Long-awaited Western tanks finally arrived in Ukraine this week, raising hopes that an offensive to liberate occupied territory could be imminent.
“It was a pleasure to take the first Ukrainian Challenger 2 MBT for a spin,” said Ukraine’s Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov in a video message to British counterpart Ben Hodges with one of 14 tanks pledged by the UK. “These fantastic machines will soon begin their combat missions.”
A further 18 Leopard 2 tanks from Germany have also been delivered. European nations including Spain, Poland, and Sweden have either sent or pledged the same model.
The US is fast-tracking the dispatch of M1A1 Abrams tanks, having previously committed 31 of its top-of-the-line M1A2s.
Hundreds of armoured infantry fighting vehicles, including the US Bradley and German Mardar, are either in Ukraine or en route.
The arrivals mark the culmination of a lengthy process, as Ukraine first pleaded with partners for modern tanks – “the key to end the war,” said presidential advisor Mikhail Podolyak in January – and then trained its soldiers to use them at camps across Europe, including the UK.
Allies are bullish about Ukraine’s prospects. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin suggested that an offensive could come soon and deliver gains.
“I think we will see an intensification of hostilities in the spring as the conditions for manoeuvring improve,” he said on Tuesday. “Ukraine will have a very good chance of success.”
Mr Austin said the assessment was informed by ongoing Russian losses of armour – Moscow has lost around 2,000 tanks during the invasion by some assessments – in a fitful offensive across the Donbas front of Eastern Ukraine.
Footage has circulated of World War Two-era Russian tanks being pulled out of storage and sent to the front. These could be set to do battle with the best of Western models that boast superior protection, weaponry, and manoeuvrability
But expectations should be managed, said Mykola Bielieskov of the National Institute for Strategic Studies, a Kyiv think tank that advises Ukraine’s leadership. He said the counter-offensive might not come until late May or June.
“We need more time to master and receive all that was promised by Nato countries,” he told i. “Don’t look at the offensive as something imminent – it’s more like the second part of the second quarter of this year at the earliest.”
The grinding battle for Bakhmut, with both sides believed to have lost thousands of soldiers over more than seven months of fighting, was feared to have depleted Ukraine’s resources required for a successful counter.
But Ukraine has reserve formations that are working with new Western equipment and biding their time for the moment to strike.
“A window of opportunity is about to open with Russia’s offensive culminating without much progress and big losses, and Russia’s leadership has not called for a new mass mobilisation to prop up the front line,” said Mr Bielieskov.
But he added that Ukraine still needs more equipment to have greater confidence in the success of a counter, with Kyiv still seeking fighter jets and long-range missile capabilities.
Retired US Army Commander Ben Hodges agreed that Western allies should do more.
“The arrival of Western tanks and other armoured capabilities will all enhance Ukraine’s ability to launch an effective, combined-arms attack to penetrate Russian defences this summer,” he said.
But “long range precision strike capability” would give Ukraine “the ability to hit Russian headquarters, ammunition storage sites, and transportation networks,” Commander Hodges added.
This would neutralise Moscow’s advantage in long range firepower and allow for the liberation of territory – potentially including Crimea, he said.
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has appeared to play down the prospect of an imminent offensive in recent statements, instead warning of the threat of defeat if allies falter.
“The United States really understands that if they stop helping us, we will not win,” he said on Wednesday.
But Russian commentators believe such statements could be part of a deception strategy ahead of a major offensive, with speculation about new Ukrainian attacks buzzing across Russian Telegram channels.
Ukrainian authorities have restricted media access in several frontline locations, noted Russian military blogger Rybar in a recent post, warning to expect decoy attacks “to divert the attention of Russian troops from the main strike”.
Which tree would you choose?
Who wouldn't want to become a tree? Thinking about what will happen to your body once you pass away isn't always a pleasant prospect, but there is a new take on cemeteries in Quebec that makes the idea a little more palatable.
Keanu Reeves has reportedly gifted customised T-shirts to John Wick: Chapter 4’s stunt crew.
The 58-year-old actor, who has often been called the “nicest guy in Hollywood”, gifted the film’s stunt performers T-shirts that bore the number of times they had died over the course of the entire film.
