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☆ Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of The Flower Moon’ gets raucous applause at Cannes premiere
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Longtime collaborators Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese continue to create magic at the movies. Their latest project, true-crime drama “Killers of The Flower Moon” starring DiCaprio and De Niro, premiered at the swanky Cannes Film Festival on Saturday and the post-screening reception was instantly impressive with a minuteslong standing ovation. A video posted to the Cannes Film Festival’s YouTube channel shows the audience inside the Grande Theatre Lumiere exuberantly applauding the movie for at least seven minutes, with more applause coming after director Scorsese thanked the audience. (From left) Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorese's 'Killers of the Flower Moon.' The cheers and applause grew louder for DiCaprio, De Niro and Lily Gladstone, who were all in attendance at the premiere.

“The attack on books, the attack on teaching, the attack on libraries, in – how can I put this – Florida, has never been more dangerous, never been more important to fight,” he said. Rushdie spoke at the PEN America Gala in New York City, praising the literary and free speech advocacy group for its latest efforts to block politicians and local officials seeking to ban literature concerning race and gender identity. PEN America, along with book publisher Penguin Random House and several parents and authors, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday challenging Florida’s Escambia County school district’s removal of certain books on race and LGBTQ issues from school libraries. “I was really proud to hear yesterday that PEN America, together with my publisher Penguin Random House, has taken this step of bringing a lawsuit in Florida,” Rushdie said. “Tonight, we recognize the courage of an Iranian writer, and we’ve done so over and over (with) writers from all over the world.

☆ First union of strippers in a decade expected to form this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Natasha Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Strippers from the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar in North Hollywood have unanimously won their union election, in a 17-0 vote, creating the first union of strippers in the United States in about a decade. The ballots were opened at 11 am PT today by the National Labor Relations Board in Los Angeles. The ballots were impounded in November after the strippers voted, due to the club challenging most ballots at the time. Since announcing on Tuesday that the dancers and the club had come to an agreement, the NLRB scheduled the opening of the ballots Thursday. “We’re hopeful that we could send some shockwaves through the industry,” said Velveeta, one of the strippers, who spoke to CNN on Tuesday evening.

☆ Cannes jury president to striking Hollywood writers: 'Yeah, go!'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Press conference of the jury - Cannes, France, May 16, 2023. Jury President Ruben Ostlund and jury member Brie Larson attend a press conference. REUTERS/Yara NardiCANNES, May 16 (Reuters) - Swedish director Ruben Ostlund, who heads the jury awarding the Cannes Film Festival's top award this year, expressed solidarity with striking Hollywood film and TV writers on Tuesday, saying industrial action was the only way to change work conditions. "It's great that people have a strong collegial feeling so you can go out and have a strike. Top executives close to the discussions have told Reuters that the strike could continue into the summer and possibly beyond.

☆ Opinion: DeSantis’ comments about Jordan Neely’s death are part of a dangerous pattern
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Opinion Dean Obeidallah | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s note: Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney, is the host of SiriusXM radio’s daily program “The Dean Obeidallah Show.” Follow him @DeanObeidallah@masto.ai. CNN —We are seeing an alarming pattern emerge in which some GOP leaders defend — and even pledge to pardon — people charged with or convicted of killing a person. “The unfortunate result was the unintended and unforeseen death of Mr. Neely.”Penny has received support from a score of right-wing figures. Instead, DeSantis is sending a message that if you are supported by the GOP base, we may have your back, even if you are charged in someone’s death. After Perry’s conviction, many on the right demanded GOP Texas Gov.

[1/2] Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts after arriving at Aberdeen International Airport in Aberdeen, Scotland, Britain May 1, 2023. "That was a rigged election," Trump said, adding that anyone who thought otherwise was "stupid." Trump and Collins frequently spoke over each other with Collins challenging a number of the former president's false claims. "It was classic Trump - it was Donald Trump from 2015 right up until now: the Big Lie, the outrageous style, demeaning individuals, mocking them," said Rothenberg, senior editor at the Inside Elections newsletter. New Hampshire is an early nominating state that could prove critical in Trump's bid to win the November 2024 election.

