of the traditional,” Oseary says when Harrelson grills him on what it means to be a mogul. “That’s possibly why they awarded me this. Going out- side of the traditional and looking beyond what I had been working on, expanding into other areas and, luckily, being successful.”

Oseary calls Harrelson, McCon- aughey and Rock his “brothers” and stresses how important making time for them and his family is to his career moving forward. “He’s a kind mogul,” Rock says with a laugh. “A benevolent mogul! A caring mogul! You under- stand? These things are not separate.”

“One of his great talents, and we’re living proof of that, is I don’t know a better curator of people,” McConaughey says of Oseary as Rock and Harrelson nod. “I’d also say he’s one of my top three favorite DJs of all time. No one gathers the right group together from different places better than this guy.”

Harrelson also hails Oseary as a “great curator” of people, adding, “He’s introduced me to several of my closest friends.”

“This is a brotherhood right here,” Oseary says of his vacation buddies. “We’ve laughed together. We’ve cried together. I’m humbled to get an award like this but more humbled to have these guys as my brothers.”

Watch the full video above.

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Friends who play together, stay together. That’s

The Critics Choice Association announced on Tuesday five dates for its upcoming awards shows and celebrations, including its annual Critics Choice Awards.

The 28th annual Critics Choice Awards will take place on Jan. 15, 2023 at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles and will air live on The CW from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET.

The 7th annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards will take place on Nov. 13 at the Edison Ballroom in Manhattan. Nominations will be announced on Oct. 17, and the deadline for submissions is Sept. 16.

The 5th annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television will be held on Dec. 5 at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel as well. Last year’s honorees included Halle Berry, Anthony Anderson, Jennifer Hudson, Barry Jenkins, Ava DuVernay, Idris Elba, Regina King, Jonathan Majors, Danielle Brooks, Robin Thede and Kenan Thompson.

The 2nd annual Celebration of Latino Cinema & Television will hold its first in-person ceremony at the Fairmont Century Plaza on Oct. 7. Last year’s show honored Rita Moreno, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Demián Bichir, Gloria Estefan, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Clifton Collins Jr., Eugenio Derbez and Olga Merediz.

Lastly, the inaugural Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema & Television will take place on Nov., at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel. The three celebrations will be produced by Madelyn Hammond and Javier Infante of Madelyn Hammond & Associates.

“It truly is an embarrassment of riches,” says CCA CEO Joey Berlin. “We’re thrilled the CriticsChoice Awards is returning to its original January date on The CW and has become more popular than ever before. Our Documentary Awards receives more and more submissions every year. And as the CCA membership has grown over the last year and become even more diverse, it gives us great pleasure to respond accordingly with the expansion of our portfolio of events. The addition of our inaugural Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema & Television along with the success of last year’s first Celebration of Latino Cinema and the 5th year milestone of our Celebration of Black Cinema & Television allows us to continue honoring the finest achievements in front of and behind the camera, and shine a light on underrepresented and underappreciated storytellers.”

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The Critics Choice Association announced on Tuesday

Chehre
Director: Rumi Jaffery
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Emraan Hashmi, Annu Kapoor, Raghubir Yadav, Rhea Chakraborty

“I am tired and bored of this game, just give the verdict already,” says Emraan Hashmi’s at the climax of the film. Unfortunately, the dialogue holds true for Chehre.

Director Rumi Jaffery takes his audience to the world of four friends (Amitabh Bachchan, Annu Kapoor, Raghubir Yadav, and Dhritiman Chatterjee) who are retired court officials comprising a public prosecutor, defense lawyer, judge, and an executioner who play a game which is like a mock trial with a mysterious visitor (Hashmi) who reaches the doorstep of their house due to some unforeseen circumstances. While Hashmi’s character is initially reluctant to participate, he later gives in and decides to play the game. It may sound like an interesting plot, but the film lacks both the smarts and the menace of being a good courtroom drama thriller.

To begin with, the screenplay is inert, especially in the first half. The second half, which is set almost entirely in a makeshift courtroom, has more vigour. There are some interesting points in the film including some heavy dialoguebaazi, but the problem lies in parts that are supposed to establish a connection between the audience and the characters – they are loosely written and over dramatically portrayed onscreen.

