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☆ Amid 'Velma' pushback, Mindy Kaling is a 'lightning rod' held to impossible standard, some critics say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

In 2021, South Asian women made up 0.3% of onscreen representation in television and film, according to a study by the Nielsen company. Srinivas sees why the South Asian community feels incorrectly represented by Mindy, Devi, Bela or Velma. “When her characters have become so popular with the mainstream audience, I think it’s understandable that the South Asian community feels somewhat outraged by this portrayal of a South Asian individual,” she said. “It’s not inauthentic to the experience of South Asian kids growing up in this society. “They are very much the same as the characters Mindy portrays.”

☆ Netflix announces 'biggest-ever lineup' of Korean films and series
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Netflix announced 34 new Korean titles to hit the streaming platform in 2023, including a diverse array of series and movies. The upcoming titles, which Netflix calls their “biggest-ever lineup of Korean films and series,” includes 21 scripted shows, five reality shows, six movies and two documentaries. Korean content on the platform has continued to grow, with over 60 percent of all Netflix users watching Korean titles last year, according to a release from the company on Monday. The global popularity of Korean media and culture, known as the “Korean Wave,” is still proving successful in the U.S., with shows like “Squid Game” being Netflix’s most successful series launch of all time. For its part, Netflix has been steadily investing in Korean content — reportedly over $500 million in 2021 and even more in 2022.

☆ Man arrested after uranium found at UK's Heathrow Airport
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 15 (Reuters) - A man in his 60s has been arrested in connection with an investigation linked to the discovery of traces of uranium found in a cargo package at London's Heathrow Airport, the UK Metropolitan Police said on Sunday. The man was arrested on suspicion of a terror offence on Saturday and was released on bail as part of the investigation, the Police said. A very small quantity of uranium was detected in a package that arrived at Heathrow Airport on Dec. 29. Uranium can be used for civilian power generation and scientific purposes and is a key ingredient in nuclear weapons. Reporting by Baranjot Kaur in Bengaluru and William James in London; Editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UK's M&S plans to open 20 new stores in Britain, the Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 16 (Reuters) - British retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) (MKS.L) plans to open 20 new stores creating 3,400 jobs throughout Britain, The Times reported on Monday. It also will open 12 food halls, including in Stockport, Barnsley and the North Ayrshire seaside town of Largs, Scotland. The group last November had proposed a target to reduce its full line stores by 67 to 180 by 2028, while increasing its food only stores by 104 to 420. The openings will bring new store investment to 480 million pounds ($586.94 million), the newspaper added. ($1 = 0.8178 pounds)Reporting by Baranjot Kaur in Bengaluru; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ First-look photos of 'American Born Chinese' feature Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Disney offered a peek Friday of its upcoming “American Born Chinese,” based on Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel of the same name. Daniel Wu in, "American Born Chinese." Carlos Lopez-Calleja / DisneyGolden Globe winners and stars of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan star in the new series. Michelle Yeoh in, "American Born Chinese." Ke Huy Quan in, "American Born Chinese."

☆ Kumail Nanjiani defends Tarantino and Scorsese’s right to criticize Marvel
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Kumail Nanjiani, star of Marvel’s “Eternals,” recently defended directors Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino’s right to criticize Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor, who played Kingo in the 2021 Marvel film, told Esquire in an interview this week he believes Tarantino and Scorsese’s long-standing contribution to the film industry is enough to justify their right. “I obviously love the movies Tarantino makes or Scorsese makes, and I may disagree with Scorsese’s opinion on superhero movies, but I mean, who else has earned the right to have an opinion? If Scorsese hasn’t earned the right to have an opinion on movies, then none of us should have an opinion on movies,” Nanjiani said in the interview. “If the only gatekeepers to movie stardom came from Tarantino and Scorsese, I would never have had the opportunity to lead a $400 million plus movie,” Liu tweeted.

☆ What to know about 'Naatu Naatu,' the song that beat out Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga at Golden Globes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

“Naatu Naatu,” a song from the hit Telugu-language film “RRR,” was the unexpected and historic winner for best original song at the Golden Globes Tuesday, beating out Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Rihanna. Majumdar said she was surprised but thrilled “Naatu Naatu” took home the award. “Earlier, that was seen as a feature that was strange about Indian cinema. Keeravani accepts the Best Original Song award for "Naatu Naatu" from "RRR" during the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Tuesday. “When I envisioned the ‘Naatu Naatu’ song,” Rajamouli told Variety.