For some, the number was over 20.
Fight coordinator Jeremy Marinas, discussed scenes from the film with The New York Times, including one which takes place on a flight of steps leading up to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Paris.
“It’s like, of course that’s what you want,” he said of the scene which involved 35 stunt performers. “You want 100 guys falling down the stairs and you want me to make every reaction and fall different. Of course you do. It was like we were just [at] another day at work.
“We all know how hard it is just to walk up stairs when we don’t want to,” Marinas said. “Just to think about how well Keanu – not John Wick – Keanu was able to do shooting upwards while stepping. It’s hard enough to be a marksman on flat ground.”
The staircase fight took seven nights of shooting, according to the outlet, and each stuntman was probably “killed” four or five times.
“At the end of the shoot Reeves made T-shirts for the stunt performers emblazoned with the number of times they were slain over the course of the entire movie,” the coordinator said.
This isn’t the first time Reeves has gifted something to his stunt team.
After the actor finished filming on the fourth instalment of the action franchise, he decided to share his appreciation of the team by giving them a personalised Rolex each.
In 2021, Vanity Fair reported that Reeves invited the four stuntmen to dinner in Paris where he gave them all their own watch, one of which is said to cost just under $10,000 (£7,000).
Each watch, gifted to Jeremy Marinas, Dave Camarillo, Li Qiang and Bruce Concepcion, shared an engraving of a unique message from the actor.
In an interview this week to promote the new film, Reeves made a rare mention of his girlfriend, Alexandra Grant.
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Keanu Reeves is being hailed as the “nicest guy in Hollywood” following his choice of gifts forJohn Wick 4’s stunt team.
The actor has finished filming on the fourth instalment of the action franchise, and decided to share his appreciation of the team by giving them a personalised Rolex each.
Vanity Fair reports that Reeves invited the four stuntmen to dinner in Paris on Saturday (23 October) where he gave them all their own watch, one of which is said to cost just under $10,000 (£7,000).
Each watch, gifted to Jeremy Marinas, Dave Camarillo, Li Qiang and Bruce Concepcion, shared an engraving of a unique message from the actor.
They shared images of their gift on social media, with Marinas thanking Reeves for the “best wrap gift ever”.
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“Got that new new. Thank you, bro KR”, wrote Concepcion.
An Instagram fan page for Reeves picked up on the news, which has led to many on Twitter calling him the “nicest guy in Hollywood”.
Keanu Reeves gifted his ‘John Wick’ stunt team personalised Rolex watches
The John Wick films have been praised for their impressive stunt work. The new film, titled John Wick Chapter Four, will be released in cinemas in 2022.
Production on a fifth film is set to begin soon, with a TV spin-off, titled The Continental, recently coming under fire for casting Mel Gibson in one of the lead roles.
The most recent film, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, was released in 2019.
Reeves will next be seen in The Matrix Resurrections, for which he will reprise the role of Neo for the first time since 2003’s The Matrix Revolutions. It’ll be released in cinemas on 21 December.
John Wick 4 would missed out on a beautiful sunrise shot if it hadn’t been for the King of Jordan’s helping hand.
The popular action franchise’s newest entry sees legendary assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) go international, travelling across the globe to seek out the most powerful players in the underworld.
In order to shoot one of the movie’s scenes – in which Wick returns to the Moroccan desert to confront The Elder (Saïd Taghmaoui), whom he first encountered in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum – the crew filmed on location in Jordan.
However, according to director Chad Stahelski, the aerial shots needed of the desert wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the King of Jordan.
“We were trying to get to a location we couldn’t access,” Stahelski told BuzzFeed in a new interview, while joined by Reeves.
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“The King of Jordan gave us a Black Hawk,” he said. “He was nice enough to lend us a helicopter to fly the crew out to get the sunrise shot that you see in the movie.”
Responding, Reeves, noted that the King “gave you a helicopter to get a shot because [he’s] a fan of John Wick”.
“That’s kind of cool.”
