Ousted Syrian leader Assad in Moscow and given asylum, Russian state news agencies sayLife Risk News Publishes December 2024 Issue
"It Time to Try Defying Gravity" because Part One of "Wicked" is now in cinemas. Adapted from the popular Broadway musical based on Gregory Maguire's book and a revelatory prequel to “ The Wizard of Oz, " "Wicked" is the first of a two-part epic. USA TODAY movie critic Brian Truitt gave the film ★★★ out of four , writing that "even with a few missteps, it’s easy to get swept up in director Jon M. Chu’s colorful spectacle ( rated PG) ." "The movie musical is both superfluous and splendiferous, yet it casts a big-hearted spell that you’d have to be wicked not to appreciate at least a little. The song-filled character study of the Wicked Witch of the West’s early years ekes out great performances from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande that’ll wow musical theater kids and old-school “Oz” fans alike," Truitt wrote in his review, adding the film manages to "at least pulls off a truly soaring closing cliffhanger." With Part 1 of "Wicked" now in cinemas, anticipation for the second part, which is expected to pick up from where the first part ended, presumably beginning with the song "Thank Goodness," is high. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. "Wicked" director Jon M. Chu, in April 2022, had announced the film would be split into two parts because it "became impossible" to shrink the Broadway play "into a single film without doing some real damage to it." “As we prepared the production over the last year, it became impossible to wrestle the story of 'Wicked' into a single film without doing some real damage to it," Chu had written in a social media post . "As we tried to cut songs or trim characters, those decisions began to feel like fatal compromises to the source material that has entertained us all for so many years." He continued: "We decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one 'Wicked' movie but two! With more space, we can tell the story of Wicked as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys for these beloved characters.” 'Wicked' review: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande are fantastic as witchy BFFs We've got room on the couch! Sign up for USA TODAY's Watch Party newsletter for more recaps of your favorite shows. Here's what we know so far about Part 2 of "Wicked" including release date and cast. 'Wicked' Part 2 release date Wicked Part 2 is expected to hit screens on November 21, 2025 — one year (minus a day) after the first installment, according to Universal Pictures . Both "Wicked" and "Wicked: Part 2" were shot back-to-back between December 2022 and January 2024, according to Forbes , which means the second installment of the "Wicked" has already been filmed. 'Wicked' Part 2 cast While Universal Studios has not yet announced the full cast list for Part 2 or hinted if there would be new characters, it is likely that much of the original cast will be returning including: Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle 'Wicked': The movie's biggest changes from the Broadway musical and book How to watch 'Wicked' The only way to watch "Wicked" at this point is to catch it in a cinema near you. The film is not currently available to stream. However, it is expected to be available to stream on Peacock in the future. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Valladolid beats fellow struggler Valencia to move off the bottom of La Liga
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Missouri’s governor on Monday denied clemency for Christopher Collings , a death row inmate facing execution for sexually assaulting and killing a 9-year-old girl and leaving her body in a sinkhole. Collings, 49, is scheduled to receive a single injection of pentobarbital at 6 p.m. CST Tuesday at the state prison in Bonne Terre, Missouri, for the 2007 killing of fourth-grader Rowan Ford. It would be the 23rd execution in the U.S. this year and the fourth in Missouri. “Mr. Collings has received every protection afforded by the Missouri and United States Constitutions, and Mr. Collings’ conviction and sentence remain for his horrendous and callous crime,” Republican Gov. Mike Parson said in a statement. Parson’s decision likely sealed Collings’ fate. Earlier Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied an appeal on behalf of Collings, without comment. No additional appeals are planned, Collings' attorney, Jeremy Weis, said. Parson's decision was not unexpected — a former sheriff, Parson has overseen 12 previous executions without granting clemency. Weis said Parson has allowed other executions to proceed for inmates with innocence claims, intellectual disabilities and for men who were “reformed and remorseful” for their crimes. “In each case of redemption, the Governor has ignored the evidence and sought vengeance,” Weis said in a statement. Collings confessed to killing Rowan, a child who referred to him as “Uncle Chris” after Collings lived for several months with the girl’s family in tiny Stella, Missouri. Rowan was killed on Nov. 3, 2007. Her body was found in a sinkhole outside of town six days later. She had been strangled. The clemency petition said an abnormality of Collings’ brain causes him to suffer from “functional deficits in awareness, judgment and deliberation, comportment, appropriate social inhibition, and emotional regulation.” It also noted that he suffered from frequent and often violent abuse as a child. “The result was a damaged human being with no guidance on how to grow into a functioning adult,” the petition stated. The petition also challenged the fairness of executing Collings when another man charged in the crime, Rowan’s stepfather, David Spears, also confessed but was allowed to plead to lesser crimes. Spears served more than seven years in prison before his release in 2015. Collings told authorities that he drank heavily and smoked marijuana with Spears and another man in the hours before the attack on Rowan, according to court records. Collings said