☆ Tesla reports record quarterly deliveries but misses estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 2 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) on Monday reported record production and deliveries for fourth-quarter electric vehicle deliveries but fell short of Wall Street estimates, burdened by lingering logistics problems and slowing demand amid rising interest rates and recession fears. The world's most valuable automaker delivered 405,278 vehicles in the last three months of the year, compared with Wall Street expectations of 431,117 vehicles, according to Refinitiv data. The company had delivered 308,600 vehicles in the same period a year earlier. Tesla delivered 388,131 Model 3 compact sedans and Model Y sports utility vehicles (SUVs) compared with 17,147 Model X and Model S luxury cars. Reporting by Akash Sriram and Baranjot Kaur in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Zenseact becomes fully owned subsidiary of Volvo Cars
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 31 (Reuters) - Sweden-based Volvo Car AB said on Saturday it had taken 100% ownership of its autonomous driving (AD) software development subsidiary Zenseact. Volvo Cars acquired 13.5% of shares in Zenseact from ECARX, which made the AD software company a fully owned subsidiary of the Swedish automaker. Zenseact will continue to remain and operate as a standalone company, Volvo Cars said. Despite Volvo Cars taking ECARX's shares in the software company, the ongoing collaboration discussions between Zenseact and ECARX will continue as planned, Volvo Cars said. Zenseact received a strategic investment in 2021 from ECARX where it asked for 15% shareholding in the software company.

☆ American Girl makes history with its first South Asian Girl of the Year doll
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

American Girl unveiled its 2023 Girl of the Year on Thursday, and in a brand first, the title goes to a South Asian doll. Kavi Sharma, an Indian American from New Jersey, loves to sing, dance and hang out with her friends. Kavi, who takes weekly classical Indian dance classes, and her tight-knit family also celebrate their culture through holidays, food and clothing. American Girl, a subsidiary of toy company Mattel, debuted its first Girl of the Year in 2001. Although Kavi is the company’s first South Asian Girl of the Year, she is not the first South Asian doll.

☆ A TikTok creator’s homemade pickled products have sparked online conversation surrounding food safety
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

A TikTok creator’s recent apology after people accused her of improperly packaging her homemade pickled products before selling them online has sparked discourse surrounding influencers and whether they should be allowed to promote and sell homemade food items on the app. Britanny Saunier, executive director of the nonprofit organization Partnership for Food Safety EducationSocial media creates "enthusiasm" around homemade products, said Britanny Saunier, the executive director of the nonprofit organization Partnership for Food Safety Education. The backlash toward PickleMeEverything’s products comes several months after another viral product raised eyebrows over similar food safety fears. He said he’s concerned about the growing number of TikTokers who don’t know or use food safety while promoting food products. Food Science Babe pointed out in her video that several popular creators had promoted PickleMeEverything’s products.

☆ Factbox: More than 800,000 without power in U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 24 (Reuters) - More than 800,000 homes and businesses were without power in the eastern half of the United States and Texas as winter storms battered much of the country, according to data from PowerOutage.us. U.S. utilities were working to restore power after the storms moved on from their service territories but some were still dealing with high winds. The greatest numbers of outages were in New England in the northeast, with 248,162 customers without power in Maine, followed by New Hampshire, New York, Virginia and North Carolina. Nearly half of the 50 U.S. states counted more than 10,000 customers with outages due to the storms. The utility with the most outages was Central Maine Power with 188,861 customers without power.

☆ 'Sort Of' is about a nonbinary millennial. Its star hopes to change how we see each other
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Harmeet Kaur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Sabi, who is nonbinary, not only navigates love and dating in Toronto but also hopes to be understood by their Pakistani immigrant family. Baig spoke to CNN about what it means to feel seen and how “Sort Of” might help some viewers achieve that feeling. Wanting to feel seen is another thread that runs through the show. When we feel seen, when we feel understood, we feel a lot less lonely in the world. We work with writers and directors who are trans, nonbinary, South Asian, people of color.

☆ Hawaii volcano alert level lowered to watch - USGS
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 10 (Reuters) - Lava and volcanic gas emissions at Hawaii's Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, declined on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said. As a result, the Observatory downgraded the alert level for the volcano to a watch from the previous level of warning, with lava confined to a small area. Under a watch alert level, an eruption is underway but poses limited hazards. Mauna Loa began erupting in late November for the first time since 1984, ending its longest quiet period in recorded history. The behavior of the volcano suggests the eruption may end soon.

☆ The iconic Wednesday Addams dance gets a cultural twist from Asian TikTok creators
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

"Wednesday," a comedy horror show and the latest “Addams Family” spinoff, was released on the streaming service last week. It follows daughter Wednesday Addams, played by Jenna Ortega, as she navigates Nevermore Academy, her psychic abilities and a murder mystery. The dance scene, which shows Wednesday ghoulishly grooving at Nevermore Academy’s annual Rave’N dance, has mesmerized thousands on the app. She was also dressed in all black with a Polynesian dancing belt called a hip hei and her hair in a braided crown. The Addams Family consists of mother and father Gomez and Morticia; children Pugsley and Wednesday; butler Lurch; and extended family members Uncle Fester and Grandmama.

☆ Director Ang Lee will direct his son, playing Bruce Lee in biopic
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Ang Lee, the Academy Award-winning director of “Brokeback Mountain” and “Life of Pi,” is set to direct an upcoming film about the Chinese American martial arts icon Bruce Lee. Mason Lee, the son of Ang Lee, will play Bruce Lee in Sony’s 3000 Pictures film. At 13, he went on to study wing chun kung fu under the renowned master Yip Man, according to the Bruce Lee Estate. He also developed his own martial art during this time called Jeet Kune Do, the Bruce Lee Foundation's website said. After “The Green Hornet” was canceled, Bruce Lee struggled to find work in Hollywood and returned to Hong Kong to pursue a film career.

