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SUBARU ANNOUNCES PRICING ON 2025 FORESTER WILDERNESSHellebuyck makes 43 saves, Iafallo scores twice to give Jets 4-1 win over Wild
NEW YORK: The man accused of gunning down a health insurance executive in a brazen hit in New York that sparked fierce debate about the industry pleaded not guilty Monday to state charges including “terrorist” murder. Luigi Mangione wore a white shirt, burgundy sweatshirt and was shackled during his appearance in a Manhattan court where he was flanked by police officers. Monday’s hearing came after Mangione, 26, appeared in a New York court last week to face federal charges also including murder following his dramatic extradition by plane and helicopter from Pennsylvania, where he was arrested at a McDonald’s restaurant. The suspect is charged in both state and federal court in the December 4 shooting of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson. Thompson’s murder brought to the surface deep public frustration with the expensive and opaque US medical insurance system, with many social media users painting Mangione as a hero. People demonstrating against the industry gathered outside court Monday brandishing banners reading “free Luigi” and “innocent until proven guilty.” If convicted in the state case, Mangione could face life imprisonment with no parole. In the federal case, he could technically face the death penalty. Mangioni’s attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo has previously sought clarity on how simultaneous federal and state charges would work, calling the situation “highly unusual.” Agnifilo raised concerns on Monday that Mangione could not receive a fair trial, and questioned why New York mayor Eric Adams had been present when Mangione was brought off a police helicopter at a Manhattan helipad last week. Aginifilo told local media Monday that officials “are treating him like he is like some sort of political fodder.” She said the sight of Mangione flanked by rifle-wielding tactical officers during the final stage of his extradition that was widely broadcast was “utterly political.” Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9 following a tip from staff at a McDonald’s restaurant, after a days-long manhunt. He had traveled to New York by bus from Atlanta about 10 days before the crime, the Department of Justice said. After checking into a Manhattan hostel with false identification, he allegedly performed reconnaissance near the victim’s hotel and the conference venue where the shooting took place. Early on December 4, Mangione allegedly tracked Thompson, walked up behind him and fired several gunshots from a pistol with a silencer, prosecutors allege. Afterward, he fled on a bicycle. Police say a “life-changing, life-altering” back injury may have motivated Mangione, although there was no indication he was ever a client of UnitedHealthcare. — AFP
Celebrating Half A Century Of Malta-Qatar RelationsUp to 80,000 dollars for circular economy initiatives of MSMEs and other actors in Havana
NRL makes decision on Ezra Mam’s punishment for drug driving
EDMONTON - A report from Canada's chief actuary suggests Alberta would not be entitled to more than half of the Canada Pension Plan's assets that the province has argued it should get if it were to leave the investment fund. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * EDMONTON - A report from Canada's chief actuary suggests Alberta would not be entitled to more than half of the Canada Pension Plan's assets that the province has argued it should get if it were to leave the investment fund. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? EDMONTON – A report from Canada’s chief actuary suggests Alberta would not be entitled to more than half of the Canada Pension Plan’s assets that the province has argued it should get if it were to leave the investment fund. The chief actuary’s paper, published Friday, says the calculation that claims Alberta should get 53 per cent — or $334 billion — of the $575-billion in CPP assets “does not respect” federal pension legislation. The $334-billion estimate comes from a report commissioned by the Alberta government in 2023 from consultants LifeWorks. Instead, the chief actuary agreed with the interpretation of University of Calgary economics professor Trevor Tombe, who had pegged Alberta’s share at between 20 and 25 per cent of total assets. “It is a complete rejection of the formula used in the LifeWorks report,” said Tombe, adding that he, like Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, was disappointed the report didn’t contain more detailed data. However, Tombe said Smith’s frustration over not getting a dollar figure is disingenuous because the report provides a simple formula to arrive at one. “This is not hard. We can have this assigned to some high school students to calculate, and they could do it,” he said, adding provincial officials have likely already calculated a number. Smith reiterated Thursday that her government wouldn’t consider moving forward with a referendum on the issue until it had a firm number from Ottawa. “We were under the impression that the chief actuary was hiring three different analysts to look at the legislation, to be able to get three very precise ways of looking at this issue, so that we had a precise number,” Smith said at an unrelated news conference. Applying data from the LifeWorks report to the formula provided by the chief actuary would suggest Alberta’s share would be about $135 billion, Tombe said. However, he noted that CPP assets grow and shrink all the time, so any estimate could quickly become irrelevant. Chief Actuary Assia Billig wrote that the LifeWorks formula would split up the CPP pie by leaving some provinces with a net negative allocation — an arrangement that would go against the wording of federal legislation. That position, the report says, is consistent with the findings of an independent advisory council. Four of the five panel members ultimately sided with Tombe’s approach. Tombe said the LifeWorks estimate calculated what Alberta would be entitled to if it had an independent provincial pension plan beginning at the same time as the inception of the CPP in 1966. Smith has long argued Albertans are getting a raw deal under the CPP. Her United Conservative Party government spent $7.5 million on a public campaign touting the benefits of a provincial plan, including the possibility of lower contributions and higher payouts to retirees. It also struck a public panel to speak directly to Albertans on the issue but later set it on the back burner pending a federal estimate. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Tombe said it’s worth having a public debate about the potential risks and rewards of a provincial pension plan, but the Alberta government should be transparent about its methods. “The challenge for the government is that the poll numbers didn’t move at all, even with a completely exaggerated set of benefits,” he said. Last week, a spokesperson for the federal finance department said it, along with the provinces and territories, are reviewing the findings from the chief actuary. “Discussions will take place between the government of Canada and provinces and territories over the coming weeks regarding the report and possible next steps,” the spokesperson said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2024. Advertisement AdvertisementWashington Commanders facing unexpected dilemma at key position | Sporting News
UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier has an idea for who Sean O’Malley should face in his return to the Octagon for the first time since losing the bantamweight title. Sean O’Malley lost to Merab Dvalishvili in the UFC 306 main event, bringing an abrupt end to the ‘Suga Show”s reign over the UFC’s most-stacked division. He lost by unanimous decision to Dvalishvili, despite claiming in the days after that he felt he deserved the nod on the judges’ scorecards . O’Malley is in the middle of some downtime away from the Octagon after having surgery done on his hip immediately after UFC 306. But, he’s teased a return to the cage in recent weeks, particularly for a potential rematch with Dvalishvili in 2025. O’Malley has cemented himself into a pay-per-view star during his career, and regardless of who he fights, many eyes will be tuned in to his Octagon appearances. Cormier believes a fight with a former champ would be enough for O’Malley to make the case for another title shot with a victory. READ MORE: Cris Cyborg threatens to suplex Claressa Shields ‘on her head’ as bad blood reaches boiling point Daniel Cormier pitched Sean O’Malley vs. Henry Cejudo for 2025 In a recent episode of Good Guy/Bad Guy with Chael Sonnen, Cormier pitched O’Malley vs. Cejudo. Cormier also put some potential Top 10 matchups together, including who Dvalishvili should face for his first title defense. Cormier’s matchmaking (UFC rankings as of November 25th, 2024): Merab Dvalishvili (C) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (#2) Deiveson Figueiredo (#5) vs. Dominick Cruz (NR) Cory Sandhagen (#4) vs. Petr Yan 2 (#3) Sean O’Malley (#1) vs. Henry Cejudo (#7) Marlon Vera (#6) vs. Mario Bautista (#10) Dvalishvili appeared to offer Petr Yan a title shot following Yan’s win over Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Macau. Umar Nurmagomedov, who most believe deserves the next title shot, blasted Dvalishvili on social media in response. Cejudo hasn’t fought since a loss to Dvalishvili at UFC 298 by unanimous decision. He’s 0-2 since ending his UFC retirement last year. O’Malley and Cejudo have gone back and forth online for years. During a brief appearance on Cejudo’s podcast with Kamaru Usman, O’Malley fired a brutal shot at Cejudo before departing. READ MORE: Jon Jones’ longtime coach shoots down narrative that Tom Aspinall is a ‘complex puzzle’ ahead of potential Octagon clash Sean O’Malley returned to training this week after recovery from hip surgery O’Malley returned to the gym this week as he prepares for his UFC return. He could potentially get a fight booked in the coming weeks for the first quarter of 2025, although his desired timeline for another fight is uncertain. Before losing to Dvalishvili at UFC 306, O’Malley earned recent wins over Aljamain Sterling, Marlon Vera, and Yan. The loss snapped a seven-fight unbeaten streak. Cejudo, like O’Malley, is looking to go on a redemption tour and reclaim the bantamweight throne. His last win came against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 in his lone bantamweight title defense before retiring. Cormier believes O’Malley vs. Cejudo is the fight to make as both former champs look to get back to the top of the bantamweight division. READ MORE: Leon Edwards breaks his silence to reveal new goal for 2025 after losing UFC welterweight title
San José State volleyball player at center of transgender lawsuit can play, judge rulesChristopher Nolan’s Next Is “The Odyssey”Nate Johnson scores 25 as Akron defeats Alabama State 97-78Why it matters: The success of Intel's upcoming 18A process node is critical to the company's future. After refuting reports of abysmal yield rates, Intel recently confirmed that 18A has reached a crucial milestone in its effort to regain competitiveness against semiconductor rivals Samsung and TSMC. comments aim to reassure industry observers that Intel's foundry business remains on track to compete with TSMC's and Samsung's 3nm and 2nm nodes starting next year. At the Barclays Annual Global Technology Conference, Holthaus and co-CEO David Zinsner discussed Intel's upcoming Panther Lake processors, which will debut the 18A process node upon their expected launch in the second half of 2025. Holthaus revealed that eight foundry customers have powered on ES0 (likely "Engineering Sample 0") chips built on the 18A node, signaling significant progress compared to six months ago. Intel released version... Daniel Sims
