‘Wicked” proved there’s still life in big-budget studio films. But the bulk of 2024’s best still came from independent studios, streaming services and foreign filmmakers. Does that say the business is expanding? Or has the capital of moviemaking shifted? Take a look at the list, and you’ll realize the idea of actors milling about a Hollywood studio didn’t happen this year. Citing high costs, producers used locations to cut the bottom line and produce the year’s best. The year’s best films, in order of preference, go like this: Shot around the world in VistaVision (a process used decades ago to lend importance to a film), this was one of the longest films of the year, clocking in at 3 hours and 35 minutes and featuring an intermission. It accomplished what Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” couldn’t — it told an engrossing story about an architect who had to rebuild his life after World War II. Coming to America, Laszlo Toth (a brilliant Adrien Brody) survives on menial jobs, then gets a commission to design a towering facility that reflects his own growth. Co-written and directed by Brady Corbet, “The Brutalist” zips by as turmoil threatens to hammer Toth at every turn. Luckily, determination helps him see the project through, brick by brick. Considering it was produced for less than $10 million, Corbet’s achievement is remarkable. Choosing a pope may seem simple, but Edward Berger’s account makes it every bit as exciting as a John Grisham thriller. Led by Ralph Fiennes as the cardinal running the election, it slyly introduced its candidates, then let the very formal voting process comprise the story. One by one, frontrunners emerged, then fell only to lead to a conclusion that few could see coming. Stanley Tucci and Isabella Rossellini were standouts in a cast filled with scene stealers. The best foreign-language film of the year, “Emilia Pérez” combined several hot-button issues in one elaborate musical. Directed by Jacques Audiard, the film let Zoe Saldaña fire on all cylinders as the attorney for a drug-cartel leader who has a dream — to live life as a woman. While making her moves, Saldaña encounters countless “players” in the leader’s life, including his wife (nicely played by Selena Gomez). Karla Sofia Gascon, as the title character, crossed countless barriers while showing how important the quest was. Covering the Olympics is difficult. Covering a terrorist attack during the Olympics is almost impossible. Yet the men and women at ABC Sports gave viewers a window onto a world they hadn’t seen before. As terrorists claimed hostages at the 1972 Munich Games, reporters scrambled to get the story right. In a day when hearsay is often enough for broadcasters to break into regular programming, this is the real deal — the way journalism should be done. Peter Sarsgaard was outstanding as leader Roone Arledge; Leonie Benesch was unforgettable as a translator trying to help Americans disseminate the truth. Director Tim Fehlbaum got the look just right and made us long for a time when ingenuity and integrity were key. Popular. What can we say? Jon M. Chu did the Broadway fans proud with an adaptation that expanded the story (there are two parts — the second comes next year), introduced new characters and leaned into the O.G., “The Wizard of Oz.” While Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were overexposed in the lead-up to its release, they didn’t let “Wicked” down. Their performances were ideal and won over a tough crowd. Even original stars Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel got to be part of the fun. Don’t be surprised if this wins the Best Picture Oscar. Mikey Madison made a huge splash as a sex worker who amused the son of a Russian oligarch and quickly found herself in a pot full of trouble. The way director Sean Baker twisted the story made it impossible to ignore. As the Russians in Anora’s life, Mark Eydelshteyn and Yura Borisov were welcome additions to the American acting scene. Both brought new colors to the medium and let Madison shine in ways even she wouldn’t think possible. Three stellar performances in a well-written thrill comedy were more than we could ask. After making a name for himself in documentary films, RaMell Ross turned Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize winner into a cinematic original. Using some of those documentary techniques, he found a way to pull audiences into the story of two boys sent to an abusive reform school. The film’s cinematography was key; its editing connected the story’s dots. On the 50th anniversary of “Saturday Night Live,” director Jason Reitman came up with the perfect present — a look at the first days of the revolutionary television series. Getting actors to more than suggest the personalities it created justified Reitman’s belief there was something worth preserving. Cory Michael Smith was almost too good as Chevy Chase, the show’s first big star. Actor Jesse Eisenberg wrote and directed this look at cousins who go to Poland to pay homage to their late grandmother. While she may have been the only tie that bound them, she served as a catalyst for change in both. Eisenberg played the uptight cousin; Kieran Culkin (in an Oscar-winning turn) played the rebel. Both were exceptional. Luca Guadagnino had a flashier film this year (“Queer” with Daniel Craig), but this was the more accessible entry. Zendaya starred as a tennis pro who turned to coaching after her playing days were over. Her friendships, however, made it difficult to choose one over the other. Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor played her potential life doubles partners, and they kept the rally going throughout the film. Guadagnino tried a few tricks of his own and came away with a film that was both glossy and telling.zkMe Network Celebrates Second Anniversary, Announces Strategic Ecosystem Rewards Program for 2025 12-02-2024 11:58 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: Getnews / PR Agency: LianPR Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/8c93e174729b63b281265de5934ee77c.jpg zkMe [ https://www.zk.me/ ] Network celebrates its second anniversary with significant ecosystem growth and technological advancement, marking the occasion with the launch of a strategic ecosystem rewards program and plans for a comprehensive tokenomics model in 2025. As a decentralized identity infrastructure powered by zero-knowledge proofs, zkMe provides private and secure identity verification with enhanced data protection. The platform enables users to authorize multi-chain applications with a single verification, serving as an all-in-one identity solution across chains.Through its decentralized node network, zkMe Network ensures transparent verification processes while allowing users to maintain control of their data and earn rewards from credential sharing. As the Web3 industry navigates increasing regulatory requirements, with the EU's MiCA regulations taking effect in 2025, zkMe's zero-knowledge proof technology continues to set the standard for privacy-preserving compliance solutions. The platform's innovative approach has earned recognition from leading investment firms, securing over $6 million in total funding, including a recent $4 million seed round led by Multicoin Capital with participation from OKX Ventures and Robot Ventures. "In the digital age, privacy data may be your most valuable personal asset," states Alex Scheer, Founder and CEO of zkMe. Born in Germany, Alex's vision for data sovereignty emerged from deep reflection on digital privacy. "Every day, we leave digital footprints through transactions, investments, and social interactions in the blockchain ecosystem. While these activities create value, they can also become vulnerabilities that expose our personal information. This profound understanding of digital privacy challenges drove our team to establish zkMe as a global privacy solution," Alex explains. Perhaps what's most striking about zkMe is the team's approach to building. "Think of us as modern digital craftsmen," Alex shares with enthusiasm. "We have the precision of German engineering but move at Web3 speed. While others might focus on crafting fancy narratives, we hands-on build identity infrastructure that deploys advanced identity solutions across 20+ major blockchain networks. Self-sovereign identity, value-generating data sharing, and decentralized privacy are not just goals-they're our foundations." In crypto, you need to be fast AND flawless - that's the standard we've set for ourselves." This patient, methodical approach has served them well in an industry often characterized by hype cycles. The team's market assessment quickly proved accurate. "The market response has been remarkable," Alex explains. "We're seeing users actively seek out our privacy-preserving solution, especially given their growing concerns about identity data breaches. Leading investors have also recognized this potential, backing our vision with their support. These strong signals confirm what we believed from the start - that decentralized identity verification would become essential for the future of Web3." zkMe has established partnerships with more than 70 Web3 projects across various sectors, including Real-World Asset (RWA) integration, On-and-Off-ramps platforms such as Plume and Xion Global, as well as DeFi and Gaming Infrastructure projects like KyberSwap, Hinkal, Singularity, and CARV. The platform's mobile application has reached 33,090 downloads and processed over 660,000 user attestations, demonstrating strong user adoption and market demand. The company's technological infrastructure features several key innovations: Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP): A decentralized identity network powered by zero-knowledge proofs, enabling private verification while meeting compliance requirements Reusable credentials: An all-in-one identity verification solution that unlocks multi-chain application access with just one verification zkMe Identity Network [ https://www.zk.me/zkkyc]: A decentralized network that ensures transparent verification processes while allowing users to control their data and earn rewards from credential sharing Looking ahead to 2025, zkMe will introduce a comprehensive tokenomics model that aligns ecosystem value with participant contributions. The platform has developed a strategic framework that focuses on three key pillars: * Early supporters will receive ecosystem rewards through a structured incentive mechanism * Active users will gain priority rights in future value distribution events * Data contributors will benefit from a sustainable value-sharing system The robust technological foundation enables zkMe to deliver unique value across the entire Web3 ecosystem. For users, the platform ensures true data sovereignty, enabling both secure verification and value capture through reusable credentials. Projects benefit from streamlined compliance infrastructure that dramatically reduces KYC costs while eliminating data breach risks. Meanwhile, developers can leverage a comprehensive SDK and API suite for rapid ecosystem integration and expansion. As zkMe marks its second anniversary milestone, the platform acknowledges the crucial role of community support in its development journey. The upcoming year promises to be transformative, as the maturation of tokenomics and decentralized governance structures will usher in a season of unprecedented rewards for early contributors. Through these concrete actions, zkMe demonstrates that in this era of possibilities, privacy and compliance are not mutually exclusive choices but complementary forces driving industry advancement. "We're not just solving current identity verification challenges," Alex emphasizes, outlining a grander vision. "Through self-sovereign identity management, users will actively match services and discover opportunities, truly creating value from their own data. This embodies the real spirit of Web3 - decentralization and anonymity while giving users complete control over their digital assets and identity data." About zkMe zkMe builds zk Identity Oracles [ https://www.zk.me/identity-oracle ] for truly decentralized & anonymous cross-chain credential verifications. No personal information is ever processed by anyone but the user themselves. Data leaks & misuse by the service provider are impossible; full interoperability & reusability result in a superior ID solution. zkMe is the only FATF compliant KYC provider to be fully decentralized, offering a full suite of products from anti-bit/anti-sybil, to KYC and more. Contacts: Email: contact@zk.me Website: www.zk.me [ http://www.zk.me/ ] Twitter: @zkme_ [ https://x.com/zkme_ ] Disclaimer: This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies (including product offerings, regulatory plans and business plans) and may change without notice. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Media Contact Company Name: ZkMe Contact Person: Johnny Chan Email: Send Email [ http://www.universalpressrelease.com/?pr=zkme-network-celebrates-second-anniversary-announces-strategic-ecosystem-rewards-program-for-2025 ] State: Hong Kong Country: China Website: http://www.zk.me This release was published on openPR.
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California lawmakers begin special session to protect state laws from second Trump presidency
TORONTO (AP) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told that Americans would also suffer if the president-elect follows through on a , a Canadian minister who attended their recent dinner said Monday. Trump if they don’t stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders with the United States. He said on social media last week that he would impose a 25% tax on as one of his first executive orders. Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, whose responsibilities include border security, attended a dinner with Trump and Trudeau at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club on Friday. Trudeau requested the meeting in that the northern border is . “The prime minister of course spoke about the importance of protecting the Canadian economy and Canadian workers from tariffs, but we also discussed with our American friends the negative impact that those tariffs could have on their economy, on affordability in the United States as well,” LeBlanc said in Parliament. If Trump on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Economists say companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs, for food, clothing, automobiles, alcohol and other goods. The Produce Distributors Association, a Washington trade group, said last week that tariffs will raise prices for fresh fruit and vegetables and hurt U.S. farmers when the countries retaliate. Canada is already tariffs on certain items from the U.S. should Trump follow through on the threat. After his dinner with Trump, returned home without assurances the president-elect will back away from threatened tariffs on all products from the major American trading partner. Trump called the talks “productive” but signaled no retreat from a pledge that Canada says unfairly lumps it in with Mexico over the flow of drugs and migrants into the United States. “The idea that we came back empty handed is completely false,” LeBlanc said. “We had a very productive discussion with Mr. Trump and his future Cabinet secretaries. ... The commitment from Mr. Trump to continue to work with us was far from empty handed.” Joining Trump and Trudeau at dinner were Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, and Mike Waltz, Trump’s choice to be his national security adviser. Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman, told The Associated Press on Sunday that “the message that our border is so vastly different than the Mexican border was really understood.” Hillman, who sat at an adjacent table to Trudeau and Trump, said Canada is not the problem when it comes to drugs and migrants. On Monday, Mexico’s president rejected those comments. “Mexico must be respected, especially by its trading partners,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said. She said Canada had its own problems with fentanyl consumption and “could only wish they had the cultural riches Mexico has.” Flows of migrants and seizures of drugs at the two countries’ border are vastly different. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border during the last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. Most of the fentanyl reaching the U.S. — where it causes about 70,000 overdose deaths annually — is using precursor chemicals smuggled from Asia. On immigration, the U.S. Border Patrol reported 1.53 million encounters with migrants at the southwest border with Mexico between October 2023 and September 2024. That compares to 23,721 encounters at the Canadian border during that time. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports as well. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing for national security.Authored by Colin Crossman via BitcoinMagazine.com, "We can't live in a world where somebody starts a company that's a completely legal thing, and then they literally [] get sanctioned [] and embargoed by the United States government through a completely unaccountable [process] by the way. No due process. None of this is written down. There's no rules. There's no court, there's no decision process. There's no appeal. Who do you appeal to, right? [] Who do you go to to get your bank account back?" - Marc Andreessen, speaking to Joe Rogan, published on 11/26/2024 In yet another troubling manifestation of "Chokepoint 2.0," a Wyoming company was summarily debanked in early November, 2024, by Mercury , a banking platform operated with Evolve Bank (and other banking partners). After years of seamless operations and exemplary service, Mercury abruptly terminated the account without clear cause. The excuse? A vague nod to "internal factors" that remain as opaque as the regulatory pressures likely behind them. Let’s be clear: The company's banking activity was uncontroversial. The only potential offense is that the company accepts a sizable portion of its customer payments in Bitcoin. Aside from monthly wires from Kraken (a regulated crypto exchange), its transactions included rent, utility payments, hardware store purchases, and subcontractor invoices. The termination couldn't have had anything to do with risky behavior or financial misconduct. Instead, the closure is emblematic of a systemic effort to hobble Bitcoin businesses by exploiting the centralized banking choke points regulators have turned into tools of suppression. This is Chokepoint 2.0 in action. Regulators have found new ways to suppress industries they disfavor—this time, targeting Bitcoin miners and businesses. Instead of legislative debate or due process, unelected bureaucrats leverage their oversight of banks to nudge them into “de-risking” clients that engage in entirely legal activities. The company was simply collateral damage in the campaign to isolate Bitcoin from the traditional financial system. This is a chilling echo of Operation Chokepoint 1.0, where federal regulators illegally pressured banks to cut off services to lawful but disfavored industries, such as firearms dealers and payday lenders. That campaign ended in disgrace when the FDIC was forced to settle a lawsuit in 2019 . The settlement affirmed what should have been obvious: weaponizing the financial system against legal businesses is unconstitutional. Regulators know this—and yet here we are again. Debanking isn’t just an inconvenience. For businesses, it’s existential. Operating without a reliable banking partner in today's economy is like trying to breathe without air. When banks are coerced into severing ties with Bitcoin-related companies, it sends a chilling message: engage in this industry at your peril. It also stifles innovation, a dangerous precedent for a country founded on economic freedom. Moreover, this practice undermines the core tenet of fairness in financial services. The American banking system isn’t a private fiefdom. It operates under public charters and with public trust, and its gatekeepers should not act as arbiters of political or ideological purity. The harm extends beyond Bitcoin. If regulators can throttle this industry, what stops them from targeting others? What happens when innovation, dissent, or inconvenient truths are deemed “too risky” for the comfort of entrenched powers? This is about more than Bitcoin—it’s about the integrity of the financial system and the preservation of free markets. The new Congress and Trump administration must seize this moment to hold the architects of Chokepoint 2.0 accountable. This isn’t a partisan issue; it’s a constitutional one. Regulators acting as de facto lawmakers, imposing policies that would never survive public scrutiny, must be reigned in. 1. Investigations into Regulatory Overreach Congress must launch comprehensive investigations into the agencies pressuring banks to sever ties with Bitcoin businesses. Who issued these directives? Under what authority? The American people deserve answers, and the offending parties deserve consequences. 