Keanu Reeves in ‘John Wick: Chapter 4'
Released today (24 March) in cinemas, John Wick 4 is already a critical success, securing a Rotten Tomatoes milestone for the franchise.
Linda Varela Adams knew something was very wrong when her son didn't call on her birthday in July.
Dailymotion
WTVF Nashville, TN
MSNBCThe Billings, Montana mom said that's just who Jance Varela is: the kind of son who calls his mom for Mother's Day, her birthday and the holidays. The kind of son more worried more about others than himself.
Adams reported Varela missing right away. Nine months later, he's still missing.
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Though police opened a missing persons file and assigned an investigator in July, they've never launched an active search for Varela.
So what happens when your only son goes missing and the police decide not to pull out all the stops to find him?
If you're Adams, you take charge of the search yourself.
Last confirmed sighting in June
The last confirmed sighting of Varela was at a bowling alley on June 1 in Fort Collins, Colorado, about 50 miles north of Denver and the area he moved to from Montana in 2018.
Adams' 60th birthday was July 1, something she said her son wouldn't have missed.
She told police that her son had been diagnosed with a brain tumor in May and that may be affecting his cognitive function. Varela also struggled with homelessness and opioid addiction following a surgery, Adams said.
Adams also told them that her son is not the type of person to abandon his family.
"He was a very loving person," she said. "He was the one that made sure people had a place to stay and food to eat."
Police response
From the beginning, police determined that an active search for Varela wasn't warranted, said Kate Kimble, a spokeswoman for the Larimer County Sheriff's Office.
"There was no indication of foul play, there was no indication of any imminent risk to safety, and he's an independent adult," she said. "We have to balance those things ... Sometimes people decide to make a change in their life and cut ties with family or friends."
She said there was no evidence that Varela was cutting ties with family.
On Tuesday, nearly nine months after Varela disappeared, the department issued its first news release about his case, saying that new information investigators received about Varela has raised "concern about his wellbeing."
Kimble declined to elaborate but said the news release is intended to cast a wider net and drum up new leads.
"We recognize that it's concerning for family that it's been months since they've heard from him." she said. "Our hearts are certainly with family."
A mother takes charge
From the start, Adams was frustrated at the lack of an active search for her son.
"I just didn't know what to do," she said. "I tried to generate any kind of law enforcement, action, which was just not going to happen initially."
So, for the first time in her life, Adams joined social media and made a Facebook page dedicated to finding her son.
She built a network of people who also became invested in finding Varela, including Justice Takes Flight, a local group that's been helping the families of missing people since 2018.
Since Adams began looking for Varela, she and volunteers have conducted vigils and ground searches, and continuously distributed fliers.
One of Adams' Facebook followers from Florida has paid for several billboards about Varela's disappearance, a woman from Australia helped update fliers about him, and a Colorado woman recently held up a poster about Varela on the Colorado Senate floor for National Missing Persons Day.
"I just never knew there were so many wonderful people in the world that are just like, 'Hey, I'll help you. Just because," Adams said.
A familiar line
Adams' determination stands out among families of the missing, said Brittany Workman, founder and executive director of Justice Takes Flight.
"She's just been an amazing advocate for her son," Workman said. "Most families of missing persons are actively looking for them and trying to get answers, trying to get the picture and name out and everything. But she's on the next level."
At some point, many families can't take the emotional toll and take breaks from their search, sometimes for weeks or months. Not Adams.
"She's done it daily, even though it breaks her heart daily," Workman said. "It's really hard to watch because you really just want her to get the answers that she's looking for."
Workman said that police often are too quick to dismiss the cases of runaway teens, those experiencing homelessness and those suffering from addiction.
She recalled one case her group handled involving a man who walked outside for a cigarette and never returned.
"Police were like, 'Oh, he probably just took a ride somewhere,'" she said. "They wouldn't search around the property. The family found us after day two, we were up there by day three, and we found him dead within 15 minutes."
She said that's why her group is so passionate about on-the-ground searches and never giving up hope.
"There needs to be more support," from police, she said. "There needs to be more effort than just, 'He might have decided to go missing.'"
'It's very hard.'
Kimble said the department hasn't dismissed Varela.