The Prime Minister said the season was a time to remember the importance of “being there for one another”, including in “the more difficult times”. He also expressed hope for “peace, particularly in the Middle East as the birthplace of the Christmas story” amid spiralling conflict across the region. The message comes after a challenging first five months in office for the Labour Government and against the backdrop of a flatlining economy and rising inflation. Sir Keir said: “This Christmas, people will be travelling up and down the country. Heading home, visiting relatives and loved ones to celebrate together the hope and joy of this special season. “It’s a time to remind ourselves what’s really important. Family. Friendship. And fellowship between all people. “Being there for one another – in these celebrations, as well as the more difficult times.” The Prime Minister sought to strike an optimistic note following another year of political upheaval for Britain, which saw Labour win a landslide victory after a surprise election called by Rishi Sunak in the summer. After taking office in July, the new Government made a series of unpopular decisions as ministers confronted the realities of creaking public services and strained national finances. As well as dealing with the economic inheritance, Sir Keir said he needed to fix a “broken society” which manifested itself in summer riots across the country after the Southport knife attack. Sir Keir said: “This Christmas, I will be hoping for peace, particularly in the Middle East as the birthplace of the Christmas story. “I’ll be looking towards a better, brighter future for every person and celebrating the joy and wonder that Christmas brings. “So, from my family to yours, I hope you have a very merry Christmas.” The message comes after revised official figures released on Monday indicated that UK gross domestic product (GDP) showed no growth between July and September. Downing Street defended the Government’s record so far when asked about the data, telling reporters: “We had to take those tough decisions to lay the foundations of growth such that we can then deliver the higher living standards over this Parliament that people want to see.” The Prime Minister also used his message to thank those spending Christmas serving others, including in the NHS and emergency services, the armed forces, churches and charities. “I know that this is not an easy time for everyone, and my thoughts are with all those who are lonely this Christmas. “Having a tough time, missing a loved one. You are not alone,” he said. Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch said Christmas was a time to reflect on “all that’s happened in the year” and “support all of those people who need our assistance”. “I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone, not just in the Conservative Party or in my constituency, but across the country,” the Tory leader said. “For all that you have been doing in your communities, supporting each other and helping to keep all our towns, villages and places going. “I think that Christmas is a time for us to reflect on all that’s happened in the year. “Sometimes we have amazing years. “Sometimes, like when I lost my dad, we have difficult years and we’re commiserating, but we do it together. “But it’s a time for us to support all of those people who need our assistance, who need our help, who need our support.” She added: “And I’m looking forward to 2025. “I wish you all the very best for the New Year and all of the exciting things to come.” Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “This year, I’ve had the chance to spend time with some amazing young carers. “Incredible young people who will spend this Christmas doing what they do all year round; looking after loved ones who are ill or disabled. “Carers embody the Christmas spirit of love, selflessness and generosity. “So I hope we can all take some time to think of them, and keep them in our hearts. “And wish them – and everyone – a Christmas full of peace, joy and love.”Former Wazzu QB John Mateer transferring to OklahomaSome directors are good with music. James Mangold is one of them. Back in 2006, “Walk the Line” scored five Oscar nods and won Best Actress for Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash. (Joaquin as Johnny Cash lost to Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Capote”). A hard-drinking Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook) makes a memorable appearance in “ A Complete Unknown ” (in theaters December 25 from Searchlight), Mangold’s latest music movie, this time focused on the four-year origin myth of Bob Dylan, from his arrival in New York at age 19 in 1961 to his going electric at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. Mangold is returning to his bent for more personal filmmaking (Best Picture Oscar nominee “Ford v Ferrari” ) after tackling 2023 franchise entry “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” for Steven Spielberg. The writer/director spoke to me on Zoom during his global press tour for “A Complete Unknown,” which has earned upbeat reviews, especially for Timothée Chalamet . On the awards circuit, Chalamet could follow his Best Actor Oscar nomination for “Call Me By Your Name” with a second, while Mangold and Jay Cocks are in the running for Adapted Screenplay; Mangold was nominated for Adapted Screenplay for “Logan” but has never made it into the Best Director circle. So far “A Complete Unknown” is landing with awards groups, nabbing the same three Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award nominations for Chalamet, supporting actor Edward Norton, and Best Motion Picture Drama/Picture; Elle Fanning won Best Supporting Actress from the National Board of Review, and the film made it to both the NBR and AFI Top Ten. This Zoom interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and brevity. Anne Thompson: Did you hear Zane Lowe’s unfettered interview with Timothée? James Mangold: It was remarkable. I love him. He’s a remarkable young man. Our journey on this movie has been five-and-a-half years. We met for the first time in 2019 at the Toronto Film Festival. I had just gotten my hands on the Elijah Wald book and Jay Cocks’ script. And there was a project in turnaround from HBO, and I had heard Timmy was interested in it. That was a home run idea. I had only a week ago just heard about the material, found out Timmy was in Toronto while I was there. So on the day that “Ford v Ferrari” premiered, I met with him there and told him how I saw the movie working in the most abstract sense. Do you remember that pitch? The simplest version was using “Amadeus” as a template. The way to structure this was to use the supporting cast to see the effect that genius has on them and to try to understand Bob through each of their eyes, instead of trying to crack him in the classic Freudian sense that he would have some big scene in the third act where he confesses some secret that everyone’s been waiting for, which from all my research, I’m not sure there is one. [Timmy] was excited, and he was thrilled. The fact that I made “Walk the Line” gave him confidence. He’s also a quick decision-maker and an instinctual actor. We decided to do this together, and I