☆ Trump says he will pardon many involved in Jan. 6 attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts after arriving at Aberdeen International Airport in Aberdeen, Scotland, Britain May 1, 2023. REUTERS/Russell CheyneMay 10 (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump again refused to acknowledge that he lost the 2020 election and said he would pardon many supporters convicted for their involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol in a contentious CNN town hall on Wednesday. Trump declined to express regret for the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol when supporters sought to prevent Congress for ratifying the election result, and he repeated his plan to pardon individuals involved if voters return him to the White House in 2024. I can't say for every single one because a couple of them probably they got out of control," Trump said. Trump and Collins frequently interrupted each other with Collins challenging a number of the former president's false claims about the 2020 election and the attack on Jan. 6 which followed a speech he gave outside the White House that day.

☆ 5 Tony-Nominated Broadway Shows, 5 Stagecraft Secrets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Michael Paulson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The wordless preshow — a big Hollywood star silently spinning — was born of an impulse. An early readthrough in Chastain’s apartment planted the seed of the idea: She did the reading from her armchair, prompting a transfixed Lloyd to suggest she consider performing the play that way. “I wanted it to feel like I’ve been sitting there for years,” she said, “and haven’t fully woken up to the possibilities.”And why does she rotate? Lloyd said that concept was central to the show’s design. “It’s a very political play — that’s why it’s endured — but it’s also very psychological, about someone spiraling out of control,” he said.

☆ A Google exec's jab at Apple about texting issues between iPhones and Android drew cheers and applause at a conference
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A Google exec took a thinly veiled jab at Apple at the company's Google IO conference. The exec said the company hopes every mobile operating system adopts a messaging standard called RCS. Google has campaigned for Apple to adopt RCS to make texting between iOS and Android a better experience. The moment was Google's latest attempt to pressure Apple to adopt something called the the RCS messaging standard, or Rich Communications Services. Samat said that over 800 million people currently use the RCS standard, with expectations that number will balloon to 1 billion by the end of the year.

Buffett spoke hours after Berkshire posted a $35.5 billion quarterly profit and said it bought back $4.4 billion of its own stock, a sign it considered the shares undervalued. The meeting features Buffett, 92, who is Berkshire's chairman and chief executive, and Charlie Munger, 99, a vice chairman, answering five hours of shareholder questions. Many recognized it could be one of their last chances to see Buffett and Munger, given their advanced ages. Yongsheng Zhao, who lives in Shanghai and is a researcher for an asset management firm, said he showed up at midnight to attend his eighth Berkshire meeting. "I am inspired by their passion and normalcy," he said, referring to Buffett and Munger.

☆ ‘Like He Was Going to Live Forever’: Making Jerome Robbins’s Last Ballet
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Roslyn Sulcas | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Jerome Robbins wasn’t feeling well in winter 1995. He had created “West Side Story Suite” — a condensed adaptation of his 1957 hit Broadway musical — for New York City Ballet earlier that year and started work on a new pas de deux with two principal dancers, Lourdes Lopez and Nikolaj Hübbe. Nonetheless, he continued to work with City Ballet on a new dance over the next two years. The 40-minute dance offered a bucolic idyll — a playful, youthful group, sporting with charm and what looks like spontaneity. The reviews were enthusiastic — “Choreographically, he has outdone himself here,” Anna Kisselgoff wrote in The New York Times — as were audiences.

☆ South Korea's President Yoon praised himself for singing 'very well' after launching into a rendition of 'American Pie' at the White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol launched into a rendition of "American Pie" at the White House. President Biden asked Yoon to sing at the state dinner, saying it was one of Yoon's favorite songs. Yoon later told members of his party that he thought he sang the song "very well." Just before the president got up on stage, three Broadway singers, including Lea Salonga and Jessica Vosk, performed "American Pie" as well. "At the next state dinner we're going to have, you're looking at the entertainment," Biden said, pointing to Yoon while the audience laughed.

☆ Top moments from the White House Correspondents Dinner
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Kaanita Iyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden joked about a range of topics at the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday but struck a serious tone as he called for the release of wrongfully detained Americans abroad. In attendance Saturday evening was Brittney Griner, the WNBA star who was freed from Russia late last year after being wrongfully detained. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden held a pull-aside meeting with Griner and her wife at the event, per the White House pool. During the event, identical twin brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott, who host “Property Brothers” on HGTV, drew big laughs as their sketch-style video showcased how they would renovate the White House. “We’ve been doing this a long time and we think we know how to turn the White House into the White Home,” the pair said in video.