Given the absurd twists and turns, the film comes across as a convoluted and tedious mess. It almost feels like Jaffery has botched up his own script. At almost two and half hours, the film seems slow and boring. The cat and mouse game between Bachchan and Hashmi’s character never picks up pace

Of the performances, Bachchan is top-notch. His nuances and his ability to pull off the best lines with his elegant baritone make the performance as clinical as a veteran lawyer’s arguments in court. The makers have given him a stylish look which adds to his karizma. Kapoor like always is convincing and easily slips into his character. Both actors combine to create the right amount of tension and thrill. Cahterjee and Yadav with their experience lend in good support On the other hand, Hashmi as a corporate guy looks a little jaded. Siddhant Kapoor as the house help seems to wasted. The women- Rhea Chakraborty as the maid and Krystle D’Souza as a love interest are cardboard-ish and hardly have any meat to work with.

Chehre isn’t unwatchable, but it is an inconsistent film has very little to offer. I was reminded of Sunny Deol’s famous dialogue, “Tareekh pe tareekh, tareekh pe tareekh, tareekh pe tareekh milti gayi My Lord, par insaaf nahi mila” from the 1993 super hit film Damini. The audience surely won’t get any kind of insaaf after investing their time in Chehre. ​

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ChehreDirector: Rumi JafferyCast: Amitabh Bachchan, Emraan Hashmi,

July 27, 2022

Welcome friends and neighbors to another episode of the Reel Film Nerds podcast. Today Mike and Matt chat about Jordan Peele’s latest thriller Nope starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Steven Yeun. Off topics include a new Blu-ray giveaway, Mike is secretly 0069, and sky Jaws.

Jordan Peele’s third film Nope is an unexpected sci-fi thriller that caught both of your hosts off guard. It is a great original story that takes almost half the runtime to get on its feet but when it does man is it good! The acting especially by Kaluuya and Palmer is excellent. They play completely opposite personality types but have wonderful chemistry as brother and sister in the film. The cinematography is decent but the night scenes are where Nope is in a class of its own. It is very difficult to film in the dark and make it look good and this movie does it better than just about anyone. Matt and Mike both agree this is a must see flick in the theaters. They both award Nope 4.5 out of 5 Reels.    

For next week we hit the streaming services to check out a Netflix Original spy thriller The Gray Man starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans. Thanks for listening and we will chat with you next week!


If you have a film you would like Matt and Mike to review, email us at nerds@reelfilmnerds.com

You can find us on all things social such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Why not join our Facebook Fan Group so you can yell at Mike and Matt from the comfort of your keyboard while talking about films. We also have an old fashioned website where you can watch trailers, read the host’s bios, listen to the podcast, and get a ton more info on the movies we review.  http://www.ReelFilmNerds.com Thank you for liking, subscribing, rating, reviewing, and telling your friends about our podcast.

Finally go out and catch as many movies as you can!

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July 27, 2022 Welcome friends and neighbors to

ABC used Norman Lear’s 100th birthday today to announce a career-spanning new special about the TV legend for Premiere Week. Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music & Laughter will air Thursday, September 22.

The network said to expect a lineup of celebrity guests and musical performances but did not reveal just who will turn up in the “star-studded” two-hour tribute to the iconic creator of such television classics as All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times, Maude, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time and so many others.

Norman Lear At 100: His Legendary Life And Career In 100 Photos

“I’ve always believed music and laughter have added time to my life,” Lear said in a statement. “I’ve seen a lot throughout my 100 years, but I would’ve never imagined America having a front-row seat to my birthday celebration. Thank you.”

Said Craig Erwich, president of Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment: “Norman’s illustrious career is revered by so many, and we are honored to be celebrating his legacy with this special night of entertainment. We have been lucky to work with Norman on a number of projects over the years, and it’s only fitting that his centennial birthday be marked by the biggest names in Hollywood raising a glass to toast, and perhaps gently roast, the television icon.”

Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter is produced by Done+Dusted in association with Walt Disney Television Alternative. David Jammy, Brent Miller, Raj Kapoor and Eric Cook are the executive producers. The special also will stream on Hulu.