he picked up the sleeping child from her bed, took her to the camper where he lived and assaulted her there. He said he strangled the child with a rope when he realized she recognized him. Collings told investigators that he took the girl's body to a sinkhole. He burned the rope used in the attack, along with the clothes he was wearing and his bloodstained mattress, prosecutors said. Spears also implicated himself in the crimes, according to court documents and the clemency petition. A transcript of Spears’ statement to police, cited in the petition, said he told police that Collings handed him a cord and that he killed Rowan. “I choke her with it. I realize she’s gone. She’s ... she’s really gone,” Spears said, according to the transcript. It was Spears who led authorities to the sinkhole where her body was found, according to court documents. No phone listing could be found for Spears. The Supreme Court appeal challenged the reliability of the key law enforcement witness at Collings’ trial, a police chief from a neighboring town who had four AWOL convictions while serving in the Army. Failure to disclose details about that criminal history at trial violated Collings’ right to due process, Weis contended. “His credibility was really at the heart of the entire case against Mr. Collings," Weis said in an interview. Three men have been executed in Missouri this year — Brian Dorsey on April 9, David Hosier on June 11 and Marcellus Williams on Sept. 24. Only Alabama, with six, and Texas, with five, have performed more executions than Missouri in 2024.
Dear Abby: Defeated husband has fallen into a downward spiral
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers returned to the state Capitol on Monday to begin a special session to protect the state’s progressive policies ahead of another Trump presidency. The Democratic governor, a fierce critic of President-elect Donald Trump, is positioning California to once again be the center of a resistance effort against the conservative agenda. He is asking his Democratic allies in the Legislature, who hold supermajorities in both chambers, to approve additional funding to the attorney general’s office to prepare for a robust legal fight against anticipated federal challenges. Democratic Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel on Monday introduced legislation to set aside $25 million for legal fees to respond to potential attacks by the Trump administration on state policies regarding civil rights, climate change, immigration and abortion access. “While we always hope to collaborate with our federal partners, California will be ready to vigorously defend our interests and values from any unlawful action by the incoming Trump Administration,” Gabriel said in a statement. California sued the first Trump administration more than 120 times to various levels of success. “We’re not going to be caught flat-footed,” Newsom said at a recent news conference. Trump often depicts California as representing all he sees wrong in America. Democrats, which hold every statewide office in California and have commanding margins in the Legislature and congressional delegation, outnumber registered Republicans by nearly 2-to-1 statewide. Trump called the Democratic governor “Newscum” during a campaign stop in Southern California and has relentlessly lambasted the Democratic stronghold over its large number of immigrants in the U.S. illegally, homeless population and thicket of regulations. Trump also waded into a water rights battle over the endangered delta smelt , a tiny fish that has pitted environmentalists against farmers and threatened to withhold federal aid to a state increasingly under threat from wildfires. He also vowed to follow through with his campaign promise of carrying out the mass deportation of immigrants without legal status and prosecuting his political enemies. Before the special session began, state lawmakers swore in more than two dozen new members and elect leaders for the 2025 legislative session. Lawmakers voted to convene the special session largely along party lines. “This special session is about sticking up for Californians and for California values,” said state Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat representing San Francisco. “It is about ensuring that the president of the United States and his administration actually follow the law.” Hundreds of people also demonstrated around the Capitol on Monday to urge the Legislature to try to stop Trump’s mass deportation plans . They carried banners that said “Not one cent for mass deportation” and “MAGA out of California.” “With the results of the presidential election, we need our state elected officials to use every tool and every resource they have available to them to protect our immigrant Californians,” protester Deborah Lee said. State Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office will protect the state’s immigration population, while Newsom last week unveiled a proposal to revive a rebate program for electric vehicle purchases if the incoming Trump administration eliminates a federal tax credit for people who buy electric cars. Newsom is also considering creating a backup disaster relief fund for the wildfire-prone state after Trump’s threats. Bonta announced legislation Monday aimed at bolstering reproductive rights in the state, including by allowing the attorney general to seek monetary penalties against local governments that infringe on those rights. The proposals are part of the state’s efforts to safeguard against threats to abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade . Republican lawmakers blasted Newsom and his Democratic allies over the special session. State Sen. Kelly Seyarto, a Republican representing Murrieta in Southern California, said the special session proposal would make California have a more adversarial relationship with the federal government. “What we’re doing today is sending that exact message — that we are going to fight tooth and nail for everything. And you know what? That means they’re going to fight us tooth and