went to work revising the script. How big a Dylan fan were you at that point? The project didn’t come from me being a Dylan fan. I’ve listened to Dylan all my life, and like many people have gone in and out... listening to him non-stop, and then I have to take a rest, and then a year later, another wave of Dylan comes into my life. I wasn’t walking around going: “I’ve got to make a Bob Dylan movie.” The idea of making a movie about any true-life person, alive or dead, is to know what part of their life you’re making a movie about [before] you start to assemble a birth-to-retirement or death storyline that is so sprawling that it rarely has thematic unity to it at all. The book Cocks had adapted was focused on the road to the electric breakout? Jay wrote many scenes that still survive in the movie now. But Jay went into 1965 quickly. And I wanted to watch this ascent, and there wasn’t any folk period in the early 1960s. He did introduce Woody [Guthrie, played by Scoot McNairy], but then you jumped forward. The idea of keeping Woody alive through the movie for visits mid-picture and at the end of the movie was another thing I felt was important, to keep him, literally and figuratively, alive through the movie as a primal touchstone for Bob. Was Pete Seeger [Edward Norton] supposed to be what Dylan became? He was going to take over the folk mantle and be the popularizer of folk music, and he handed it to Dylan? Do you see it that way? Not exactly. I deeply admire Pete Seeger. I learned to play banjo in high school, inspired mainly by Pete and Steve Martin, but it’s not controversial to say that Pete only wrote a handful of songs and was much more of a missionary and an evangelist for folk music. Then he was an iconic artist whose unique brand of folk music defined and lifted all folk music. His optimism and generosity and sense of lifting all other boats, as he did with Bob and Joan and many others, and his sense of causes, which he would attach himself to all the way to the end of his life with Toshi, his wife, saving the Hudson River, were who Pete was. Look at it this way: Woody Guthrie, singer-songwriter, auteur, prickly, difficult man, salt of the earth; Pete Seeger, more of an evangelist operator, expert communicator, who was lifting Woody’s work and all the others. And then into their world arrives this star that Pete Seeger recognizes, who has some of what Pete doesn’t have, youth and edge, and a songbook that is staggering, and Seeger recognizes the value of an artist like this and immediately embraces him and is rewarded with Dylan becoming the center, holding up the circus tent of folk music. Did Dylan eventually betray Seeger? Did Bob ever agree to anything? Did he take a pledge? I don’t think he’s betrayed. Must all marriages, even ones that are unofficiated, last forever? And these are the questions the movie asks. In our movie, in the first scene alone with Pete in a car, Bob is clear that he’s not necessarily drinking the same kind of purity; he doesn’t view things in the same clearly divided way. You know that he doesn’t see things as us vs. them. He admires Little Richard and Hank Williams and Johnny Cash, and these are all influences which he thinks are marvelous, and they play on the pop charts, and they have drums and keyboards and rhythm sections. Bob becomes what Pete suggests and excels at it as a solo artist. You spoke with Dylan. Dylan himself was clear to me that he never envisioned himself being a solitary artist on stage. That was not his kind of dream. So that’s why he came to pay homage to Woody, who also, by the way, played with many string bands and bands in his career. But that didn’t mean that all he wanted was to be the Bob Dylan that he became. Dylan’s break toward electric music or band music was something that he always wanted to do and it was actually a matter of how long he was going to hold himself back to maintain this kind of tribalism that had divided these two camps from each other. Also Johnny Cash played at Newport Folk Festival many times, and had no problem as they brought a complete band on the stage. So obviously their concern about Dylan was that he was a symbol of their music. Johnny was a country music star coming as a special guest, a novelty, but Bob was folk, and if Bob turned to something other than folk, the tent might collapse. It struck Timothée that who Dylan was and what he represents is the exact opposite of what everything is today. The movie shows us not that he was pure but that he was true to his art. I agree with Timothée’s observation. [Bob] wanted to paint, but he didn’t want to be the voice in your headphones at MoMA, when you look at the paintings, he didn’t want to have to explain his work. And I think we’ve only gotten worse in that we can’t look at mystery. Art is mystery. The power of art is that it could be read different ways by different people. That it is not journalism. And it is not a Wikipedia entry, and it is not a set of facts or bullet points or simple references, and that to point out what you’re doing is to cheapen your work, and that those of us like Timothée and myself who live in this modern era, we know that’s unavoidable. You have to do it. But Dylan avoided it. But I don’t think it was out of intellectual fortitude or artistic ethics. Dylan was uncomfortable with interviews and with explication of oneself and one’s intentions. It’s easy for one to take what could be the result of a social anxiety and make it an artistic dogmatic position. And I tried to write the script with Jay that tried to depict [Dylan] as someone who loved making, but he didn’t necessarily enjoy or find comfort or even could be unwound by this mass adoration. His goal was never gigantic adoration. His goal was always to send these missives out in the world and let people process them. Timothée had to find that balance where he’s hooded, enigmatic, and mysterious but is also trying to draw you in while he’s keeping you out. It’s hard to pull off. Yes, but I don’t think Timmy tried to keep us out. I don’t think that’s a way you can direct an actor. One of the most beautiful touches early in the film that Timothée did in one take that I circled immediately, was Elle Fanning and him are out on a date, and they’re walking by a subway station, and she writes her number on his hand, and then she kisses his cheek, and Timmy has this moment where he flinches as she kisses his cheek, almost