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ABC used Norman Lear’s 100th birthday today

Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, Bones

Patrick McElhenney/FOX

There are 206 bones in the human body, but there’s only one Bones. The long-running procedural, which ran for 12 seasons on Fox between 2005 and 2017, starred Emily Deschanel as brilliant forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan and David Boreanaz as FBI special agent Seeley Booth, Brennan’s partner in gruesome crime solving. Despite all the murder, Bones remains a reliable comfort watch — and it churned out more episodes than there are bones in the body, so it can occupy your time for a while. But if you’re looking to branch out without losing that Bones-y charm, there are plenty of similar procedurals out there to enjoy. 

Check out these series if you’re looking for the next show to fill that Jeffersonian-sized hole in your life, whether you’re missing the electric romance between Booth and Brennan, the cool science, the freaky science, or the banter between smart hot people.

More recommendations:

Tom Ellis and Lauren German, Lucifer

Tom Ellis and Lauren German, Lucifer

John P. Fleenor/Netflix

If you like your shows so close to Bones that the characters actually make jokes about Bones, check out Lucifer, another playful procedural about an unlikely police consultant — in this case, the literal devil. Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis), who’s abandoned hell to become a nightclub owner in Los Angeles, partners up with L.A.P.D. detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German) to solve crime — stranger things have happened, maybe? — while sorting out his otherworldly daddy issues. On top of being a fun show with a steamy will they/won’t they couple, Lucifer is also a clever spin on redemption stories. And yes, turns out the devil is a big fan of Bones.

Fringe

Fringe

FOX Image Collection via Getty Images

Fringe is what would happen if the Jeffersonian team’s weird experiments got so much weirder. The series — which really puts the science in science fiction — stars Anna Torv as Olivia Dunham, an agent with the FBI’s Fringe Division, who enlists Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) and his scientist father, Walter Bishop (John Noble), to consult on strange cases. It started as mostly a case-of-the-week procedural, but as it embraced its destiny as a twisty serialized epic about parallel universes, Fringe grew into one of the best and most underappreciated dramas of its era. Bones fans who loved Booth and Brennan will enjoy Olivia’s multiverse-spanning romance with Peter; Bones fans who loved watching scientists solve puzzles will enjoy, well, more of that.

Aasif Mandvi, Katja Herbers, and Mike Colter, Evil

Aasif Mandvi, Katja Herbers, and Mike Colter, Evil

Elizabeth Fisher, CBS

No other show is having as much fun as Evil is. The drama, which aired its first season on CBS before moving to Paramount+, starts with a nice opposites-attract partnership: Psychologist Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers) teams up with priest-in-training David Acosta (Mike Colter) and tech expert Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi) to investigate claims of demonic possession on behalf of the Catholic Church. But because it hails from CBS’s favorite boundary pushers, Robert and Michelle King, it’s also fantastically dark and full of surprises. Evil takes the kind of religious debates Booth and Brennan had on Bones, turns up the heat, and throws in a lot more creepy exorcisms. It’s philosophical, absurd, oh-so-smart, and a total must-watch.

John Francis Daley, Geoff Stults, Michael Clarke Duncan, The Finder

John Francis Daley, Geoff Stults, Michael Clarke Duncan, The Finder

Jordin Althaus/Fox

Remember Bones‘ sort-of spin-off? The Finder, a show about a guy who finds things, but like, really well (sure), was created by Bones creator Hart Hanson, introduced via a backdoor pilot in Bones‘ sixth season, and featured guest appearances from Bones favorites like Lance Sweets (John Francis Daley) and Jack Hodgins (T.J. Thyne). The series follows Walter Sherman (Geoff Stults, having a lot of fun), a U.S. Army vet who suffered a traumatic brain injury in Iraq that left him paranoid but able to see patterns others don’t. Walter finds things for clients, working out of the Key West bar he co-owns with his friend Leo (the late Michael Clarke Duncan). The Finder was canceled after its first season, just as it was starting to unlock its potential. But it’s always nice to meet up with old friends (fictional characters from Bones) in warm climates.

