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The Mega Millions jackpot has climbed to an eye-popping $565 million after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn last week, the lottery announced Saturday. If somebody wins at the next drawing, the jackpot would be the sixth-largest prize in the 20-year history of the game, Mega Millions announced in a news release on its website. No ticket matched all six winning numbers, but two tickets sold in California and Illinois matched five of them and nabbed the game's second-biggest prize. The Mega Millions jackpot was last won on Oct. 14, when tickets sold in California and Florida shared a $502 million prize. The odds of winning the Mega Millions lottery are 1 in 302 million, according to the website SmartLuck.

Mike Hodges, the British filmmaker who directed the hard-boiled gangster saga "Get Carter" and the campy space opera "Flash Gordon," died Saturday, according to his friend Mike Kaplan. "My middle-class eyes were forced to witness horrendous poverty and deprivation that I was previously unaware of," Hodges wrote in a letter published in The Guardian in May. "Get Carter" quickly entered the pantheon of British film classics. He replaced the acclaimed British director Nicolas Roeg ("Walkabout") on "Flash Gordon," a goofy project that has since attracted a cult following. I think that as a young man I probably did."

The celebrated Iranian director Asghar Farhadi on Tuesday blasted the arrest of film actor Taraneh Alidoosti, who was detained by authorities after expressing solidarity with nationwide anti-government protests that have rocked the country. In a post on Instagram, Farhadi demanded the immediate release of Alidoosti, who starred in his film “The Salesman,” a Tehran-set drama that won the Oscar for best foreign language feature in 2016. “I have worked with Taraneh on four films and now she is in prison for her rightful support of her fellow countrymen and her opposition to the unjust sentences being issued,” Farhadi wrote on Instagram. The demonstrations have since transformed into one of the most forceful challenges to Iran’s clerical regime since it was installed in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Farhadi is widely considered one of the best working filmmakers in contemporary Iran.

"The production companies and producers ignored harassment on set, failed to act despite multiple complaints, and fired crew members for complaining about the harassment," the release added. The state civil rights department went on to investigate the claims. "Criminal Minds" ran for 15 seasons on CBS before moving over to the Paramount+ streaming service last month under the new title "Criminal Minds: Evolution." The popular series has spawned two short-lived CBS spinoff shows, "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" and "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders." In the summer of 2016, former "Criminal Minds" star Thomas Gibson was fired from the program days after he was suspended for a reported altercation with a producer during filming.

LOS ANGELES — Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of one count of rape and two counts of sexual assault but acquitted of one count of sexual battery after a trial in Los Angeles, nearly three years after the disgraced movie mogul was convicted at a watershed sex crimes trial in New York City. In the Los Angeles trial, jurors found Weinstein guilty of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and sexual penetration by foreign object. Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón thanked the jurors for their service and hailed the accusers who came forward. In opening arguments, Los Angeles prosecutors portrayed Weinstein as a relentless sexual predator who lorded his status as “the most powerful man in Hollywood” over the women he abused. Daniel Arkin reported from New York, Diana Dasrath reported from Los Angeles.

"The worst governments are already going to suppress speech," said David Kaye, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine and the former free speech watchdog for the United Nations between 2014 and 2020. The free speech experts who spoke to NBC News on Friday said Twitter's actions could invite international attempts to manipulate Musk. Would some head of state say, 'Hey, can you do this for my country and prevent public reporting?' Kaye, the former U.N. free speech watchdog, said Musk's behavior reminded him in part of authoritarian leaders who enforce rules against challenging the government or criticizing powerful figures, such as royal family members or regime allies. Musk can talk about standing for free speech all he wants, but this should make it clear to everyone that what he’s doing is quite the opposite.

Oscar-winning actor and activist Jane Fonda, who revealed earlier this year that she had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, announced Thursday that her cancer is in remission and she can stop chemotherapy treatments. I am confident that it played a role in the good news," Fonda wrote in a blog post titled "BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER!!!" "The last chemo session was rough and lasted 2 weeks making it hard to accomplish much of anything," she wrote. In early September, Fonda announced she'd been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In recent years, she has focused intensely on climate change and environmentalism, lobbying lawmakers to take immediate action to save the planet.

Stephen "tWitch" Boss was a thoroughly modern dancer. He lit up the stage of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" for nearly a decade. He was so classy," Boss told The Associated Press in 2014, the year he joined the "Ellen" show. Stephen "tWitch" Boss on "Ellen's Game of Games." Stephen "tWitch" Boss and Ellen DeGeneres on "Ellen's Game of Games".