like it scares him a little. It was a penetrating moment: What if this character is actually living with an element of fear and anxiety about social interaction and love and connection, that it’s scary for them? I had this theory that the best angle would be to play him so that the outside world and the sensory world is intrusive to him, and it’s a struggle for him to stay present, and that instead of assuming everything is an attitude or an edge, what if there’s social awkwardness and a lack of filter that makes him blurt out things that are resoundingly blunt to the point that they seem impolite? But where he exists is a space of extreme honesty that doesn’t work in our world; it comes off as rudeness. I tried to find other ways to look at his behavior and encourage Timothée to examine them. For instance, we can call his making stories up about his past a lie, but we can also call it a wish, meaning that he wished he wasn’t a middle-class kid who grew up in comfort, the son of a man who owned a hardware store in Hibbing, Minnesota. He wished he came from the carnival and the rails and the dirt of the alleys like Woody Guthrie. And so those wishes becoming fantasies became legend, and I was trying to understand everything without assuming that he was this puppet master organizing this PR campaign of mystery and subterfuge, which I found slightly hard to believe. His sexual and professional bond with Joan Baez [Monica Barbaro], who was a bigger star, goes on through the movie until he turns up in her hotel room playing guitar in the middle of the night and she kicks him out! Joan was the one equal. Yes, they had different talents. Joan had a nightingale’s voice. She was a masterful guitar player. She had a perfection in her execution of her songs, but she only wrote a handful of songs. On the other side you had Bob, who was more of a wild card, who didn’t always sing, even on pitch, he was sloppy and slightly provocative and rambling in his stage presence. And so they’re completely opposite, but completely fascinating to one another, because, of course, the songs are springing from him like a fountain and how annoying that might be for Joan, that somehow this disheveled and semi-rude, rumpled genius, had no problem springing forth. With songs that she wanted to sing. They loved each other and were fascinated by one another. But it was unavoidable that there would be a slight competitive nature between them, and that each would covet something that the other had. Bob coveted her beautiful voice, her beautiful visage, her brilliant execution, and admired her stardom and her professionalism. And Joan admired the artistic volcano out of which these songs seem to spring. You’ve said the movie isn’t political, but weren’t Dylan’s songs political in their time? All movies are political, either directly or metaphorically. “Ford v Ferrari” is political. I wanted to represent all sides. But does it involve politics? Yes, not even just the obvious politics of the moment, but also the politics of what is music here for? Now, music is almost entirely about the self. We have very little music about our world, we sing entirely about our personal lives. In preparing the music, you did pre-recordings, but once you were shooting, it became apparent that after years of pandemic and strike delays with time for practice, the live performances were better? Was that scary ? It was less scary for me than it was for my sound team and in the edit room. Recordings are more challenging in these different locations, wherein to get a quality recording of the guitar playing, banjo playing, and singing, you have trucks going by, random creaks and sounds. And I had to convince them I didn’t care, that we could fix them later. But there were myriad technical issues, like, “What if Timmy plays the song at one rhythm in one take and then increases by two rhythm beats the next take?” The truth was, he did; the rhythm does vary slightly, but you don’t feel it because the song is so alive. It was much ado about nothing compared to the gains we got by allowing him to do it. It was a process that was rolling. I let us do the first song live; that worked so well we tried it again with the next. And in a sense, we always held the pre-records back there as a backup, and as we rolled forward, we got better and better. The sound team figured out where to hide mics in [Chalamet’s] hair or his hat, or secret mics inside the guitar. Everyone adapted and suddenly developed a brilliant technique to make it all happen. And you somehow got the period right. I grew up in New York in the ’60s and ’70s. I was born in ’63 but I remember those streets, the smell of them, the pickle barrels, the wonderful collection of humanity. That later period, 1969, is harder because you could look like a road production of “Hair” if you don’t watch yourself. But this period, as Bob himself said, the early ’60s were an extension of the ’50s, and the late ’60s were the beginning of the ’70s. And the ’60s, according to Bob, didn’t really exist. There was a dividing line at ’65 and everything onward was a prologue to the ’70s. The big change occurred somewhere around the Newport concert, and the arrival of the Beatles and The Stones, and the worsening of the Vietnam War, and the assassinations, and Woodstock, became demarcations of of a dramatic cultural shift. You recreated Greenwich Village in New Jersey? One of the advantages we had by landing in New Jersey: for a lot of the street scenes, we found blocks that were still pretty much exactly as they were 60 years ago, and they just required a bit of dressing. If you tried to shoot this in New York, there’s not a single block we could even afford to shut down, given the five-star restaurants and businesses that would never agree to anything that didn’t give them each $100,000 a night to close. We shot a few days in New York, obviously, outside the Chelsea Hotel and the Supreme Court courthouse. But most of it was in New Jersey. This is not a conventional narrative. How did you keep the audience invested in the story, even though it was basically a string of musical performances? First of all, I viewed the musical performance as part of the scenes. I viewed the songs as part of the scene where the actors were acting, but on pitch. I had the same demands when they were singing as when they were acting without singing, which is that there always had to be a