2. Personal Accountability for Regulators Bureaucrats who abuse their power should not be shielded by the anonymity of the regulatory machine. Those responsible for weaponizing the financial system against lawful businesses must be named, shamed, and removed from their positions, permanently lose any security clearances they may have, and potentially lose their government pensions and retirement benefits. 3. Restoration of Due Process Any decisions to restrict banking access should require clear, codified standards and a transparent appeals process. No more shadow rules. If a business is to be debanked, the reasons should be public, defensible, clearly articulated & defined, grounded in law, and appealable. 4. Legislation to Protect Financial Access Congress should pass laws prohibiting banks from discriminating against lawful industries based on political or ideological reasons. The free market thrives on neutrality; it withers under bias. 5. Decentralization of Financial Systems Bitcoin exists as a hedge against precisely this kind of overreach. Policymakers should embrace and encourage its growth, not fight it. America cannot afford to fall behind in the global race for financial innovation. Much of the above could be addressed through Section 10 of the SAFER Banking Act , which directly limits undue regulatory influence over banking services. Specifically, it prohibits federal banking agencies from pressuring financial institutions to terminate relationships with lawful businesses, including those in the Bitcoin and cryptocurrency industry, based on reputational risks or political motivations. This provision reinforces the principle that decisions about financial services should rely on risk-based analysis of individual accounts rather than blanket biases against entire industries. By codifying such protections, the SAFER Banking Act would promote fairness and transparency in financial services, ensuring that regulators adhere to their duties of impartial oversight while respecting the rights of businesses operating legally under state or federal law. In addition to legislative solutions, the presence of even one bank with the willingness and capability to resist undue regulatory pressure could dramatically reshape the financial landscape for Bitcoin businesses. Caitlin Long’s Custodia Bank , based in Wyoming, exemplifies this potential. Custodia has consistently demonstrated its commitment to operating within the law while challenging the overreach of federal regulators, as seen in its lawsuit against the Federal Reserve . A bank with this level of resolve, direct access to the Federal Reserve itself, and a proven track record of standing up to regulators will provide a lifeline for Bitcoin (and other) businesses seeking reliable financial services. By fostering an ecosystem where lawful businesses can thrive without fear of arbitrary debanking, Custodia Bank offers a template for how other institutions might follow suit, ensuring that innovation and economic freedom remain protected.1 Taken together, the SAFER Banking Act and the perseverance of institutions like Custodia Bank represent two critical fronts in the fight against financial discrimination. While the SAFER Act provides a legislative framework to curtail regulatory overreach and protect lawful businesses from debanking, it has faced significant resistance, having been introduced multiple times in Congress only to be repeatedly blocked. Meanwhile, Custodia Bank's struggle underscores the severity of institutional hostility; the Federal Reserve's refusal to grant Custodia access to the banking system forced the bank to file a federal lawsuit just to claim its rightful place in the financial ecosystem. These challenges highlight the entrenched opposition to reform, but they also emphasize the urgent need for a multi-pronged strategy—legislative, judicial, and entrepreneurial—to ensure fair and impartial access to banking services for all lawful businesses. Bitcoin isn’t just money; it’s an idea—an idea that money and power belong to the people, not the state. This is why we’re here. This is why Bitcoin exists. The legacy financial system is crumbling under its own corruption, and every act of suppression only underscores the need for decentralized alternatives. To be clear, I don't fully blame Mercury and Evolve for this. They're likely being forced into it by their regulators.2 Indeed, due to the Orwellian Bank Secrecy Act, the banks aren't allowed to disclose the reasons for these matters to the affected customers. Banks like Mercury, and any others who have willingly cooperated with Chokepoint 2.0 should be subject to Congressional Subpoenas to explain themselves, and also name-and-shame the regulators who coopted them. The future of Bitcoin—and America’s role as a leader in innovation—depends on exposing and dismantling Chokepoint 2.0, and holding all those who participated in it accountable.
CDS wants Simon Ekpa extradited to NigeriaGood news on the injury front continues for the Vikings with latest roster move