☆ Simu Liu stars in 'The Simpsons' episode as Lisa's tech billionaire husband
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Actor Simu Liu made an appearance Sunday on the latest episode of “The Simpsons” as Lisa Simpson’s future “visionary tech giant” husband. The episode includes multiple time jumps, beginning with with Nelson and Lisa reuniting before her college graduation. The time jumps that follow include Hubert and Lisa’s separation, their reconciliation and Nelson and Lisa’s reunification once again. Liu went to Instagram to share his excitement for the recent episode. “The Simpsons” also welcomed Simu and his character to the show’s universe on Twitter after the episode aired.

☆ Miss America reflects on her reign, talks about how brother with special needs inspires her activism
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Emma Broyles, the 2022 Miss America, has actually spent a lot of her life on the sidelines — cheering on her older brother at sporting events. Brendan Broyles, 22, who has Down syndrome, is an athlete in the Special Olympics and a major source of inspiration for his sister's activism as Miss America. Emma Broyles is the first Korean American and first Miss Alaska to win the title. “It’s a tremendous privilege to be the first Korean American Miss America. There she worked with a partner group to help provide glasses for students in the community for Alaskan Native Heritage Month.

☆ UNC Charlotte updates policy to allow Sikh students to wear kirpan on campus
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte announced this week that it would allow Sikh students to wear a kirpan on campus, a religious article. The change comes about two months after a video was posted online showing a student who was handcuffed for carrying the ceremonial dagger. The university thanked Sikh leaders, including nonprofit organizations The Sikh Coalition and the Global Sikh Council, who provided expertise and perspective to help with the policy change. A video of the student being handcuffed was posted on the Twitter account @thatsamaan in September, and its user identified himself as the student in question. “I wasn’t going to post this, but I don’t think I will receive any support from @unccharlotte,” he tweeted along with the video.

☆ Foreign workers laid off from Big Tech face a deadline: Find a job ASAP, or leave the country
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

Under the umbrella of a tech giant, not only would he have job security, he thought, but visa security as well. Originally from China, he needed the sponsorship of an H-1B work visa to stay in the U.S.A year went by in his new role and everything seemed to be going well. immigration policy has amplified the uncertainty for immigrant workers in times like this. “It’s definitely harder trying to find a job or trying to find a company that’s willing to sponsor you. “This really helped drive the tech boom in the U.S. and made the U.S. the big tech hub,” Khanna said.

☆ Aruna Miller makes history as first South Asian woman elected lieutenant governor in U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Aruna Miller, a former Democratic state legislator, made history in Maryland on Tuesday as the nation’s first South Asian woman to be elected state lieutenant governor. I will never stop fighting to make sure that promise is available to everyone,” she tweeted after the victory. She also thanked Wes Moore, who selected Miller as his running mate and was elected Maryland’s first Black governor on Tuesday. Miller graduated from the Missouri University of Science and Technology with a degree in civil engineering, the Moore-Miller campaign website said. “There is no higher calling than public service, and no greater honor than to serve the people of this great state,” he tweeted.

☆ Carl Icahn owns over 8% stake in beverage-can maker Crown Holdings -WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 2 (Reuters) - Carl Icahn has a more than 8% stake in Crown Holdings Inc (CCK.N), the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, adding that the activist investor believes the beverage-can maker should shed non-core units and buy back more stock. The billionaire has a stake worth about $700 million, which makes him the company's second-largest holder, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. The company's existing market value is about $8.09 billion, according to Refinitiv data. Carl Icahn and Crown Holdings did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Reporting by Baranjot Kaur in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.VOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Walmart has agreed to pay $3.1 billion, mostly up front, according to two people familiar with the matter. The proposed settlement, which would be the first nationwide deal with retail pharmacy companies, follows nationwide opioid settlements with drugmakers and distributors totaling more than $33 billion. CVS, Walgreens and Walmart are the three largest retail pharmacies in the country by market share. The agency has attributed much of the recent rise in overdose cases to illegally manufactured fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid. A congressional report last month put the economic toll of the opioid crisis in 2020 alone at $1.5 trillion.

The proposed settlement calls for CVS to pay $5 billion over 10 years, Walgreens to pay $5.7 billion over 15 years and Walmart to pay $3.1 billion, mostly up front, according to the people. Walgreens and CVS declined to comment. Walmart and a spokesperson for the plaintiffs' attorneys in the litigation did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The proposed settlement, which would be the first nationwide deal with retail pharmacy companies, follows nationwide opioid settlements with drugmakers and distributors totaling more than $33 billion. CVS, Walgreens and Walmart are the three largest retail pharmacies in the country by market share.

‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’Even before making its way to theaters, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” — the long-awaited sequel to the 2018 film starring Chadwick Boseman — has birthed some of this fall’s biggest pop culture moments, including a Rihanna song drop. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” opens in U.S. theaters Nov. 11. “The Inspection” opens in U.S. theaters Nov. 18. “Bones and All” opens in U.S. theaters Nov. 23. “Strange World” opens in U.S. theaters Nov. 23.

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