subtext. There always had to be dramatic tension, whether in the wings or between each other on the stage or with someone in the audience, that I never wanted it to just be wholly a recreation of a famous concert. Watching people sing is no different than when you’re doing an action sequence in an action picture: if there isn’t story development inside the action, or if there isn’t story development inside the song, then the song is a commercial break from the drama of the movie, and the movie unwinds. In the film, Chalamet performs 40 songs, some are guitar or harmonica or radio fragments, including 26 whole songs. He prepared 30 songs, but you had to pick the ones that you put in the movie for a reason. When I started writing, I was just dropping the songs where they went in. I was conscious of how the songs gained power as explications of his emotional state in the context of what was going on politically and emotionally for him at that time. So him singing “Song for Woody” couldn’t be more intentional. Each one of these songs were revealing another aspect of him, also a different energy. Many of his songs were talking directly to the audience. Had that been done much before? Folk music, at that point, existed as a world of covers. All popular music was primarily in [the early ’60s] people singing standards, even Coltrane and Davis, most of their albums were taking Rodgers and Hammerstein tunes, or “My Funny Valentine,” or taking popular melodies and bending them. What happened in the age of Dylan? The power of modern songwriting. Personal songwriting took over, and this idea that we only should sing songs that existed already, that have proven themselves with time, evaporated. And that’s what opened the door for Dylan’s descendants, because he was ready with a portfolio of insanely powerful original music. This film is an antidote to what is going on in Hollywood. It is the opposite of franchise filmmaking, and while we know Dylan and his songs, this is a modest movie that celebrates a gritty authenticity that we don’t see much anymore. I move between those worlds, and in some ways, they give me the license to drive and make these movies, and the wherewithal to put them together financially. And otherwise, these are a big risk for studios, especially if they’re going out theatrically. It’s a white elephant at this point that you have mainstream studios making original movies that don’t have a guaranteed audience, that rely upon execution in order to succeed. And I’m grateful to Searchlight and my friends at Disney for supporting me on this movie because it is a risk, and I miss these movies in the theater. And I grew up on 7’0s films, and so my style is, if anything’ more formed from the work of Mike Nichols and Alan Pakula and Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese and Sidney Lumet and William Friedkin and Bogdanovich, these are the movies I grew up on. And these were all extremely versatile filmmakers who moved from comedy to serious to fantasy to adventure, and there wasn’t this demand that we exist in a lane or a box. I feel that the work I do, moving from one to the other, is always additive, that I learned something about making a horror film that I bring to a musical biopic. I learned something making a fantasy film or a Marvel film that then becomes confidence in how to solve a problem in a dramatic scene. Making a movie like this, finding a bunch of amazing, committed, passionate young actors who are all supporting each other, lifting each other, the environment and the camaraderie on the set was a real joy and we felt purpose, because we felt that this music was about a world in which art could change things, not by directly protesting, but by getting under your skin, by reminding you that we can look within and ask ourselves some of these questions about the direction our world is heading without hitting us over the head with a history lesson or shaming us, so that we could be inspired to think about what our world could be. “A Complete Unknown” will be released in theaters December 25.
Darrell Kelley Named Artist of the Month by MTVrock
The Milwaukee Bucks are likely to make an addition to coach Doc Rivers' rotation via an upcoming trade. The rebuilding Brooklyn Nets fit as a possible trade partner due to their presence of multiple useful veteran wings. Potential trade candidates include Cam Johnson, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Dorian Finney-Smith. The Bucks could benefit from the services of all three, but only one has an important differentiating factor. The Bucks currently have an extreme need for defenders, and Dorian Finney-Smith offers a versatile defensive skillset. He is switchable at 6-foot-6 and willing to guard multiple positions. While rim protection is not a strength, his perimeter defense would greatly improve the Bucks' easily exposed defense. Particularly, his ability to help and recover, along with effectively scrambling in rotations, would fit well alongside the defensive presence of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez. According to a post on X by basketball writer Gery Woelfel , "There have been recent rumors the Bucks have interest in the Nets’ Cam Thomas and Dorian Finney-Smith." Woelfel continued, "According to two NBA sources, the Nets are open to trading anyone on their roster. Said a GM about the Nets: 'They’re getting ready to rebuild — again.'" A Bucks-Nets trade involving Finney-Smith could look similar to the following: Bucks receive: Dorian Finney-Smith, Ziaire Williams, Shake Milton Nets receive: Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, MarJon Beauchamp, 2031 second-round pick Along with his defensive impact, Finney-Smith could space the floor for Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. The 31-year-old Nets wing is shooting 41 percent from three on 5.6 attempts per game this season. The 23-year-old Williams would provide much-needed athleticism and would help with the loss of Portis' scoring ability. Meanwhile, Milton would reunite with Rivers. Their tenures with the Philadelphia 76ers slightly overlapped. Milton has left a lasting impression on Rivers after dropping 39 points in 2020 against the Rivers-led Los Angeles Clippers. The Nets would agree to this deal because Finney-Smith would likely opt out of his $15 million player option for next season if he were still in Brooklyn. Also, Williams becomes a restricted free agent at the end of this season. Meanwhile, Portis and Connaughton have player options for next season as Beauchamp will hit unrestricted free agency. Williams may be in the Nets' future plans, but this deal gives them a possible contributor in the unproven Beauchamp, along with a second-round pick. Furthermore, Portis could easily be rerouted for additional draft capital. MORE BUCKS NEWS: Bucks predicted to cut ties with regressing All-Star via trade with Magic
Viewers of the BBC series Strike were left scratching their heads as the latest episode aired. The show, based on J.K. Rowling's novel The Ink Black Heart, penned under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith, follows Cormoran Strike as he investigates crimes. This series centres around the shocking murder of a cult YouTube cartoon writer, who had confided in Robin about being harassed and threatened by someone she believed was the anonymous creator of an unofficial spin-off game. As the latest episode unfolded, fans took to social media to share their thoughts. Some expressed confusion, with one fan tweeting: "So many names. I've totally lost track of who everyone is! #Strike," while another added: "#strike I'm lost with this storyline." A third viewer shared: "#strike bbc1 #TheInkBlackHeart Can't say I'm really understanding what this current Strike series is all about, not being into gaming or reading comics. Good acting throughout, no foul language but the storyline is for youngsters, presumably." However, not all viewers were perplexed, with some praising the series as "brilliant". One wrote: "#Strike @BBCOne Loving the latest series #TheInkBlackHeart Amazing as always. Brilliant cast and great storyline," while another chimed in: "Another great season of Strike. Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger have great chemistry. This season was definitely different from the rest, but the atmosphere and style were still quality. 10/10 series. #TheInkBlackHeart #Strike." A third viewer pleaded: "Could you drop 4 more i really dont want to wait another 2 years #Strike #TheInkBlackHeart," while a fourth enthused: "Every case ends with each season of Strike but the romantic intrigue just keeps intriguing. And I'm drowning in it. Help!" For many fans, the highlight of the show is the blossoming romance between Cormoran and Robin. Speaking about their on-screen relationship, actress Holliday Grainger revealed: "Their relationship is so complicated and there's a real fear of stepping over the line and there being a sense of no return. "It's written so well in the book, the breakdown of thoughts Robin has, of not knowing if he's going to regret it in the morning, if he's drunk a bit too much, or if this is not the right thing for him, and what it would mean for their business. It's only afterwards that she's like, 'Oh, that could have been something, maybe I was overthinking it.'" She added: "That moment makes her realise how she feels towards him properly for the first time, I think. But in that moment there's also fear of rejection, and of losing what they have, which is friendship. Robin has very few close friends, which is a big element." *Strike airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.There is no right of privacy in the U.S. Constitution, at least there wasn’t until 1965, when the Supreme Court famously found one in “penumbras, formed by emanations” from the Bill of Rights. It wasn’t a unanimous decision. “With all deference, I can find no such general right of privacy in the Bill of Rights, in any other part of the Constitution, or in any case ever before decided by this Court,” wrote one of the dissenting justices. However, there is an explicit right to be free from uncontrolled government searches. It’s the Fourth Amendment: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” On Dec. 6, a report on financial surveillance in the United States was released by the House Judiciary Committee and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. It reveals that the U.S. government has turned the 1970 Bank Secrecy Act, a law intended to stop money laundering, tax evasion and criminal activity, into a tool to break through the Fourth Amendment and search the lawful, private financial transactions of innocent Americans. According to the testimony of an FBI analyst, the Bureau considers financial institutions to be “partners.” It employed liaisons to reach out and “engage” them. That sounds a lot like the government’s “engagement” with social media platforms, its “partners” in the silencing of Americans who “spread misinformation” as the government defined or declared it. In both cases, the government coaxed or coerced its “partners” into doing what would be flatly illegal for the government to do itself. “All the operational divisions, they all have an element that has an engagement responsibility with the private sector and partnerships in general,” explained FBI “Financial Targeting” analyst Peter Sullivan in a transcribed interview, “It’s one of Director Wray’s pillars, his partnerships.” That would be FBI Director Christopher Wray, who just resigned. Here’s how the “partnership” worked with Bank of America a week after the events at the U.S Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Sullivan told bank contacts in a “brainstorming” email that they might want to file a Suspicious Activity Report listing all of the bank’s customers who had used a credit or debit card in the Washington, D.C. area on Jan. 5 or 6, had made a weapons purchase of any kind in the last six month, and had a travel reservation to come to Washington on Jan. 19 or 20, when the inauguration would be held. Without a warrant or any legal process, Bank of America sent the government a Suspicious Activity Report naming 211 customers who met those three conditions. Sullivan, whose title at the time was finance sector liaison and who testified that his role was limited to “terrorism,” took that list of 211 bank customers and identified four individuals who had made a “weapons-related transaction” after Jan. 6. Sullivan testified, “I remember going to my supervisor and saying, we should push out these four, do baseline queries of these four, which are basic criminal background queries, and push out via assessment — it’s called a Guardian. A Guardian is a no-stone-unturned assessment. It’s not an investigation. But we pushed those four Guardians out to three field offices, respectively.” The three field offices were Memphis, San Francisco and Tampa. Then the four “Guardians” were uploaded for the Washington Field Office, which “had a number of leads that were sent.” If you can’t already see it, let’s carefully go over what’s wrong with this. THEY CAN’T DO THAT TO AMERICANS. The government can’t “suggest” to federally regulated companies that they turn over lists of perfectly lawful customer transactions, then use the lists to imagine criminal plots, then send agents to knock on doors around the country to assess who might be a “domestic terrorist.” We have gone off the constitutional rails. “The FBI has manipulated the Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) filing process to treat financial institutions as de facto arms of law enforcement, issuing ‘requests,’ without legal process, that amount to demands for information related to certain persons or activities it considers ‘suspicious,’” the House committee reported. The 1970 Bank Secrecy Act requires financial institutions to file a Suspicious Activity Report whenever the financial institution itself identifies “a suspicious transaction relevant to a possible violation of law or regulation.” Banks must also file a Currency Transaction Report with the federal government whenever any person conducts a transaction or multiple transactions totaling $10,000 in a single day. Currency Transaction Reports have “proliferated exponentially” as well. According to the House report, “If a consumer purchased a car, furniture, jewelry, art, or made a tuition payment totaling more than $10,000, a CTR was likely filed containing the consumer’s information despite there being no evidence of any suspicious activity.” Who can see these reports? Tens of thousands of government employees in “472 federal, state and local law enforcement, regulatory and national security agencies.” In 2023 alone, the reports were searched 3,362,735 times. Without a warrant. The Judiciary Committee and Select Subcommittee also discovered that the federal government is “testing out new methods and new technology to continue the financial surveillance of Americans.” The Fourth Amendment should be enough to stop this. Call your representatives and read it to them. Write Susan@SusanShelley.com and follow her on X @Susan_Shelley
Cardinals' feel-good month comes to a screeching halt after a head-scratching loss to Seahawks
Boston Consulting Group and Jones Day Highlight Success in Dallas' Premier Luxury Lifestyle Office Destination DALLAS , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Harwood International is proud to celebrate an extraordinary year, with 341,163 square feet of office space leased across the vibrant Harwood District . As Dallas' premier destination for luxury lifestyle office spaces, the District continues to attract world-class tenants with its unique blend of design-forward workspaces, walkability, and unparalleled amenities. This year's achievements include a landmark lease with global law firm Jones Day at the upcoming Harwood No. 15 and Boston Consulting Group 's (BCG) 7-year lease renewal for 69,624 square feet at Harwood No. 6 . Since 2008, Boston Consulting Group has called the Harwood District home. Known globally for its innovative approach to management consulting, technology, and design, BCG's decision to renew at Harwood No. 6 highlights the enduring appeal of Saint Ann Court . Designed by Shimoda Design Group , this 26-story architectural icon offers luxury lifestyle amenities such as the Rockefeller Sky Gardens, a private fitness center, The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum: The Samurai Collection , and on-site dining at Saint Ann Restaurant & Bar and MICHELIN-recommended Mercat Bistro . Harwood No. 15, the next chapter in the District's evolution, will redefine the luxury lifestyle office with cutting-edge innovation, sustainability, and world-class design. The tower, designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates , represents the fourth collaboration between Harwood International and the world-renowned architectural firm. Set to break ground in 2025, Harwood No. 15 will provide an inspiring workplace experience that integrates modern sophistication with comfort and convenience. Spanning 19 city blocks, the Harwood District is a vibrant community that harmonizes hospitality, art, green space, and a Walk Score of 94—one of the highest in Dallas . With occupancy rates consistently exceeding 90 percent and some of the highest leasing rates in the market, the District has cemented its reputation as a destination for companies seeking a luxury lifestyle office experience. Harwood International's success is deeply rooted in its 40+ years of expertise, creating thoughtfully curated spaces where businesses and their employees thrive. This expertise extends beyond office leasing to include a robust hospitality portfolio of 20+ restaurants and the luxury boutique Hôtel Swexan , which earned MICHELIN recognition in 2024. Harwood's culinary excellence, exemplified by MICHELIN-recognized Stillwell's Steakhouse and Mercat Bistro, enhances the luxury lifestyle office environment, ensuring that tenants enjoy concierge-level service, exquisite dining, and exceptional experiences. As the Harwood District continues to grow, it exemplifies how thoughtful, design-forward development creates harmony between work and life. About Harwood International Founded in 1988, Harwood International is an international real estate firm with offices and developments in select niche markets including Dallas , Geneva , and London's West End. The company is recognized globally as a purveyor for building the finest developments in terms of design, location, and quality while creating cultural experiences within them that are beyond exceptional. Harwood International's leadership is based on its world- class experience, name-brand architecture, exacting finishes, and a focus on energy efficiency and green space. The firm has received numerous design and community awards, including recognition by ENR for the Best Office Project in the World for its Rolex Building. Please visit harwoodinternational.com for more information. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/harwood-international-celebrates-exceptional-year-with-nearly-350-000-square-feet-leased-in-the-harwood-district-302338523.html SOURCE Harwood International