Pushing Daisies

Pushing Daisies

Justin Stephens / ABC / Getty Images

Before Bryan Fuller was turning dead bodies into baroque art displays on Hannibal, he created Pushing Daisies, a far quirkier show that also involves a lot of dead bodies. The forensic fairy tale follows a pie-maker named Ned (Lee Pace) whose touch can bring dead things back to life — with the twist that if he keeps them alive for longer than 60 seconds, another random life will be taken. When Ned takes a risk and brings his childhood sweetheart, Chuck (Anna Friel), back from the dead, the two embark on a touchless romance while also, naturally, using Ned’s gift to solve murders. Pushing Daisies is an impossibly cute show that checks a lot of the same boxes as Bones, like peculiar crimes and corpses in weird positions. It’s also got something we all wish Bones had: Kristin Chenoweth singing show tunes with a golden retriever.

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, The X-Files

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, The X-Files

Fox

You had to know this list would get here eventually. Bones (like most of the shows listed here) wouldn’t exist without The X-Files, the classic Fox procedural in which FBI agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) investigate paranormal phenomena, like their out-of-this-world chemistry. Booth and Brennan’s partnership on Bones shares so much DNA with The X-Files‘ definitive skeptic and believer that the Bones pilot just went ahead and admitted it: As Booth put it to Brennan, “We’re Mulder and Scully.” (Still unanswered: Are Mulder and Scully real agents in the Bones universe, or does Booth have a stash of X-Files VHS tapes at home?) Decades after its premiere, The X-Files remains as gripping and relevant as ever, and its moody blend of monsters and government paranoia has never been duplicated.

Dule Hill and James Roday, Psych

Dule Hill and James Roday, Psych

Alan Zenuk, USA Network

If Bones is a “romantic crimedy,” then Psych is a friendship crimedy. The very funny cult favorite USA Network show follows irreverent charmer Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez) as he bluffs his way into a gig as a fake psychic detective alongside his best friend, Gus (Dulé Hill). Using his keen observational skills, Shawn wins over the Santa Barbara Police Department, including his love interest, Juliet O’Hara (Maggie Lawson), and gruff head detective Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson). Psych is sillier than Bones, loaded with obscure pop culture references and running gags about pineapples, but it takes the relationships at its core seriously.

Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion, Castle

Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion, Castle

Byron Cohen/ABC

Castle has often been pitted against Bones in a battle of will they/won’t they procedurals, but having a favorite is no reason not to enjoy both. Castle stars Nathan Fillion as mystery novelist Richard Castle, who begins following NYPD detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) for research and winds up consulting on colorful cases. The series was obviously ABC’s play for its own Bones, but it had the benefit of coming out of the gate knowing exactly what tone it wanted to strike, and it built Castle and Beckett’s relationship on an entertaining blend of trust and tension, especially in the early years. Castle eventually went off the rails, but when it was fun, it was really fun.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Nicholas Brendon, Anthony Head, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Charisma Carpenter and Alyson Hannigan, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Fotos International/Courtesy of Getty Images

If you somehow haven’t yet watched a young David Boreanaz claim his throne as TV’s resident brooder, here’s your chance. Before you watch Angel, the spin-off focused on Boreanaz’s vampire with a soul, start with Buffy, a coming-of-age story about a game-changing character. Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) fights the vamps and demons in her town — which happens to be situated over a Hellmouth — as part of her calling as the Slayer, all while navigating homework and prom and really bad breakups. Buffy is tough and smart; a crush on a character played by Boreanaz isn’t the only thing she has in common with Brennan.

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Emily Deschanel,

The Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild announced the timeline for its 10th annual MUAHS Awards, which will be held Feb. 11 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

The Guild (IATSE Local 706) honors achievements for make-up artists and hair stylists in motion pictures, television, commercials, and live theater.

Last season, Coming 2 America won three MUAHS Awards, the most for a feature film.

The 2022-2023 MUAHS Awards timeline follows.

OCTOBER

Oct. 31: Submissions open for TV and feature film

NOVEMBER

Nov. 30: Submissions close

DECEMBER

Dec. 16: Nominations voting begins

JANUARY

Jan. 6: Nominations voting closes

Jan. 11: Nominations announced

Jan. 23: Final voting begins

FEBRUARY

Feb. 3: Final voting closes

Feb. 11: MUAHS Awards presentation

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The Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild