始まりは宮城の連続地震 損保4社、2度の「失策」でカルテル発覚 - 毎日新聞

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

始まりは宮城の連続地震 損保4社、2度の「失策」でカルテル発覚  毎日新聞
からの記事と詳細 ( 始まりは宮城の連続地震 損保4社、2度の「失策」でカルテル発覚 - 毎日新聞 )
https://ift.tt/PJTYQBE

Washington Post report: Subscriber loss after non-endorsement reaches a quarter million

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

The Washington Post has lost at least 250,000 subscribers since announcing last Friday that it would not endorse a candidate for president — roughly 10 percent of its digital following, the newspaper reported Wednesday.

The Post would not officially confirm that figure, saying it was a private company, but it was reported in a story in the newspaper that cited documents and two unnamed sources who were familiar with the figures. Another non-endorsement last week has caused thousands of Los Angeles Times readers to cancel subscriptions, although not nearly at the Post's level.

One journalism historian, Jon Marshall at Northwestern University, said he had a hard time recalling a comparable response, although a boycott of the Arkansas Gazette when it supported the integration of Little Rock schools in 1957 cost that newspaper more than $20 million in today's dollars.

The Post's owner, Jeff Bezos, said presidential endorsements create a perception of bias at the newspaper while having little real influence on how readers vote. His said his only regret was making the decision known when passions are heated so close to Election Day; the paper's editorial staff had reportedly prepared an endorsement of Democrat Kamala Harris.

“A lot of people would have forgotten about the Harris endorsement slated to run in the newspaper,” the Post's media critic, Erik Wemple, wrote. “Few will forget about the decision not to publish it.”

The Post's executive editor, Matt Murray, told employees in a staff meeting that there were “several positive days” of new subscribers signing up, although he didn't mention any numbers, the newspaper reported.

Some of the Post's angry digital readers have also already paid for a year's access, and will retain that until their subscriptions expire.

“After another month or so, the election will have ended, and there may be people who say that ‘I need the Post more than they need me’ and come back," said Rick Edmonds, media business analyst at the Poynter Institute.

The Post also saw a big increase in subscribers during Donald Trump's presidency from people attracted to the newspaper's aggressive coverage, raising the possibility of a repeat if the man that the newspaper wasn't prepared to endorse is returned to office.

In the meantime, Edmonds said, “it's very bad.” After losing readers during the Biden administration, the Post had reportedly seen positive signs of growth — until this week.

___

David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder.

Adblock test (Why?)

Washington Post report: Subscriber loss after non-endorsement reaches a quarter million
Click Source

古舘伊知郎「本当の民主主義の始まり」衆院選投票率は53.85％も「民意の反映はあった」 - ニッカンスポーツ

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

古舘伊知郎「本当の民主主義の始まり」衆院選投票率は53.85％も「民意の反映はあった」  ニッカンスポーツ
からの記事と詳細 ( 古舘伊知郎「本当の民主主義の始まり」衆院選投票率は53.85％も「民意の反映はあった」 - ニッカンスポーツ )
https://ift.tt/5NodjmT

World Series Game 3 averages 13.64 million, beats 'Monday Night Football'

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

LOS ANGELES -- The World Series beat “Monday Night Football” in the battle for television viewers.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' 4-2 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the Fall Classic averaged 13.64 million viewers on Fox, Fox Deportes and streaming according to early numbers by Nielsen. That beat the 13.4 million that tuned in for the Pittsburgh Steelers' 26-18 win over the New York Giants on ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN2 and streaming.

The audience for Yankees-Dodgers peaked at 14.25 million from 9-9:15 p.m. EDT. It was the most-watched Game 3 since 2018, when the Dodgers' 18-inning victory over the Red Sox average 13.3 million.

It is Fox's most-viewed prime time telecast on a Monday since Game 5 of the 2013 Series between Boston and St. Louis (14.45 million).

It was the ninth time since 1986 that a World Series game was played on a Monday night, but only the fourth that it went head-to-head against “Monday Night Football” on network television.

Last year marked the first time the NFL beat the Fall Classic on Monday night. The Texas Rangers' 3-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 3 last year is the least-viewed World Series game on record, averaging 8.13 million viewers. That same night, Detroit's 26-14 victory over Las Vegas averaged 15.2 million on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes.

Through three games, the World Series is averaging 14.42 million, its highest number in seven years.

The game had a 20.0 rating and 52 share in Los Angeles and 11.6 rating and 29 share in New York.

The rating is the percentage of television households tuned in. The share refers to a percentage of the audience viewing it at the time.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Adblock test (Why?)

World Series Game 3 averages 13.64 million, beats 'Monday Night Football'
Click Source

地球一周ヨットレースが始まります。11月10日スタート、ヴァンデ・グローブ世界のヨットレース、セーリングニュース & コラム - バルクヘッドマガジン

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

地球一周ヨットレースが始まります。11月10日スタート、ヴァンデ・グローブ世界のヨットレース、セーリングニュース & コラム  バルクヘッドマガジン
からの記事と詳細 ( 地球一周ヨットレースが始まります。11月10日スタート、ヴァンデ・グローブ世界のヨットレース、セーリングニュース & コラム - バルクヘッドマガジン )
https://ift.tt/bP0dkiX

Newspaper non-endorsements at Washington Post, LA Times fit a trend, but their readers aren't happy

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

The number of newspapers endorsing a candidate for president has dwindled with the industry's financial troubles the past two decades, in part because owners reason that it makes no sense to alienate some subscribers by taking a clear stand in a politically polarizing time.

Yet in the past week, The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times have angered readers for precisely the opposite reason: by choosing not to select a favored candidate.

The fallout from both decisions continued Monday, with Post owner Jeff Bezos taking the unusual step of publicly defending the move in the columns of his own paper. Three members of the Post's editorial board resigned their positions and some journalists pleaded with readers to not express their disapproval by canceling subscriptions. Many thousands have already done so.

Bezos, in a note to readers, said it was a principled stand to ditch endorsements. People essentially don't care and see it as a sign of bias, he said. His comments appeared hours after NPR reported that more than 200,000 people had canceled their Washington Post subscriptions.

If NPR's report is true, that would be a startling blow to an outlet that lost money and shed staff despite having more than 2.5 million subscribers last year. A Post spokeswoman would not comment on the report.

The Times has acknowledged losing thousands of subscribers due to its own decision.

Both newspapers had reportedly prepared editorials supporting Democrat Kamala Harris. Instead, at the behest of Bezos and Patrick Soon-Shiong at the Times, they decided not to endorse. Post publisher Will Lewis called it “a statement in support of our readers' ability to make up their own minds.”