CNN —From statehouses to the presidential campaign trail, Republicans are escalating their political attacks on transgender people – a reflection of what they see as a cultural fight their base is eager to wage. And in recent days, those attacks have turned into new forms of mockery and political retribution, as Republicans seek to turn transgender rights into a flashpoint by seizing on social media controversies and exercising their rule-making power in statehouses where they hold large majorities. “A lot of young trans people are worried that their medication is going to get pulled,” she said of legislation targeting health insurance coverage for gender-affirming care. Transgender rights activists protest outside the House chamber at the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City on February 6, 2023. That is not a transgender person,” Haley said of Mulvaney as the crowd nodded.

The case for investing in India — a nation of 1.4 billion — is clear, and only bolstered by recent geopolitical shifts. As Western leaders look to boost economic cooperation with countries that share similar values, India, the world’s largest democracy, stands to gain. Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty ImagesIndia’s so-called “demographic dividend,” the potential economic growth arising from a large working-age population, represents a major opportunity. A recent Air India order for more than 200 Boeing planes could support more than 1 million American jobs. One consistent with our democratic values, and another not.”‘Economic miracle?’Beyond geopolitics, India’s economic and demographic fundamentals are driving business interest.

☆ South Korea's Yoon sings 'American Pie' at White House state dinner
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Jeff Mason | Thomson Reuters | Jeff Mason Is A White House Correspondent For Reuters. He Has Covered The Presidencies Of Barack Obama | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] U.S. President Joe Biden gifts a guitar signed by artist Don McLean to South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol at an official State Dinner, during Yoon Suk Yeol's visit, at the White House in Washington, U.S. April 26, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - It turns out South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol can sing. When the singers finished, President Biden and President Yoon took the stage and Biden invited Yoon, because of his love of the song, to give it a whirl himself. "Something touched me deep inside, the day the music died," he finished, sparking a standing ovation and loud applause from the audience and the Broadway singers, who were still on stage. Biden told Yoon he had "no damn idea" he could sing, and then presented him with a guitar signed by Don McLean, who wrote the song.

☆ 'The Queen of New York:' George Santos basks in rare praise as DC Young Republicans give him a hero's welcome
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

But on Wednesday, Santos received a warm reception at a DC happy hour for young conservatives. But he was still a star for the Washington, DC Young Republicans, a group that was taken over just a month ago by a cadre of self-described "ultra MAGA" young conservatives who emphatically align themselves with former President Donald Trump. —Washington, D.C. Young Republicans (@WashingtonDCYRs) April 27, 2023"Keep fighting for what you think is best, and for what you believe in," said Santos after speaking for less than 10 minutes. Perhaps owing to his precarious political standing, Santos has yet to break from party leadership on any major votes, contrasting with other New York Republicans who won Democratic-leaning districts last year. Attendees mill around before Rep. Santos' arrival.

☆ South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol shocked Biden and a White House state dinner audience by performing 'American Pie'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol performed "American Pie" at the White House on Wednesday. President Joe Biden then presented Yoon with a guitar signed by Don McLean. Sure enough, the South Korean president launched into an a capella version of "American Pie." Biden then presented Yoon with one of McLean's signed acoustic guitars, which Yoon showed off to a cheering crowd. "The next state dinner we have, you're looking at the entertainment," Biden joked, pointing to Yoon.

☆ Tiffany unveils revamped New York flagship, showcasing new look
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Mimosa Spencer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Global Brand Ambassador Gal Gadot along with Anthony Ledru, President and Chief Executive officer of Tiffany & Co attend a ribbon cutting ceremony for reopening of the Tiffany flagship store on 5th Avenue in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., April 26, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidNEW YORK, April 26 (Reuters) - Tiffany & Co. lifted the lid on its newly renovated New York city flagship on Wednesday, the centerpiece of a broad brand reset orchestrated by its owner, the world's biggest luxury group LVMH. Alexandre Arnault spearheaded the label's initial reset with an advertising campaign starring Beyonce -- wearing the famous yellow Tiffany diamond -- and Jay-Z. Now the priority will be on renovating the label's retail network, essential for Tiffany to bridge the gap with Cartier, the world's largest jewelry label, which belongs to Richemont(CFR.S), Ledru said. Tiffany sales came to 5.1 billion euros ($5.63 billion) in 2022 and are forecast to reach 7.4 billion in 2025, according to HSBC.