The Golden Globes are attempting to press forward after a rocky few years for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization that puts on the ceremony. The press association ultimately decided to hold the event privately, with a small audience and winners announced on social media. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has since diversified its voting membership, and NBC has reinstated the telecast. Including popular television series could help the Globes draw viewers this year. Gilles Mingasson / ABCThe nominees for best drama series are "Better Call Saul," "The Crown," "House of the Dragon," "Ozark" and "Severance."

Christine McVie, the English musician whose smoky vocals and romantic lyrics helped catapult the rock group Fleetwood Mac to international success, has died, the band announced on Twitter. "There are no words to describe our sadness at the passing of Christine McVie," the group said in a statement posted on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon. From left, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood in 1977. McVie was once married to Fleetwood Mac bass guitarist John McVie. Christine McVie penned some of the most cherished lines in the Fleetwood Mac songbook, writing the lyrics to global hits like "Everywhere," "Little Lies" and "Don't Stop" — a track that became synonymous with Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign.

Buckingham Palace said Wednesday that a member of the household has resigned after making "unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments" to a Black guest. The unnamed Buckingham Palace insider allegedly approached Fulani at a reception Tuesday hosted by the Camilla, queen consort, and asked her: "Where do your people come from?" In a tweet, Fulani said she left her visit to Buckingham Palace with "mixed feelings" and described the encounter in detail. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said it took this incident "extremely seriously," adding that it had "investigated immediately to establish the full details." The allegations could put deeper scrutiny on Buckingham Palace, where an unnamed insider was accused last year by Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, of racism against her unborn child.

Harvey Weinstein will not take the stand at his sex crimes trial in Los Angeles, where he is charged with seven counts of rape and sexual assault, his lawyer said Monday. Los Angeles prosecutors rested their case before the Thanksgiving break, following nearly four weeks of testimony from 44 witnesses. The trial in Los Angeles took on higher stakes for prosecutors after the New York State Court of Appeals agreed in August to allow Weinstein to appeal his conviction there. If it is overturned, his fate would hinge on the outcome of his Los Angeles trial. The charges against Weinstein in Los Angeles are two counts of rape and five other sexual assault counts.

The victims of the shooting at the LGBTQ-friendly Club Q in Colorado Springs include two bartenders, the mother of an 11-year-old girl and two other clubgoers who were enjoying a carefree night before a lone gunman started firing indiscriminately. "He lit up a room, always smiling, always happy and silly," said his mom, Sabrina Aston, who lives in Colorado Springs. We’re mad, angry.”Paugh, who is not part of the LGBTQ community, spent Saturday in Colorado Springs with a female friend. Jessica Fierro said she was at Club Q with her husband, their daughter and friends to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Daniel Arkin reported from New York; Deon J. Hampton reported from Colorado Springs, Colorado.

☆ ‘Fascism Comes to America’ Review: It’s Always Happening Here
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( D.G. Hart | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Popcorn doesn’t come with books published by respected university presses, but in the case of Bruce Kuklick’s “Fascism Comes to America,” maybe it should. Mr. Kuklick, a professor emeritus of history at Penn and an accomplished historian of ideas, turns his skills to Hollywood’s treatment of fascism. “Yet fascism has remained alive in Americanimaginations long after its eclipse in 1945.” Movies reveal popular sentiments in ways policy analysis does not. Hollywood’s use of farce to portray fascism illustrates a problem at the heart of this book. Another was “Red Heat” (1988), with Arnold Schwarzenegger (Soviet) and Jim Belushi (American) as “buddy-cops” catching a Georgian drug kingpin.

Stephanie Clark said Paugh, 35, was a loving mother and wife who was devoted to her family, including her 11-year-old daughter. Courtesy Stephanie Clark"My niece is devastated," Clark said, adding that Paugh "lived for her daughter." Paugh, who is not part of the LGBTQ community, spent Saturday in Colorado Springs with a female friend. "Club Q is in shock, and in deep mourning, with the family and friends who had loved ones senselessly taken from them. Deon J. Hampton reported from Colorado Springs, Colorado; Daniel Arkin reported from New York.

Iger is widely considered entertainment industry royalty, celebrated for his management acumen and creative chops. He turned Disney into a global powerhouse by acquiring marquee brands such as Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox. Bob Chapek, left, and Bob Iger, in Orlando, Fla.,on Sept. 30, 2021. Shares of the Walt Disney Co. are down 40% this year, and layoffs are pending. But almost immediately, the entertainment industry media zeroed in on what was thought to be a frosty relationship between the two men.

Michael Anderson, a bartender at Club Q, recalled that he heard "a few popping sounds" and initially assumed someone inside the club might have been clapping. In the dark of the club, Anderson saw "a silhouette of a person" clutching a long gun and heard one loud pop after another. "I don't know who stopped him," Anderson told NBC News, "but I'm grateful, because they most certainly saved my life last night." He has processed this much, Loveall said: "You don't need to take lives or cause pain and suffering to people that you don't know, you don't understand. "It's that adrenaline of, 'I can’t think, and I don’t know what to do.'

Two years later, Bautista and hundreds of thousands of other FTX customers are in limbo, shocked and unsure what happens next. FTX has paused customer withdrawals, and there’s growing doubt that customers will be able to recover any of their assets. “It’s lost at this point.”Bautista, 34, got the FTX itch thanks in part to flashy advertising. FTX, boosted by celebrities like NFL giant Tom Brady and pumped up by Silicon Valley bigwigs, struck Bautista as the most reliable crypto platform on the market. The firm has started the process of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Bankman-Fried has resigned — and Bautista lost access to his crypto portfolio.

☆ Jennifer Siebel Newsom, actor married to California governor, breaks down in tears at Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | Daniel Arkin | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a documentary filmmaker and actor who is married to California Gov. I was a little hesitant,” Siebel Newsom testified. “Because you don’t say no to Harvey Weinstein,” Siebel Newsom said. "I’m trembling, I’m like a rock, I’m frigid," Siebel Newsom testified through sobs. If it is overturned, his fate would hinge on the outcome of his Los Angeles trial.

Dave Chappelle, hosting NBC's "Saturday Night Live" for the third time, kicked off the show with a roughly 15-minute monologue that tackled hip-hop artist Ye's antisemitic comments, the midterm elections and former President Donald Trump's political appeal. Chappelle mocked Ye as well as Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, who posted a link to an antisemitic movie on Twitter. "I've been to Hollywood, and this is just what I saw: It's a lot of Jews, like a lot," Chappelle said to laughter. In recent years, Chappelle has attracted intense scrutiny for his public comments about transgender people, particularly after Netflix released his most recent stand-up special, "The Closer." Four days later, Chappelle was physically attacked onstage at the Hollywood Bowl, charged and tackled by a man carrying a replica gun.

Americans named inflation and abortion as the most important issues driving their vote on Tuesday, according to the NBC News Exit Poll. Democrats care most about abortion rights, while Republicans are most concerned about inflation, according to the poll. Midterm voters are also continuing to feel pain at the pump as gas prices in the U.S. hover around $4 per gallon. More voters say Biden's policies are hurting than helpingBiden fell short in persuading voters of the merits of his administration's policies, according to the poll. Black voters are one of the few demographic groups where a majority (55%) say Biden's policies are helping the country.

Imitation is said to be the sincerest form of flattery — although Twitter owner Elon Musk may not see it that way. The decisions to lock all three out of their Twitter accounts come as Musk, a self-proclaimed "free speech absolutist," draws intense scrutiny for how he handles speech issues on the platform. Griffin, Klein and Sommer all appeared to change their account names on their verified profiles to "Elon Musk" without indicating that they were parodying his account. As of Monday morning, many Twitter accounts still featured "Elon Musk" in their display names, while others added the "parody" disclaimer. In a caption to one of the screenshots, Klein wrote: "Comedy is dead elon musk killed it."

"Elon will own a company without employees," a source inside Twitter told CNBC. In an exchange at an investor conference Friday, Musk appeared to confirm that his team had laid off half the company's workforce, according to CNBC. Inside the company, anxieties about potential layoffs were swirling around even before Musk’s takeover was finished. However, Twitter’s general counsel urged workers not to dwell on rumors before Musk took the reins. Tech industry observers have raised concerns that he might loosen content moderation policies that limit hate speech and political disinformation.

Elon Musk seems determined to remake Twitter in his own image — with some help from the men in his trusted inner circle. They are joined in Musk’s orbit by Alex Spiro, a trial attorney with a roster of celebrity clients who reportedly led the first round of Twitter layoffs. Bloomberg reported Wednesday night that Twitter is preparing to eliminate about 3,700 jobs, or roughly half its workforce. Musk's personnel decisions suggest a possible road map for the future of Twitter, one in which policies and internal rules are drawn at least in part from the views of Musk’s consiglieres. Sacks, Calacanis, Spiro and Birchall did not immediately respond to questions about the company’s future and the nature of their roles there.

David Cruz, a spokesman for LULAC — the oldest Latino civil rights group in the United States — said a woman who joined the meeting claiming to represent the organization was "terminated" Oct. 22 and met with Musk "unlawfully." Johnson wrote and signed the letter along with the leaders of the National Urban League and the National Action Network, two of the most prominent civil rights groups in the country. "Her meeting with Mr. Musk was wholly unauthorized and breached our agreements and repeated notifications. Ms. Benavides is, in fact, a rogue, former respected leader who has decided to place herself above the organization that trusted her," Cruz added. The Dallas Morning News has reported that two factions inside LULAC have been vying for power in recent months.

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