By announcing their decisions within two weeks of Election Day, however, the newspapers left themselves vulnerable to criticism that their publishers were trying not to anger Republican Donald Trump if voters returned him to power. “It looked like they were not making a principled decision,” said John Woolley, co-director of the American Presidency Project at the University of California-Santa Barbara.

Retired Post editor Martin Baron, on social media, said the decision showed “disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage” and that Trump would see it as a further invitation to intimidate Bezos.

Back in the 1800s, newspapers were sharply partisan in both their news pages and editorials. Even when a trend toward unbiased news reports took hold in the 1900s, editorial pages remained opinionated and the two functions were kept separate.

As recently as 2008, 92 of the nation's 100 largest newspapers endorsed either Democrat Barack Obama or Republican John McCain for president. But by 2020, only 54 made a choice between Trump and Joe Biden, according to the presidency project. Figuring there were even fewer this year, Woolley said they aren't even planning to count.

Studies found readers paid endorsements little heed and, in a digital world, many didn't understand the distinction between straight news stories and advocacy-driven editorials. In many cases, chain ownership took the decision out of the hands of local editors. At a time the news business is struggling, they didn't want to give any readers an excuse to leave.

“They really don't want to rattle or piss off the people who are not going to like their endorsement,” said Rick Edmonds, media business analyst at the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank. “The solution is just not to do them.”

That hasn't seemed to fly at newspapers in two large metropolitan areas with liberal populations. The Post, under Baron's leadership during the Trump administration, saw its circulation spike with aggressive political coverage that frequently angered the former president.

Besides Baron, the decision was denounced by Watergate era reporting legends Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Columnists Robert Kagan and Michele Norris said they were quitting the newspaper in protest. Three of the nine members of the Post's editorial board said they were leaving that role.

Out West, a Los Angeles Times editorial writer, Karin Klein, wrote in the Hollywood Reporter that she was quitting the newspaper. Klein said that while Soon-Shiong had the right to impose his will on editorial policy, by making the non-endorsement so late in the campaign he was effectively expressing the opposite of the neutrality he claimed to seek.

Indeed, timing was the one regret Bezos expressed. “I wish we had made the change earlier than we did, in a moment further from the election and the emotions around it,” he wrote. "That was inadequate planning, and not some intentional strategy.”

In an article about the continuing fallout on the Post's website Monday, more than 2,000 people left comments, many of them saying they were leaving. Even former GOP congresswoman Liz Cheney said she was canceling.

“From what I've seen in recent days, the paper is hearing its subscribers very clearly,” Post media critic Erik Wemple said during an online chat Monday.

The protests have left some journalists alarmed, worried that they and their colleagues would only be hurt in the end. The union representing Los Angeles Times workers issued a statement last week that “before you hit that ‘cancel’ button,” recognize that subscriptions help underwrite the salaries of hundreds of journalists.

“The more cancellations there are, the more jobs will be lost, and the less good journalism there will be,” Post columnist Dana Milbank wrote.

It would be better, one commenter on the newspaper's website said on Monday, to boycott Amazon — founded by Bezos — than the Washington Post.

Milbank said he was angered by the decision, too. He helped organize a protest letter that some of the paper's columnists signed. But he noted that, except for the endorsement decision, he's seen no evidence of Bezos interfering in the Post's editorial operations.

“For the past nine years, I've been labeling Trump a racist and a fascist, adding more evidence each week — and not once have I been stifled,” he wrote. “I've never even met nor spoke to Bezos.”

The owner said as much in his column. “I challenge you to find one instance in those 11 years where I have prevailed upon anyone at the Post in favor of my own interests,” he wrote. “It hasn’t happened.”

Some newspapers are bucking the trend of non-endorsements. The Oregonian, for example, reversed its decision not to endorse after staying neutral in 2012 and 2016. “We heard the community's disappointment over our non-endorsements loud and clear,” editor Therese Bottomly wrote in response to a question by Poynter's Edmonds.

In Cleveland, Plain Dealer Editor Chris Quinn polled his editorial board about whether to make a presidential endorsement. “We don't delude ourselves about our presidential endorsement impacting voters,” Quinn wrote. “If we are not going to impact voters, why publish something that will anger half our audience?”

He cast the deciding vote. The Plain Dealer endorsed Harris. Quinn had raised the question via text to some of his readers. They felt a non-endorsement would be a betrayal, he wrote — an act of cowardice.

“That was enough for me,” Quinn wrote. “Our duty is to the readers.”

___

David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder.

Adblock test (Why?)

Newspaper non-endorsements at Washington Post, LA Times fit a trend, but their readers aren't happy
Click Source

Vinyl thrives at United Record Pressing as the nation's oldest record maker plays a familiar tune

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- During the six decades since United Record Pressing stamped out the Beatles’ first U.S. single, the country’s oldest vinyl record maker has survived 8-tracks, cassettes, CDs, Napster, iPods and streaming services. Now, the Nashville-based company has rebounded so dramatically that some of its equipment and technology has been retrofitted to keep pace with an ever-growing demand for old-school vinyl.

The 75-year-old company has adjusted its business from filling jukeboxes to helping DJs spin and stocking shelves despite a pandemic. On shelves in its warehouse are master versions by Johnny Cash, Kanye West and The Black Crowes.

When Mark Michaels bought the company in 2007, vinyl was fading — its 38 employees mostly made singles for rap artists, often promos for clubs. Michaels wanted a hands-on chance to build a business and thought he could keep this one steady, but not grow it substantially. It also came with a rich history as the first record pressing plant in the South, including an apartment atop the factory that housed Black artists and music executives during segregation.

“You walked into this building and you just felt 50, 60 years of history and just the importance of what it stood for," said Michaels, the company's CEO and chair. “And yeah, you you get choked up, you get gooseflesh just experiencing that.”

Today, United Record Pressing runs a newer factory six times bigger than what Michaels bought, with about 125 employees who make up to 80,000 records a day.

A variety of factors have boosted vinyl in recent years, from independent artists insisting on vinyl albums to big box retailers getting on board again.

In 2023, U.S. revenues from vinyl records grew 10% to $1.4 billion, the 17th-straight year of growth, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Records accounted for 71% of revenues from non-digital music formats, and for the second time since 1987, vinyl outpaced CDs in total sold.

United Record Pressing underwent its own evolution. The initial pressing plant was formed in 1949 by Nashville label Bullet Records. In the 1950s, it changed to Southern Plastics Inc. and focused on 7-inch singles preferred by jukebox makers.

In the early 1960s, the company was pressing more than 1 million records per month. It signed a deal to produce singles for Motown Records and moved to a bigger facility that included the apartment that hosted The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and others — and which became known as the “Motown Suite.” In 1963, it pressed the Beatles' first U.S. single, “Please Please Me.” Then in the 1970s, a restructuring turned the company into United Record Pressing.