☆ Crab Cakes, Gochujang and Irish Poetry: Biden’s State Dinner With South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — Visiting foreign leaders often go for flattery when addressing the president at a state dinner. But President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea went straight for President Biden’s weak spot on Wednesday night, quoting Irish sayings at the beginning and end of his toast at a lavish state dinner at the White House. Mr. Yoon thanked Mr. Biden and then quoted the Irish poet Seamus Heaney, a presidential favorite who makes rather frequent guest appearances in Biden speeches. “Behavior that’s admired is the path to power among people everywhere,” Mr. Yoon said. Mr. Biden honored Mr. Yoon with only the second state dinner of his presidency, with Jill Biden treating their guests to a classic American menu with a Korean flair.

☆ Sony teases 2023 film slate, including R-rated 'Kraven The Hunter'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Tom Holland is Spider-Man in the Sony-Marvel film "Spider-Man: No Way Home." LAS VEGAS — CinemaCon kicked off Monday with a major announcement from Sony Pictures — its upcoming "Kraven the Hunter" would mark the first R-rated Marvel film produced by the studio. "F--- yes, it's rated R," said Kraven himself Aaron Taylor-Johnson in a pretaped teaser for the film before Sony showed the first trailer for the profane and bloody action flick. Sony showed 14 minutes of the film — due out June 2 — to CinemaCon audiences, who laughed and cheered for the uniquely animated feature. Sony also showcased a clip from Jennifer Lawrence's upcoming R-rated drama "No Hard Feelings" to raucous applause.

☆ An executive coach who worked with Nelson Mandela and the last leader of the Soviet Union, says CEOs must realize they will always upset 'a large bunch of people every day'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

René Carayol, an executive coach for more than 20 years, said CEOs can never make everyone happy. He told Insider the chief executive role is "the toughest job in the company." Carayol has a high-profile list of clients, including world leaders and CEOs at Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies. He's advised four former CEOs of Barclays Bank and even former Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. Inherent and implicit in the role is you are upsetting a large bunch of people every day.

☆ Remote work is 'bullshit,' says real-estate billionaire Sam Zell, to cheers from fellow execs who profit from offices
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sam Zell said at a conference last week that remote work is "a bunch of bullshit." Office doomers abound, but real estate professionals t hink they just don't get it. Sam Zell, the notorious "Grave Dancer" of commercial real estate known for his salty tongue, is always happy to have a platform. He was in a cheeky mood, at least when the conversation turned to today's third-rail of commercial real estate: office properties abandoned by remote workers. The trend and dire outlook had real estate giant Brookfield defaulting on a loan tied to offices this month for the second time this year.

☆ Former Rep. Will Hurd might launch a 2024 GOP presidential campaign. He's still waiting to see if his party agrees that 'we're better together.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Former GOP Rep. Will Hurd, a Trump critic, is considering running for president in 2024. He says he won't support Trump in 2024 and suggested DeSantis will struggle to appeal to voters. the former Texas congressman told Insider in an interview before his address to the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition's Annual Spring Kick-off. "We have four years," he told Insider, "before we could potentially get surpassed by the Chinese government as a global superpower." On abortion, Hurd told Insider it "probably makes sense" to institute a nationwide ban after 15 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.

☆ An Iowa Campaign Event Defined More by Those Who Were Not There Than Those Who Were
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Jonathan Weisman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

More than nine months before the Iowa caucuses, eight declared and potential presidential candidates came to a gathering of Christian conservatives on Saturday evening to test a question: Can flesh-and-blood politicians eyeing the highest office in the land be upstaged by a canned, prerecorded video? The answer was almost certainly yes. The audio did not quite match the video on former President Donald J. Trump’s recorded message to the hundreds gathered at the largest cattle call yet of the fledgling campaign season. The delivery of his trademark hyperbole was rushed to fit into the final, 10-minute window that closed the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition’s spring kickoff. Their strategy appeared straightforward: Avoid confrontation with the better known, better funded front-runners, hope Mr. Trump’s attacks take out — or at least take down — Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor who is second in most Republican polls, and hope outside forces, namely indictments, take out Mr. Trump.

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