nail for everything,” Seyarto said of the incoming Trump administration if the legislation gets approved. Legislators also are expected to spend the year discussing ways to protect dozens of laws expected to be targeted by the Trump administration, including one that has made the state a sanctuary for people seeking abortions who live in states where such practices have been severely limited. California, the nation’s most populous state, was the first to mandate that by 2035 all new cars , pickup trucks and SUVs sold in California be electric, hydrogen-powered or plug-in hybrids. The state also extends state-funded health care to all low-income residents regardless of their immigration status. Newsom hasn’t provided details about what actions the lawmakers will consider but said he wanted funding in place before Trump’s inauguration day, Jan. 20. The state spent roughly $42 million in litigation costs during the first Trump administration, officials said. California is projected to face a $2 billion budget deficit next year, with bigger shortfalls ahead. Gabriel, who sued the first Trump administration in 2017 when it tried to end a program to shield young immigrants from being deported, said lining up the funding now is “a wise investment.” California successfully clawed back $57 million between 2017 and 2018 after prevailing in a lawsuit to block the Trump administration from putting immigration enforcement conditions on certain federal law enforcement grants. Another legal victory over the citizenship question in the 2020 census forced the federal government to return $850,000 to the state, according to the attorney general’s office. During Trump’s first presidency, Democratic attorneys general banded together to file lawsuits over immigration, Trump’s travel ban for residents of Muslim countries, the environment, immigration and other topics. But Trump has one possible advantage this time around: He was aggressive in nominating conservative jurists to federal courts at all levels, including the Supreme Court. Associated Press journalists Haven Daley and Sophie Austin contributed to this report.LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams have claimed cornerback Emmanuel Forbes off waivers from Washington. The Rams (6-6) announced the move Monday. They waived undrafted rookie defensive back Charles Woods to make room on the roster. Forbes was the 16th overall draft pick in 2023, but the Commanders released him Saturday in yet another latest flop for their first-round selections under former coach Ron Rivera. Forbes started 10 games as a rookie, but the Mississippi State product got benched during the season — and his playing time dwindled to almost nothing under new coach Dan Quinn this season. Forbes was considered undersized to be an elite NFL defensive back before Washington used a first-round pick on him, and his play did little to discourage that perception. But the Rams are taking a flier on Forbes to help their mediocre pass defense. Darious Williams, a member of the Rams' Super Bowl championship team who returned to Los Angeles this season as a free agent, has been their best cover corner, but he struggled in Sunday's victory over New Orleans. Third-year pro Cobie Durant has started all 12 games this season with one interception. Los Angeles already traded Tre'Davious White, its other major offseason signing at cornerback, after the former Pro Bowler failed to perform. The Rams shipped White to Baltimore for a seventh-round pick swap last month. Woods has played in nine games for the Rams, appearing mostly on special teams. Los Angeles hosts Buffalo on Sunday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
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Hamilton ETFs Announces November 2024 Cash Distributions'Keokradong Bangladesh' conducted a cleanup campaign in Kuakata beach on Saturday. Photo: Observer A cleanup campaign was conducted at Kuakata beach by the volunteer organization 'Keokradong Bangladesh' on Saturday afternoon. Over 250 volunteers, including students and teachers from BRAC University, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, and Kuakata Bangabandhu Secondary School, participated in the initiative. The campaign began in front of the Bangladesh Tourism Corporation’s Motel Youth Inn and Holiday Homes and covered nearly four kilometers on both sides of the beach’s Zero Point. Volunteers removed biodegradable waste, plastic debris, and other trash scattered across the beach. The organizers appealed to tourists and small beachside businesses to use designated dustbins instead of littering the beach, emphasizing the importance of a clean environment. The volunteers remove plastic-made wastages from Kuakata beach. Photo: Observer Participants of the initiative highlighted that the campaign aimed to raise public awareness about maintaining a clean beach. Participating students expressed enthusiasm, saying they were delighted to both clean the beach and enjoy its natural beauty. They also expressed their intent to contribute to similar social initiatives in the future. Khaleelur Rahman, the principal of Kuakata Bangabandhu Secondary School, praised the campaign, stating that participation in such activities inspires students to engage in social work. “By taking part in these initiatives, students begin to understand their role in nation-building,” he added. Muntasir Mamun, the Patuakhali coordinator of Keokradong Bangladesh, shared that the organization aims to expand such initiatives across the country under the motto “Clean Beach, Clean Bangladesh.” He emphasized that their primary goal is to create public awareness about the importance of environmental cleanliness. The initiative received widespread appreciation and served as a reminder of the collective responsibility to maintain the natural beauty of Kuakata Beach while promoting sustainability.Suspended anti-vax doctor wins bid to resume practice
Saudi Arabia banned film for 35 years. The Red Sea festival is just one sign of the industry's rise
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