During the 1980s, records dwindled to a niche market. DJs still needed records for their turntables. Rap and hip-hop artists used them for “scratching.” But CDs had overtaken them.

By the late 2000s, indie artists were insisting on releasing vinyl records. By 2015, records were broadly embraced again, but there were few manufacturers, and they were relying on presses from the 1960s and 1970s and a limited number of specialists who could operate them, Michaels said. Demand increased again during the coronavirus pandemic.

“It's art,” Michaels said of vinyl records. “Artists and fans, they want something tactile to hold on to and engage with. It’s easy to stream music, and streaming music is a wonderful way to discover new music. But you know, at the end of the day, it’s kind of sonic wallpaper.”

Today, the factory mixes old and new.

There's plenty of wood paneling on the throwback audio equipment used to test master versions of records before they are used to press copies. And the factory floor has its share of retrofitted pressing equipment that looks and sounds like it's been around since the last time vinyl ruled the market.

Technology is improving the process, too. Beyond the older presses are sleek, newly made machines that plop out records more quietly and efficiently. And there are huge sacks of colorful pebbles from discarded material that can be pressed again into new records.

The machines that stamp master copies use technology that had been in place to produce CDs and DVDs, now retooled for vinyl.

In a room farther back in the factory, the whizzing of machinery gives way to music.

That's where Tyler Bryant might listen to 10 records in a shift as the company's quality control lead. Talking over the rhythms of harmonica from a Cash album, Bryant said he discovers many artists and records that wouldn't be on his list, ranging from Harry Styles to Beyoncé's “Cowboy Carter” to indie artists.

“A lot of variety, that's what I appreciate,” Bryant said. “I don't like being stuck to just one genre, you know?”

A few miles away, architects and a construction crew are at work to preserve the old 1962 plant and pave the way for its future. As for what that will look like, Michaels says stay tuned.

“My vision is not completely crystallized yet, but the mandate is, it’s some of the most important space in all of music,” Michaels said. “It needs to be celebrated. It needs to be something that people can engage with.”

Adblock test (Why?)

Vinyl thrives at United Record Pressing as the nation's oldest record maker plays a familiar tune
Click Source

Latin superstar Bad Bunny backs Harris for president after comedian's racist jokes at Trump event

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

Bad Bunny threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday by sharing a video of the Democratic presidential nominee shortly after a comedian at Donald Trump's Madison Square Garden rally made crude jokes about Latinos and called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage," angering artists and some Hispanic Republicans.

Bad Bunny, whose official name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is one of the most famous artists of the moment. His backing could be a boost for the Harris campaign as it tries to bolster its support with Latino voters, among whom Trump has been working to gain ground.

The video Bad Bunny shared with his 45 million Instagram followers shows Harris saying “there’s so much at stake in this election for Puerto Rican voters and for Puerto Rico.” A representative of the artist confirmed that Bad Bunny is supporting Harris.

Bad Bunny signaled his support moments after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made the remarks on Puerto Rico. Later, Hinchcliffe said “these Latinos, they love making babies” and said they don't use the pull-out birth control method.

The comments on Puerto Rico were immediately criticized by Harris’ campaign, but were also called out by Angel Cintron, the head of the GOP on the island, and Republican U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, who represents parts of Miami and has participated in recent Trump events.

Salazar wrote: “Disgusted by “@TonyHinchcliffe’s racist comment calling Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage.’ This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values. Puerto Rico sent 48,000+ soldiers to Vietnam, with over 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This bravery deserves respect. Educate yourself!”

Trump campaign spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez in a statement said "this joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”

Luis Fonsi, a Puerto Rican artist who sings the hit “Despacito,” went on Instagram and wrote “going down this racist path ain’t it.”

“We are not OK with this constant hate,” he wrote in a message shared on Instagram. “It’s been abundantly clear that these people have no respect for us.”

Ricky Martin, who had previously endorsed Harris, was also offended by the comment and said "that’s what they think of us,” on Instagram.

In showing support, Bad Bunny shared several times another part of the clip Harris made on Puerto Rico, saying “I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and a competent leader."

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton artist, who has popular songs such as “Dakiti” and “Titi Me Preguntó,” has won three Grammy Awards. He was the most streamed artist on Spotify in 2020, 2021 and 2022, and was only surpassed by Taylor Swift in 2023. He was named Artist of the Year by Apple Music in 2022.

The Puerto Rican vote is sizable in Pennsylvania, which is arguably the hardest fought of the swing states in the 2024 election. Other Puerto Rican singers such as Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony had already expressed support for Harris. Trump has also attracted support from other popular stars from the island such as Anuel AA and Nicky Jam.

Bad Bunny has been vocal about criticizing Puerto Rico’s electric system, which was razed by Hurricane Maria. In a 2022 music video for his song “El Apagon,” the artist called out the company Luma Energy, which handles transmission and distribution, for the constant power outages that plague the island.

One of his most recent songs, “Una Velita,” is also a protest against the government response following Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017.

A year after the storm, public health experts estimated that nearly 3,000 perished because of the effects of Hurricane Maria. But Trump, whose efforts to help the island territory recover have been persistently criticized, repeatedly questioned that number saying it rose “like magic.”

His visit to the island after the hurricane elicited controversy such as when he tossed paper towels. His administration released $13 billion in assistance years later, just weeks before the 2020 presidential election. And a federal government watchdog found that officials hampered an investigation into delays in aid delivery.

Bad Bunny also shared a part of the clip showing Harris saying that Trump “abandoned the island, tried to block aid after back-to-back devastating hurricanes and offered nothing more than paper towels and insults.”

Harris visited a Puerto Rican restaurant in North Philadelphia earlier on Sunday and released her policy related to the island saying she wants to create a task force to attract investment to fix the electrical grid. And Trump is headed on Tuesday to Allentown, Pennsylvania, where more than half of its population is Hispanic and a majority of them from Puerto Rico.

In 2020, Bad Bunny allowed the Biden campaign to use one of his hits “Pero Ya No” in a TV ad.

Adblock test (Why?)

Latin superstar Bad Bunny backs Harris for president after comedian's racist jokes at Trump event
Click Source

Timothée Chalamet crashes his own look-alike contest

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

NEW YORK -- Actor Timothée Chalamet made a surprise appearance at his own look-alike contest in Lower Manhattan on Sunday, an event that drew hundreds of onlookers, a dispersal order from police and at least one arrest.

Flanked by bodyguards, Chalamet briefly posed for photos with his high-cheeked, curly haired doppelgängers, some of whom had dressed as the actor’s characters in “Wonka” and the “Dune” movies.

But just as the wannabe-Chalamats began strutting along a red carpet in Washington Square Park, police ordered the large group to disperse, slapping organizers with a $500 fine for an “unpermitted costume contest.”

At least one contestant was taken away in handcuffs, though police did not immediately say why. A spokesperson for the NYPD said charges were pending.

“It started off as a silly joke and now it’s turned pandemonium,” said Paige Nguyen, a producer for the YouTube personality Anthony Po, who staged the event.

The organizers had posted flyers for the contest — which promised a $50 prize to the winner — around New York in recent days, spurring social media speculation and thousands of RSVPs to an online invite.

After leaving the park, the group soon found a backup location in a nearby playground, where more than a dozen contestants competed for audience approval from a makeshift stage.

What makes a good Chalamet?

“It’s all in the nose,” said Lauren Klas, a 27-year-old graphic designer who clung to a fence post to get a better view of the stage. “All of his bone structure, really.”

After winnowing down the group down to four, the remaining contestants were asked about their French proficiency, their plans to make the world a better place and their romantic intentions with Kylie Jenner. Chalamet and Jenner are said to be a couple.

Eventually, a winner was chosen: Miles Mitchell, a 21-year-old Staten Island resident, who dressed in a purple Willy Wonka outfit and tossed candy to the crowd from a brief case.

As he stood next to a novelty-size check written out to “Best Tim," a group of admirers lined up for the chance to take a photo — or exchange social media profiles — with the winner.

“I’m excited and I’m also overwhelmed,” Mitchell said. “There were so many good look-alikes. It was really a toss-up.”

Adblock test (Why?)

Timothée Chalamet crashes his own look-alike contest
Click Source

クラウドファンディングが始まりました。千葉館山に16名で泊まれる空間をプロデュースします！ - CAMPFIRE (キャンプファイヤー)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

クラウドファンディングが始まりました。千葉館山に16名で泊まれる空間をプロデュースします！  CAMPFIRE (キャンプファイヤー)
からの記事と詳細 ( クラウドファンディングが始まりました。千葉館山に16名で泊まれる空間をプロデュースします！ - CAMPFIRE (キャンプファイヤー) )
https://ift.tt/qo7wOrX

'Venom: The Last Dance' misses projections as superhero films' grip loosens

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

NEW YORK -- NEW YORK (AP) — “Venom: The Last Dance” showed less bite than expected at the box office, collecting $51 million in its opening weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday, significantly down from the alien symbiote franchise’s previous entries.

Projections for the third “Venom” film from Sony Pictures had been closer to $65 million. More concerning, though, was the drop off from the first two “Venom” films. The 2018 original debuted with $80.2 million, while the 2021 follow-up, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” opened with $90 million even as theaters were still in recovery mode during the pandemic.

“The Last Dance,” starring Tom Hardy as a journalist who shares his body with an alien entity also voiced by Hardy, could still turn a profit for Sony. Its production budget, not accounting for promotion and marketing, was about $120 million — significantly less than most comic-book films.

But “The Last Dance” is also performing better overseas. Internationally, “Venom: The Last Dance” collected $124 million over the weekend, including $46 million over five days of release in China. That’s good enough for one of the best international weekends of the year for a Hollywood release.

Still, neither reviews (36% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) nor audience scores (a franchise-low “B-” CinemaScore) have been good for the film scripted by Kelly Marcel and Hardy, and directed by Marcel.

The low weekend for “Venom: The Last Dance” also likely insures that superhero films will see their lowest-grossing year in a dozen years, not counting the pandemic year of 2020, according to David A. Gross, a film consultant who publishes a newsletter for Franchise Entertainment.

Following on the heels of the “Joker: Folie à Deux” flop, Gross estimates that 2024 superhero films will gross about $2.25 billion worldwide. The only upcoming entry is Marvel’s “Kraven the Hunter,” due out Dec. 13. Even with the $1.3 billion of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the genre hasn’t, overall, been dominating the way it once did. In 2018, for example, superhero films accounted for more than $7 billion in global ticket sales.

Last week’s top film, the Paramount Pictures horror sequel “Smile 2,” dropped to second place with $9.4 million. That brings its two-week total to $83.7 million worldwide.

The weekend’s biggest success story might have been “Conclave,” the papal thriller starring Ralph Fiennes and directed by Edward Berger (“All Quiet on the Western Front”). The Focus Features release, a major Oscar contender, launched with $6.5 million in 1,753 theaters.

That put “Conclave” into third place, making it the rare adult-oriented drama to make a mark theatrically. Some 77% of ticket buyers were over the age of 35, Focus said. With a strong opening and stellar reviews, “Conclave” could continue to gather momentum both with moviegoers and Oscar voters.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "Venom: The Last Dance,” $51 million.

2. “Smile 2," $9.4 million.

3. “Conclave,” $6.5 million.

4. “The Wild Robot,” $6.5 million.

5. “We Live in Time,” $4.8 million.

6. “Terrifier 3,” $4.3 million.

7, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” $3.2 million.

8. “Anora,” $867,142.

9. “Piece by Piece,” $720,000.

10. “Transformers One,” $720,000.

Adblock test (Why?)

'Venom: The Last Dance' misses projections as superhero films' grip loosens
Click Source

ブンブンジャー始まりの物語、“formation lap”が配信コミックで始動！｜ニュース｜爆上戦隊ブンブンジャー - テレビ朝日

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

ブンブンジャー始まりの物語、“formation lap”が配信コミックで始動！｜ニュース｜爆上戦隊ブンブンジャー  テレビ朝日
からの記事と詳細 ( ブンブンジャー始まりの物語、“formation lap”が配信コミックで始動！｜ニュース｜爆上戦隊ブンブンジャー - テレビ朝日 )
https://ift.tt/jCcF6St

【LEEマルシェ購入品】秋冬小物始まり、ベルト選びタイツ選び - LEE [リー] | 集英社の雑誌LEEオンライン

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

【LEEマルシェ購入品】秋冬小物始まり、ベルト選びタイツ選び  LEE [リー] | 集英社の雑誌LEEオンライン
からの記事と詳細 ( 【LEEマルシェ購入品】秋冬小物始まり、ベルト選びタイツ選び - LEE [リー] | 集英社の雑誌LEEオンライン )
https://ift.tt/6jbEm0w

Judge blocks further sweeps of homeless camp in New Orleans ahead of Taylor Swift concerts

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

A judge in Louisiana has temporarily blocked further efforts by state officials to clear homeless encampments in New Orleans — stalling a push that came ahead of three Taylor Swift concerts in the city this weekend.

The effort to relocate about 75 people living in tents beneath an overpass near the Superdome began in the days leading up to pop star's shows, which could draw 150,000 visitors to the stadium.

Judge Lori Jupiter granted a temporary restraining order on Friday, directing state law enforcement officials to not “destroy or dispose of the property of unhoused people without judicial process” and to notify people in the “state sanctioned camp” that they are “free to leave.”

The order is in effect until Nov. 4.

The judge's ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by homeless people who were subject to the sweep. In legal filings, they argued that state troopers violated their constitutional rights by illegally searching, seizing and destroying their property, disposing of their prized possessions and “forcibly herding” them away.

According to the lawsuit, a legal observer overheard state troopers saying “the governor wants you to move because of the Taylor Swift concert.”

State officials have said the residents were being moved to a new location about two blocks away, where unhoused people living in the tourist-heavy French Quarter neighborhood would also be moved.

A spokesperson for Gov. Jeff Landry has said that the effort was meant to address homelessness and safety issues, linking the push to the concerts and February’s Super Bowl, which will take place in the city.

“As we prepare for the city to host Taylor Swift and Super Bowl LIX, we are committed to ensuring New Orleans puts its best foot forward when on the world stage,” Landry’s communications director, Kate Kelly, said in a statement issued to local media.

Advocates argue the effort disrupted the work of local officials to connect homeless people with social services and help them find more permanent housing solutions.

Martha Kegel, executive director of Unity of Greater New Orleans, a nonprofit that seeks permanent housing for unsheltered people, said the sweep was a needless and harmful endeavor and that many of those in the camp have mental illnesses and are distrustful of authorities and those trying to help them.

“Some people were frightened and left, and that’s not good,” she said. “Because then all the work that we did to assess them and document their disabilities and, you know, work with them on their housing plan has now been wasted.”

Among those who made the move Wednesday was Terrence Cobbins. Taking a break from gathering his belongings, he said he was told to move because of the concerts.

“They ain’t never did it before for other people,” he said. “Why Taylor Swift?”

___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Adblock test (Why?)

Judge blocks further sweeps of homeless camp in New Orleans ahead of Taylor Swift concerts
Click Source

３人組のYouTubeが始まりました！ ゆる〜くいろいろな動画を配信します[高橋璃央ブログ] - MEN'S NON-NO WEB | メンズノンノウェブ

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

３人組のYouTubeが始まりました！ ゆる〜くいろいろな動画を配信します[高橋璃央ブログ]  MEN'S NON-NO WEB | メンズノンノウェブ
からの記事と詳細 ( ３人組のYouTubeが始まりました！ ゆる〜くいろいろな動画を配信します[高橋璃央ブログ] - MEN'S NON-NO WEB | メンズノンノウェブ )
https://ift.tt/0xcW8LE

松本明子、27歳で購入した“芸能人感”ある愛車とは?「デビューから10年、ようやく自分のレギュラー番組が始まり…」 - ORICON NEWS

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

松本明子、27歳で購入した“芸能人感”ある愛車とは?「デビューから10年、ようやく自分のレギュラー番組が始まり…」  ORICON NEWS
からの記事と詳細 ( 松本明子、27歳で購入した“芸能人感”ある愛車とは?「デビューから10年、ようやく自分のレギュラー番組が始まり…」 - ORICON NEWS )
https://ift.tt/Y6iN7OL

New Mexico judge upholds dismissal of involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in a fatal movie set shooting

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

New Mexico judge upholds dismissal of involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in a fatal movie set shooting
Click Source

2024年度後期「Language Exchange Program」が始まりました|教育|FUKUDAism（フクダイズム） - 福岡大学

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

2024年度後期「Language Exchange Program」が始まりました|教育|FUKUDAism（フクダイズム）  福岡大学
からの記事と詳細 ( 2024年度後期「Language Exchange Program」が始まりました|教育|FUKUDAism（フクダイズム） - 福岡大学 )
https://ift.tt/qzKpQE8

Parent of WWE and UFC is buying Professional Bull Riders, On Location and IMG for $3.25 billion

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

The parent company of WWE and UFC is buying Professional Bull Riders, On Location, and IMG from Endeavor Group in an all-stock deal valued at $3.25 billion.

The sale to parent company TKO is part of Endeavor’s efforts to shed some of its assets as it looks to be taken private in a proposed transaction with private equity firm Silver Lake, which was announced in April. Ariel Emanuel, who serves as CEO of Endeavor, is also executive chair and CEO of TKO.

Professional Bull Riders is a bull riding league that has more than 200 annual live events, approximately 1.25 million fans, and reaches more than 285 million households in more than 65 territories. On Location is live event company for more than 1,200 sporting events, such as the Super Bowl, Ryder Cup and NCAA Final Four. IMG is a distributor and producer of sports content, packages and sells media rights and brand partnerships, and provides consulting, digital services and event management to clients such as the National Football League and National Hockey League.

Parent company TKO Group said Thursday that the acquisition from Endeavor Group will complement its existing businesses as well as broaden its reach in the premium sports market.

“PBR, On Location, and IMG are industry-leading assets that meaningfully enhance TKO’s portfolio and strengthen our position in premium sports globally," TKO Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro said in a statement. “Within TKO, they will help power the growth of our revenue streams and position us to capture even more upside from some of the most attractive parts of our sports ecosystem: media rights, live events, ticket sales, premium experiences, brand partnerships, and site fees.”

As part of the deal, Endeavor will receive about 26.14 million common units of TKO Operating Co. and will subscribe for an equal number of shares of TKO’s Class B shares. Endeavor is expected to own approximately 59% of TKO, while TKO's existing shareholders will own the remaining 41% upon completion of the transaction.

The deal is expected to close in the first half of next year.

TKO Group also announced Thursday that its board has approved the repurchase of up to $2 billion of its common stock.

Shares of TKO Group Holdings Inc., based in Stamford, Conn., rose more than 1% before the opening bell.

Adblock test (Why?)

Parent of WWE and UFC is buying Professional Bull Riders, On Location and IMG for $3.25 billion
Click Source

横校祭（文化祭）の準備が始まりました - 横浜高等学校

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

横校祭（文化祭）の準備が始まりました  横浜高等学校
からの記事と詳細 ( 横校祭（文化祭）の準備が始まりました - 横浜高等学校 )
https://ift.tt/NUwL8l3

東証、続落して始まり、３万８千円割れ - 沖縄タイムス

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

東証、続落して始まり、３万８千円割れ  沖縄タイムス
からの記事と詳細 ( 東証、続落して始まり、３万８千円割れ - 沖縄タイムス )
https://ift.tt/yWAjixw

Indigenous Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe intensifies criticism of King Charles III

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

CANBERRA, Australia -- An Indigenous senator has intensified her criticism of King Charles III, again accusing the British monarch of complicity in the “genocide” against Australia’s First Nations peoples and declaring on Wednesday she will not be “shut down.”

Sen. Lidia Thorpe’s comments followed an encounter with the monarch at a parliamentary reception Monday where she was escorted out after shouting at him for British colonizers taking Indigenous land and bones.

Despite facing political and public backlash, Thorpe was resolute in a television interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and said she would continue to press for justice.

“The colonial system is all about shutting black women down in this country,” Thorpe said from Melbourne. “For those that don’t agree with what I have said and what I have done, I can tell you now there are elders, there are grassroots Aboriginal people across this country and Torres Strait Islander people who are just so proud.”

“I have decided to be a Black sovereign woman and continue our fight against the colony and for justice for our people,” she added.

Thorpe particularly highlighted the ongoing harm to Australia's First Nations peoples, including holding on to the remains of Indigenous ancestors.

“I’m sorry, Charlie, but you can’t come here and think you can say a few nice words about our people while you still have stolen goods. You are in receipt of stolen goods, which makes you complicit in theft,” she said.

Thorpe also pressed on the endemic social disadvantage that Indigenous Australians continue to experience and that it was being papered over by platitudes that fail to address the systemic issues.

At the parliamentary reception, Charles spoke quietly with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese while security officials stopped Thorpe from approaching and ushered her from the hall.

Charles concluded his visit to Australia and traveled Wednesday to Samoa, where he will open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Adblock test (Why?)

Indigenous Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe intensifies criticism of King Charles III
Click Source

Rapper Eminem and Obama rally voters for Kamala Harris in Detroit

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

DETROIT -- Detroit rapper Eminem stepped into the political arena Tuesday in his hometown, where he spoke briefly at a rally for Vice President Kamala Harris ' presidential campaign before welcoming former President Barack Obama to the stage.

“As most of you know, the city of Detroit and the whole state of Michigan mean a lot to me. And going into this election, the spotlight is on us more than ever,” Eminem, a longtime critic of former President Donald Trump, told the crowd. “And I think it’s important to use your voice. So I’m encouraging everybody to get out and vote.”

He said people shouldn't be afraid of retribution or of making their opinion known, adding that Harris "supports a future for this country where these freedoms and many others will be protected and upheld.”

The Detroit rapper then introduced Obama, who took the stage to the beat of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself." The former president joked that he “noticed my palms are sweaty,” a reference to the hit song, before rapping several lines from it.

The appearance by Obama and Eminem comes just days before early voting kicks off across Michigan. Democrats hope the star-studded event, which also featured former Lions wide receiver and NFL Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, will boost enthusiasm among voters.

Voter turnout in Detroit, a longtime Democratic stronghold, will be crucial in determining who wins the state in November, when Michigan is among a handful of swing states expected to determine who wins the presidency as well as control of the U.S. Senate. Democrat Elissa Slotkin, who faces Republican Mike Rogers for an open Senate seat, appeared alongside Obama at the rally.

Obama attacked Trump as unfit, citing recent incidents such as the town hall where Trump opted to hold an impromtu concert of sorts, swaying back and forth to various songs for about 40 minutes rather than taking questions from voters.

“If your grandpa was acting like this, you’d be worried,” Obama said. “This is somebody who wants unchecked power. We do not need to see what an older, loonier Donald Trump looks like with no guardrails. America’s ready to turn the page.”

Trump has made his own bid for Detroit, appearing with hometown rapper Trick Trick at a rally in the city last week. Trick Trick previously collaborated with Eminem on the track “Welcome 2 Detroit."

Obama and other speakers Tuesday, which included many top Democratic leaders in the state, capitalized on comments Trump made in Detroit earlier this month, when he said it was a “developing” city.

“The whole country will be like — you want to know the truth? It’ll be like Detroit,” Trump said as he addressed the Detroit Economic Club. “Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she’s your president.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who spoke in the leadup to Eminem and Obama, snapped back Tuesday.

“I know you all saw what he said about this beautiful city. He called Detroit a failure and a mess, proving he ain’t firing on all cylinders," Whitmer said. "He doesn’t have a clue what the hell he was talking about. And you know what I think? He ought to keep Detroit out of his mouth.”

Adblock test (Why?)

Rapper Eminem and Obama rally voters for Kamala Harris in Detroit
Click Source

US-Apple-Books-Top-10

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

Top Paid Books (US Bestseller List):

1. The Waiting by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Company)

2. War by Bob Woodward (Simon & Schuster)

3. Framed by Jim Mccloskey & John Grisham (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group)

4. Lies He Told Me by David Ellis & James Patterson (Little, Brown and Company)

5. Rescued by Kathleen Brooks (Laurens Publishing)

6. The Art of Deception by Nora Roberts (St. Martin’s Publishing Group)

7. Counting Miracles: A Novel (Unabridged)by Nicholas Sparks (Penguin Random House, LLC)

8. The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak (Flatiron Books)

9. From Here to the Great Unknown: Oprah’s Book Club by Lisa Marie Presley & Riley Keough (Random House Publishing Group)

10. Mr. Heartbreaker by Piper Rayne (Piper Rayne Incorporated)

Top Paid Audiobooks (US Bestseller List):

1. War (Unabridged) by Bob Woodward (Simon & Schuster Digital Sales...)

2. From Here to the Great Unknown: Oprah’s Book Club: A Memoir (Unabridged) by Lisa Marie Presley & Riley Keough (Penguin Random House, LLC)

3. The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden (Dreamscape Media)

4. Never Lie by Freida McFadden (Dreamscape Media)

5. The Waiting by Michael Connelly (Hachette Audio)

6. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Bookwire Gesellschaft zum Vert…)

7. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones (Unabridged) by James Clear (Penguin Random House, LLC)

8. Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (Hachette Audio)

9. Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health (Unabridged) by MD, Calley Means & Casey Means (Penguin Random House, LLC)

10. The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene (Recorded Books, Inc.)

Adblock test (Why?)

US-Apple-Books-Top-10
Click Source

Apple TV app - Top Movies

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Apple TV app - Top Movies
Click Source

[緑花木]これからの季節がはりドキ！芝（高麗芝）の入荷が始まりました（2024.10.22） - みのりの郷東金

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

[緑花木]これからの季節がはりドキ！芝（高麗芝）の入荷が始まりました（2024.10.22）  みのりの郷東金
からの記事と詳細 ( [緑花木]これからの季節がはりドキ！芝（高麗芝）の入荷が始まりました（2024.10.22） - みのりの郷東金 )
https://ift.tt/rNGzTJt

Disney names Morgan Stanley Executive Chairman James Gorman as its next board chairman

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Disney names Morgan Stanley Executive Chairman James Gorman as its next board chairman
Click Source

PHOTO COLLECTION: Australia Britain Royals

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

PHOTO COLLECTION: Australia Britain Royals
Click Source

Janusz Olejniczak, who played the piano parts in 'The Pianist' film, dies at 72

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

WARSAW, Poland -- Polish musician and teacher Janusz Olejniczak, who played the piano parts in the 2002 Oscar-winning movie “The Pianist,” has died at the age of 72, his family said Monday.

The family's statement to the media said Olejniczak died Sunday of a heart attack.

The statement said that his “extraordinary musical sensitivity, especially in the interpretations of music by Frederic Chopin, brought him international fame and recognition.”

Aleksander Laskowski, a spokesman for the national Frederic Chopin Institute, said the staff were “deeply saddened” by Olejniczak's death.

Laskowski described him as “one of the most outstanding contemporary performers of Chopin's music,” also on period instruments, and a superb teacher.

Composer and conductor Jerzy Maksymiuk, who was a personal friend, said Olejniczak's “sensitive soul and extraordinary talent transpired throughout his interpretations” in which he created a “unique aura.”

Maksymiuk said he had lunch with Olejniczak on Sunday and they discussed his “great plans” which he was determined to pursue despite his health problems.

Olejniczak's international career was launched in 1970 when, aged only 18, he was a laureate of the 8th International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. Commentators said he bore a physical resemblance to the romantic-era composer, a trait that even led Olejniczak to play the role of Chopin in the 1991 movie “The Blue Note” by director Andrzej Zulawski.

In 2002, Olejniczak recorded the piano parts for Roman Polanski’s “The Pianist." His hands can be seen playing the piano in the movie, for which Polanski won the best director Oscar and Adrien Brody won for best actor.

Olejniczak also performed contemporary music, including by the acclaimed, late Polish composer Wojciech Kilar.

Born Oct. 2, 1952, in Wroclaw, Olejniczak began his piano education at the age of 6. He studied in Warsaw, Paris and Essen. For many years he was on the jury of the Chopin piano competitions, and, since 2018, of the two editions of the Chopin competition on period instruments.

Adblock test (Why?)

Janusz Olejniczak, who played the piano parts in 'The Pianist' film, dies at 72
Click Source

アレクサンダー 妻・川崎希が経営する不動産会社への就職報告「いよいよ始まります」 - スポニチアネックス Sponichi Annex

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

アレクサンダー 妻・川崎希が経営する不動産会社への就職報告「いよいよ始まります」  スポニチアネックス Sponichi Annex
からの記事と詳細 ( アレクサンダー 妻・川崎希が経営する不動産会社への就職報告「いよいよ始まります」 - スポニチアネックス Sponichi Annex )
https://ift.tt/st7NgiK

US writer Anne Applebaum appeals for arms for Ukraine as she accepts German peace prize

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

WARSAW, Poland -- The prominent American journalist and historian Anne Applebaum urged continued support for Ukraine as she accepted a prestigious German prize on Sunday, arguing that pacifism in the face of aggression is often nothing more than appeasement.

Applebaum made her appeal to an audience in Frankfurt, where she was awarded the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. She was joined by her husband, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, who like his wife is a strong voice on the international stage for supporting Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia's brutal invasion.

“If there is even a small chance that military defeat could help end this horrific cult of violence in Russia, just as military defeat once brought an end to the cult of violence in Germany, we should take it,” Applebaum said.

Many Germans have embraced an ethos of pacifism as a result of their nation's aggression under Adolf Hitler during World War II. And many have misgivings now about supplying weapons to Kyiv, fearing Russia and worried that it could cause the war to spread beyond Ukraine's borders to the rest of Europe.

“Some even call for peace by referring solemnly to the ‘lessons of German history,” Applebaum noted, according to a transcript of her speech published by the prize organization.

“As I am here today accepting a peace prize, this seems the right moment to point out that ‘I want peace’ is not always a moral argument," Applebaum said. “This is also the right moment to say that the lesson of German history is not that Germans should be pacifists."

"On the contrary, we have known for nearly a century that a demand for pacifism in the face of an aggressive, advancing dictatorship can simply represent the appeasement and acceptance of that dictatorship.”

She argued that the “real lesson” from German history should be that Germans "have a special responsibility to stand up for freedom and to take risks in doing so.”

The prize, which is endowed with 25,000 euros ($27,185), was awarded in St. Paul's Church in Frankfurt — which is considered the birthplace of German parliamentary democracy — at the end of the Frankfurt Book Fair.

The prize has been awarded since 1950. It honours individuals who have contributed to turning the idea of peace into reality through literature, science or art. Last year’s prize was awarded to British-Indian writer Salman Rushdie for his perseverance despite enduring decades of threats and violence.

The German news agency dpa reported that Applebaum's strong support for continuing to arm Ukraine triggered some criticism, citing Karin Schmidt-Friderichs, the head of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association, which awards the prize.

Nonetheless she received strong applause for her speech, dpa reported from Frankfurt.

Following pacifism to its logical conclusion, Applebaum argued, would "mean that we should acquiesce to the military conquest of Ukraine, to the cultural destruction of Ukraine, to the construction of concentration camps in Ukraine, to the kidnapping of children in Ukraine.”

Applebaum writes for The Atlantic magazine. She has written books that focus on totalitarianism in Eastern Europe, including “The Gulag," and “The Iron Curtain” and “Red Famine,” about dictator Joseph Stalin's war on Ukraine. She recently published “Autocracy, Inc. The Dictators Who Want to Run the World.” In 2004, she was awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize.

The prize jury said Applebaum’s analyses of communist and post-communist systems in the Soviet Union and Russia reveal “the mechanisms by which authoritarians grab hold of power and maintain their control.”

The laudation for Applebaum was delivered by the Russian historian Irina Scherbakova, a founding member of the human rights organization Memorial, which is now banned in Russia and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Adblock test (Why?)

US writer Anne Applebaum appeals for arms for Ukraine as she accepts German peace prize
Click Source

Japan's beloved former Empress Michiko marks her 90th birthday as she recovers from a broken leg

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

TOKYO -- Japan’s beloved former Empress Michiko received greetings from her relatives and palace officials to celebrate her 90th birthday Sunday as she steadily recovers from a broken leg, officials said.

Michiko is the first commoner to become empress in modern Japanese history. Catholic-educated Michiko Shoda and then-Crown Prince Akihito married on April 10, 1959, after what is known as their tennis court romance.

The couple retired after Akihito abdicated in 2019 as their son, Emperor Naruhito, ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne and his wife, Masako, became empress.

Since then, Akihito and Michiko have largely withdrawn from public appearance to enjoy their quiet life together, taking daily walks inside the palace gardens or occasionally taking private trips, hosting small gatherings for book reading and music, according to the Imperial Household Agency.

Former Emperor Akihito has been concerned about Michiko’s physical strength and asking how she is feeling, officials said.

Michiko, who fell earlier in October at her residence and had a surgery for her femoral fracture, was steadily recovering with a daily rehabilitation session for about an hour at a time, palace officials said. She was expected to be in a wheelchair when joining her well-wishers for Sunday’s celebration.

The former empress was deeply concerned about the people affected by the deadly Jan. 1 earthquake in Japan’s north-central region of Noto, especially those who suffered additional damage from September's heavy rains and floods, the palace said.

Since retirement, Michiko has shared her love of literature, including children’s books, English poetry and music, with her friends as well as with Akihito.

The palace said she reads parts of a book aloud with her husband as a daily routine after breakfast. They are currently reading a book chosen by Akihito about war and Okinawa, a southern Japanese island where one of the harshest ground battles took place at the end of World War II fought in the name of his father.

The couple broke with traditions and brought many changes to the monarchy: They chose to raise their three children themselves, spoke more often to the public, and made amends for war victims in and outside Japan. Their close interactions have won them deep affection among Japanese.

Adblock test (Why?)

Japan's beloved former Empress Michiko marks her 90th birthday as she recovers from a broken leg
Click Source

Alec Baldwin returns to 'Saturday Night Live' to spoof Bret Baier interview with Kamala Harris

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

NEW YORK -- Alec Baldwin has returned to “Saturday Night Live.”

But the actor who won an Emmy for playing former President Donald Trump didn't reprise that role — he returned Saturday night to play Fox News' Bret Baier in an opening skit that spoofed this week's interview with Kamala Harris.

Baldwin received loud cheers from the audience before revealing he was playing Baier, who he joked, “Yes, I do look like someone made a businessman in Minecraft.”

Rudolph's Harris nervously laughed after shaking hands with Baldwin's Baier, saying, “The pleasure is neither of ours.”

The skit poked fun at Baier's real-life interruptions of Harris, with Baldwin repeatedly interrupting Rudolph in rapid-fire fashion.

Rudolph, after several interruptions to the first question: “May I please finish?”

Baldwin: “I'm asking you to.”

Rudolph: “Well, then you have to listen.”

Baldwin: “Well I can't because I'm talking.”

Rudolph: "Well, When will you stop?"

"Maybe when I go to bed," Baldwin responded, with the audience laughing loudly.

The skit also mocked a moment Baier acknowledged was a mistake by playing the wrong clip of a Trump response.

The clips allowed “SNL” to bring in mini-skits including one with Dana Carvey as President Joe Biden, who has played the role since the beginning of the comedy sketch show's 50th season.

The skit closed — many interruptions later — with Harris asking: “Before I go, can I just say the thing I've been trying to say this whole time? Live from New York, it's Saturday night!”, with Baldwin joining her.

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" star Michael Keaton is hosting Saturday's show, with Billie Eilish the musical host.

Baldwin has hosted “SNL” a record 17 times, but hasn’t appeared on it recently. His involuntary manslaughter trial over the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the film “Rust” ended in July in a mistrial.

Adblock test (Why?)

Alec Baldwin returns to 'Saturday Night Live' to spoof Bret Baier interview with Kamala Harris
Click Source

「バスドライバー安全運転コンテスト」 軽井沢のバス事故きっかけで始まり今年で4回目 - TBS NEWS DIG Powered by JNN

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

「バスドライバー安全運転コンテスト」 軽井沢のバス事故きっかけで始まり今年で4回目  TBS NEWS DIG Powered by JNN
からの記事と詳細 ( 「バスドライバー安全運転コンテスト」 軽井沢のバス事故きっかけで始まり今年で4回目 - TBS NEWS DIG Powered by JNN )
https://ift.tt/PTop0uG

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony has a poignant vibe this year

Repost News asikjost.blogspot.com

CLEVELAND -- CLEVELAND (AP) — The Rock & Roll Hall Fame induction ceremony on Saturday night promises to be starry, jamming — and bittersweet. So many of the honorees this time have been lost.

Of the seven original members of Kool & the Gang, there is only one, Robert “Kool” Bell. There will be no living members of the MC5, which suffered the recent deaths of its two last original members, drummer Dennis “Machine Gun” Thompson and guitarist and singer Wayne Kramer.Foreigner's original bassist Ed Gagliardi and multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald have died and guitarist Mick Jones has been sidelined by Parkinson’s disease. A Tribe Called Quest has lost Phife Dawg.

“I wish George was here and the rest of the other gentlemen — the other original members — because they well deserve this recognition,” said Hahn Brown, widow of Kool & the Gang drummer and songwriter George Brown, who died in 2023.

In many ways, the class of 2024 — which also includes Peter Frampton,Cher,Mary J. Blige, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band, the late Jimmy Buffett, Dionne Warwick and the late Alexis Korner, the late John Mayall and the late Big Mama Thornton — is a catch-up class, reflecting turnover in the hall's leadership.

“There’s been a change over from some of the old guard in years past to you see artists like Rush and Kiss and Stevie Ray Vaughan and Randy Rhodes, the MC5 and Judas Priest getting in. Whereas before that might not have been the case,” says Tom Morello, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist for bands like Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave.

Morello recalls bringing up the issue of membership with Jon Landau, Bruce Springsteen’s manager and a former Rolling Stone critic, who was then chairman of the nominating committee.

He told him: “Myself and my friends, we don’t think so much about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame because none of our favorite bands are in it.”

Now it will have a band Morello has long championed, the MC5, who paved the way for the Stooges, the Ramones, the Clash, the Sex Pistols, Rage Against the Machine and System of a Down.

Saturday's induction ceremony will be held at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. It will stream live on Disney+. A special featuring performance highlights and standout moments will air on ABC on Jan. 1.

Cher — the only artist to have a No. 1 song in each of the past six decades — and Blige, with eight multi-platinum albums and nine Grammy Awards, will help boost the number of women in the Hall, which critics say is too low.

Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction. Nominees were voted on by more than 1,000 artists, historians and music industry professionals.

There had been a starry push to get Foreigner — with the hits “Urgent” and “Hot Blooded” — into the Hall, with Mark Ronson, Jack Black, Slash, Dave Grohl and Paul McCartney all publicly backing the move. Ronson’s stepfather is Mick Jones, Foreigner’s founding member, songwriter and lead guitarist.

Warwick will arrive at the ceremony only a few days after attending a memorial to her longtime friend and collaborator, Cissy Houston, in Newark, New Jersey. Jennifer Hudson and Teyana Taylor will help induct her.

Other members of rock, pop and hip-hop royalty will be on hand to help usher the class in, including Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, Demi Lovato,Dua Lipa, Ella Mai, James Taylor, Jelly Roll, Julia Roberts, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Lucky Daye, Mac McAnally, Method Man, Roger Daltrey, Sammy Hagar, Slash and The Roots.

Adblock test (Why?)

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony has a poignant vibe this year
Click Source