"People are coming from all sorts of circumstances in their life," she said. "It's not a deciding factor whether or not we're going to look for someone. Those deciding factors are foul play and the sense of imminent danger."
Adams said part of her understands where police are coming from when they tell people their loved ones might not want to be found.
"But I think family knows more about that person," she said, adding that it's been frustrating at times to be the main source for tips about her son. "Whatever comes to me, I pass on to them, and they do follow up on it. But it's very hard."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Montana mom turns into investigator after police decline search for her missing son
Brazilian UFC star Ariane Lipski, aka ‘The Queen Of Violence’, is enjoying some rest and relaxation after winning her fight two weeks ago.
At UFC Fight Night on March 11th, Lipski bounced back from a loss and defeated JJ Aldrich via unanimous decision.
According to Lipski, she wants to return to the cage as soon as possible.
“I want to get back as soon as possible. I think I need like one week just to recover my weight, and then I think one month, two months, I’ll be ready.”
Page Six
BVIRAL
In the meantime, Lipski is enjoying the beaches in Florida and shared some snaps on Instagram.
The post UFC Star Ariane Lipski Beach Photos Go Viral appeared first on BroBible.
The Hollywood Reporter
unbranded - Entertainment
New York PostHugh Grant has revealed, under duress, the one film he would erase from his IMDb page if he could.
On Wednesday (29 March), the Notting Hill star appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden, during which he took part in the “Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts” segment.
In the game, in which celebrities are challenged to eat disgusting food or answer a hard question, Grant was asked which film he would effectively remove from his CV.
If he didn’t answer the question, Grant would have had to eat a “worm and mayonnaise shepherd’s pie”.
“The thing is, I would happily shred my CV because I specialised in being bad for decades really,” he told Corden. “As you know, as someone in the industry, it’s one thing for me to say that I was bad, but I can’t bring the wonderful colleagues who worked with me on the film into it, so that’s my dilemma.”
In the end, to avoid eating the grim dish in front of him, Grant blurted out: “The Lady and the Highwayman. Mid-Eighties. Film made for television. I’m a highway man. I’m meant to be sexy. Low budget, bad wig, bad hat. I look like Deputy Dawg.
“When I’m tense, my voice goes up two octaves so Deputy Dawg would come leaping out of trees when a carriage went past and go, ‘Stand and deliver!’ And, er, it’s poor.”
He added: “I apologise to all of my wonderful colleagues on it.”
The film is described on IMDb as a “swashbuckling tale of romance, betrayal, jealousy, banditry, murder, and court intrigue set in the 1660s, during the Restoration to the English throne of King Charles II”.
Grant is currently promoting his new movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
During another US talk show appearance this week, the actor discussed how the atmosphere on film sets has changed considerably since he was starting out, because of the presence of mobile phones in people’s lives. Read the full story here.
In Dungeons & Dragons, Grant plays the villainous Forge Fitzwilliam, a rogue and conman, and a former member of the thieves.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is released in cinemas on Friday 31 March.
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Financial fraud is a serious crime that often comes with massive fines and lengthy jail sentences.
But even the prospect of being locked up for a long time doesn’t deter some people from swindling investors for their own personal gain.
These are some of the biggest con artists of all time.
"Count" Victor Lustig
Country: France
Company: N/A
Type of business: N/A
Fraud amount: $2 million
Bottom line: "Count" Victor Lustig, known as "America’s greatest con man," was a highly skilled career criminal who instigated scams across Europe and the United States during the early 20th century.
In the mid-1920s, he forged official papers that stated he had the right to sell Paris’s Eiffel Tower for scrap metal. He managed to find two scrap metal dealers who bribed him the equivalent of $2 million in today’s money to get the (fake) contract.
Lustig then escaped to the U.S. to continue swindling innocent people out of their cash.
Billy McFarland
Country: United States
Company: Fyre Media
Type of business: Media booking service
Fraud amount: $27.4 million
Bottom line: Billy McFarland promised the luxury festival of a lifetime. But the Fyre Festival, due to take place in the Bahamas in April and May 2017, was a disaster: unhygienic accommodations, a shortage of food, water, and other essentials, and a distinct lack of A-list influencers.
In 2018, McFarland pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud and a charge of making false statements. He was ordered to pay back more than $26 million to those he defrauded and jailed for six years in federal prison.
William Cameron Morrow Smith
Country: United States
Company: N/A
Type of business: N/A
Fraud amount: $30 million
Bottom line: In 1936, the biggest mail fraud scheme in history saw 28 people get indicted by the federal grand jury. It centered around Jacob Baker, an extremely wealthy Philadelphia resident who died while his estate remained unprobated.
This meant anyone named Baker could make a claim (for a fee). At least that’s what the group of scammers, led by William Cameron Morrow Smith, told the nation.
They took $3 million from 3,000 people — around $30 million in today’s money. The truth was that Jacob Baker never existed.
Geraldine Elizabeth Carmichael
Country: United States
Company: Twentieth Century Motor Car Corporation
Type of business: Motoring
Fraud amount: $33 million
Bottom line: The Dale was hailed as the answer to the 1970s fuel crisis: a three-wheeled, 70 miles per gallon car that looked like nothing that had come before.
It was the brainchild of Geraldine Elizabeth Carmichael, the founder of the Twentieth Century Motor Car Corporation. But it was nothing more than a scam. An investigation by "Car and Driver" found that there were no manufacturing plants, research and development facilities, or production plans.
The imaginary Dale had earned Carmichael $30 million in investment and $3 million in advance sales.
For more about con artists, check out Work + Money.
- A former Boston police attacked a US Capitol cop during the riot on January 6, FBI agents allege.
- Fisher allegedly pushed a chair into an officer and physically assaulted the same officer inside the Capitol.
- His former coworker helped FBI agents to identify Joseph Fisher using CCTV footage and a drivers license photo.
A former Boston police officer attacked a fellow cop during the January 6 riot at the US Capitol, the FBI alleged in court documents filed Monday.
According to the documents, the man's former coworker helped the FBI to identify and arrest him.
The FBI says Joseph Fisher showed up in CCTV footage and YouTube videos wearing a beanie fashioned with the logos of "several Boston sports teams" on the day of the riot, court documents said.
Fisher was seen both outside and inside of the Capitol building, according to court documents.
WCVB Boston
WXII 12 Greensboro-Winston-SalemSan Antonio FBI agents provided photos of the man to FBI's Boston office who then matched the images with a Massachusetts driver's license photo of the same man.
A current Boston police officer who said he'd known Fisher for "more than five years" was able to identify his former coworker from both the FBI images and the driver's license photo, according to court documents.
Fisher was first identified in a since-removed YouTube video of former President Donald Trump's rally on the morning of January 6 at the National Mall in Washington D.C.
Screenshots from CCTV footage show Fisher entering the Capitol at approximately 2:24 p.m. through the Senate Wing Door at the North Side of the building, court documents allege.
Fisher then made his way to the Crypt, then the East Crypt Lobby, before arriving at the Capitol visitor center's Orientation Lobby where an "altercation" broke out between rioters and US Capitol police officers, the FBI alleged.
CCTV footage included in the court documents shows another rioter spraying a "chemical irritant" at police. While a Capitol police officer was running after a rioter, Fisher allegedly pushed a chair into him.
Fisher then physically assaulted the officer, FBI agents alleged. He exited the Capitol at approximately 2:42 p.m.
Fisher faces charges of knowingly and unlawfully entering the US Capitol, disrupting government business, and engaging in violence in a restricted government building.
Hugh Grant has discussed how the atmosphere on film sets has changed considerably since he was starting out, because of the presence of mobile phones in people’s lives.
During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday night (27 March), the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves star said he feels that film sets are “weird” because people aren’t as close as they used to be.
“You know, in the old days, by the end of the second week, you were all getting drunk in the evening and having dinner and falling in love with each other and all that,” he told Colbert.
“And all that stopped because of telephones. Really everyone goes home and looks at Twitter. It’s so sad.”
Colbert then suggested: “So, if there weren’t telephones on set, there’d be more affairs going on?”
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“Yeah, I think so,” Grant replied. “You know, [Quentin] Tarantino bans telephones from sets and quite right too, and the people there, they do all shag each other – or so I’m told.”
Grant also joked that he’s done so many squats during sword fighting for the new film that it’s given him an “incredible ass”.
The actor is actually known for joking about his up-and-down relationships with many of his female co-stars. In a 2009 interview with Elle, when he was asked to describe the women he’d worked with in three words, he replied: “Andie MacDowell: southern belle, charming, gorgeous. Emma Thompson: clever, funny, mad as a chair. Renée Zellweger: delightful, also far from sane, very good kisser.
“Sandra Bullock: a genius, a German, too many dogs. Julianne Moore: brilliant actress, loathes me. Rachel Weisz: clever, beautiful., despises me. Drew Barrymore: made her cry, stunning film-star face, hates me.”
Grant hugging dans at the ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ premiere
Speaking this week on her TV show, Barrymore said: “You think you’re getting this charming movie star, and what you really get is grumpy Hugh,” she said. “And then you fall in love with grumpy Hugh.”
Earlier this month, the 62-year-old British actor had gone viral for his responses during an Oscars red carpet interview with model Ashley Graham.
Grant’s blunt responses sparked debate on Twitter, with many fans calling the interview “one of the most awkward interactions” ever. Read more here.
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In Dungeons & Dragons, Grant plays the villainous Forge Fitzwilliam, a rogue and conman, and a former member of the thieves.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is out in UK cinemas on Friday 31 March.
“Sigourney Weaver said to me afterwards, ‘You don’t look like a scrotum,’ and she liked the joke,” the Love Actually star added. “So that relaxed me.”
Goldberg, who described the bit as “funny as hell”, then proceeded to hand Grant a bottle of moisturiser, adding: “You can never have too much moisturizer”.
Earlier at the Oscars, Grant had divided viewers over his “painful” interview with model Ashley Graham on the red carpet.
Graham addressed the interview a day later, telling TMZ: “You know what, my mama told me to kill people with kindness, so there you go.”
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The 2023 ceremony saw big wins for Everything Everywhere All at Once, which took home seven awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh.
Nearly two months after a Los Angeles jury found Tory Lanez guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the feet during an altercation in July 2020, the Canadian rapper has requested a new trial.
Lanez’s legal team is now claiming that the judge assigned to the case “erroneously allowed” jurors to assess a September 2020 Instagram post from Lanez’s personal account citing Megan’s now-former best friend Kelsey Harris was not the shooter, according to a report by Rolling Stone.
More from Variety
Lanez, who asserted that Harris was responsible for the shooting, also filed a claim that his employee Joshua Farias was behind the social media comment. The new filing, issued on March 29, also sees lawyers Jose Baez and Matthew Barhoma alleging that prosecutors surprised them with the Instagram comment mid-trial leaving them with little time to figure out who actually wrote it.
Both Harris and Megan vehemently denied the defense’s allegations against Harris during the December trial, while Lanez has maintained his innocence since he first pleaded not guilty in November 2020.
The trial began with testimony from Megan herself, who claimed Peterson had shot her in an emotional retelling of the roadside assault. She told the jury: “I wish [Peterson] had just shot and killed me.” The defense went on to argue that this was a case about jealousy between Pete and Harris, who both allegedly had intimate relationships with Peterson.
Harris was described as a key witness for the prosecution, but she recanted her statements throughout much of her time on the stand, claiming she either didn’t see or couldn’t remember the circumstances of the shooting.
Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, was convicted of one felony count each of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, negligent discharge of a firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. He faces up to 22 years in prison along with potential deportation and was originally scheduled to be sentenced in January, though the judge has allowed the date to be pushed back twice.
Peterson is now set to be sentenced on April 10, barring the judge denies his request for a new trial.
Best of Variety
At a Manhattan courthouse on Thursday, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty to five additional charges brought by U.S. prosecutors related to November's collapse of FTX. The charges included conspiracy to commit money laundering, unlawful political contributions, and bribing a Chinese official, a new allegation filed by prosecutors earlier this week.
While Bankman-Fried was expected to plead not guilty, the arraignment hearing was notable for details provided by Nicolas Roos, an assistant U.S. attorney. Speaking before Judge Lewis Kaplan, Roose revealed that his team, along with FBI investigators, are in possession of seven devices from Bankman-Fried and cooperating witnesses, including cellphones and laptops, and are poring over 6 million pages of evidence.
After Bankman-Fried's arrest at the hands of Bahamian authorities in December, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed eight charges against the disgraced crypto founder related to the alleged misappropriation of customer funds from the crypto exchange FTX for the purposes of its affiliated trading firm, Alameda Research.
At an initial arraignment hearing Jan. 3, Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty to all eight charges, with prosecutors informing the judge of their ongoing discovery process, which entails collecting evidence and sharing it with the defense team.
Much of that process has not been publicly known, but it's resulted in additional charges against Bankman-Fried, including four in February related to money laundering, as well as Bankman-Fried's alleged "straw donor" scheme to illegally funnel FTX funds as political donations through employees. Bankman-Fried, along with top lieutenants such as former co-CEO Ryan Salame and former director of engineering Nishad Singh, all were prodigious donors. Singh pleaded guilty to criminal charges at the end of February.
The 13th charge, filed by prosecutors on Tuesday, alleges that Bankman-Fried bribed at least one Chinese official with upwards of $40 million in cryptocurrency in an attempt to unfreeze $1 billion of Alameda funds targeted by the Chinese government, a violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Because Bankman-Fried had still not been arraigned on the five additional charges, he appeared before Kaplan on Thursday, where he pleaded not guilty. His lawyer, Mark Cohen, added that Bankman-Fried did not acknowledge that he could be tried on the new charges, a procedural issue that will likely be settled at a future conference. With prosecutors nearing the end of the discovery process—Roos shared that his team plans to have all of the seized devices cataloged by early April—additional charges are possible.
Bankman-Fried's trial is scheduled for October.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
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Harry Potter’s Bonnie Wright surprised followers with a glimpse at her California wedding after she released a gallery of snaps from her big day.
Famed for playing the role of Ron’s little sister Ginny Weasley in the wizarding franchise, the 32-year-old actress wed her husband Andrew Lococo on March 19 last year.
The pair tied the knot during a boho-chic ceremony at The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano, California, in an ‘intimate’ ceremony.
One year later, the star shared her wedding photos that showed the famous face dressed in a flowy, tiered lace embellished white gown.
She adopted a half-up, half-down hairstyle for the occasion and let loosely curled strands of her auburn tresses hang over her shoulders.
Bonnie kept her makeup natural and appeared fresh faced as she clutched a colourful bouquet of flowers.
Her husband donned a black suit and tie and wore a floral breast pin that matched her bouquet choices.
Opting to share her pictures with Brides magazine, the actress told the publication: ‘It was important to reflect our love for the environment and use sustainable materials instead of any single-use packaging, lean into our creativity and make things ourselves, and source everything as locally and seasonally as possible’.
She continued spilling details from their special day: ‘We wanted it to be intimate and people to feel present and relaxed.
‘Our vision was to make it both a celebration of love and community. The ceremony took place amongst rows of growing vegetables, so there was already a lot of colour!’
The pair chose a farm owned by friends to stage their nuptials and Bonnie kicked off proceedings by walking down the aisle with her father to the tune of Peace Piece by Bill Evans.
Each exchanging hand-written vows, the couple then adorned each other with rose gold wedding bands that were both designed by Bonnie’s parents who are jewellery makers.
The actress and her beau were first thought to be romantically linked after they shared snaps together on Instagram in September 2020.
In a YouTube vlog she then revealed she was moving to San Diego to live with Andrew and leaving Los Angeles behind.
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Donald Trump is set to become the first former US president to be charged with a crime after a grand jury voted to indict him over hush money payments to a porn star.
The exact charges are unclear as indictments usually remain sealed until defendants make their first appearance in court.
But they relate to a $130,000 (£105,000) payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 presidential election.
Ms Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, claims she had an affair with Trump and offered to sell her story to the press.
Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen handed over the money to keep her quiet about the purported sexual encounter said to have taken place after they met at a celebrity golf tournament.
Cohen was later reimbursed more than double that amount by the Trump Organization in the form of bonuses and other payments logged as business expenses.
Earlier that same year, he arranged a second payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also claims to have had an affair with Trump.
The former president denies both affairs and has called the Manhattan investigation a ‘witch hunt’.
Reports suggest he is relishing the prospect of a ‘perp walk’ when he hands himself into authorities in the coming days.
He will have his mugshot and fingerprints taken before being released on bond.
Trump is expected to surrender early next week.
How that happens remains unclear given the unprecedented circumstances, but police sources told ABC News that all NYPD officers have been ordered to show up in full uniform for deployment across the city.
Police chiefs and top safety aides at the mayor’s office have been meeting to discuss how to handle potential protests, amid fears of a repeat of the January 6 rampage.
Trump has already indicated he will not be dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.
He accused District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, of trying to hurt his chances of winning re-election against Democratic President Joe Biden.
In a statement, Trump said: ‘This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history.’
It went on: ‘The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to “Get Trump,” but now they’ve done the unthinkable – indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference.’
Shortly after, he appealed to supporters to provide money for a legal defense and has raised over $2 million, according to his campaign.
In the moments after the grand jury’s reported decision, Trump was taking in the development from his Mar-a-Lago home, his aides told the New York Times.
The aides said they were surprised the indictment came on Thursday, a few people close to Trump told the newspaper.
The grand jury’s reported vote comes a day after a report that the jurors would be taking a one-month break and that an indictment would in turn come in late April at the soonest.
A source told Politico that jurors were slated to consider a different case or cases – not Trump’s – on Thursday as well as Monday and Wednesday of next week.
The panelists apparently would then have the Passover holiday off, plus the following two weeks for a hiatus planned since January.
Trump is leading among Republican voters in many polls. His son Eric tweeted: ‘This is third world prosecutorial misconduct.
‘It is the opportunistic targeting of a political opponent in a campaign year.’
Trump first indicated to the public that the case was intensifying on March 18, when he posted on his Truth Social platform that he expected to be arrested.
He wrote at the time that ‘illegal leaks’ from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office indicate that ‘THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK’.
After the announcement of Trump’s indictment, cities across the US braced for possible protests.
An internal New York Police Department memo obtained by The Times issued shortly after 5.30pm stated that all uniformed members were to ‘remain prepared for mobilization at any time during their assigned tour’.
Some legal experts believe Trump would be released at his own recognizance. Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Ambrosio Rodriguez, formerly a senior deputy district attorney in Southern California, stated that ‘an indictment is not a barrier to re-election at all’.
‘Trump’s attorneys could even ask that his trial be delayed until after the election and possibly until after he serves another term in the White House,’ stated Rodriguez.
‘Whether that request would be granted is another matter, and it’s impossible to understate how much such a ruling would complicate the case.’
Ukrainian ‘hacktivists’ claim they have unmasked the Russian who ordered the bombing of Mariupol’s drama theatre, killing up to 700 people.
The senior officer was named as Colonel Sergei Atroshchenko, 41, a commander of the assault aviation regiment, who was dubbed a ‘war criminal’.
Around 1,000 people – mainly women and children – were using the building as a shelter when it was hit on March 16 last year.
Atroshchenko’s warplanes are also thought to have bombed the Mariupol maternity hospital, which killed at least four people, injured 16 and led to at least one stillbirth.
After the colonel refused to cooperate with the hacktivist’s investigation, they released intimate pictures of him and his wife Liliya, 40.
The report said: ‘The hacktivists noticed that Lilya likes to send “photo surprises” to her husband.’
Believing she was communicating with her husband’s air force colleagues, she also agreed to pose with other wives at her husband’s air base in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, close to the Sea of Azov.
Ukrainian official Pyotr Andryushchenko, advisor to the mayor of Mariupol, said: ‘The number one killer of Mariupol residents has been established.
‘The one who gave orders and controlled the bombing of the drama theatre, maternity hospital and the children’s hospital.’
The information was sent to the International Criminal Court at The Hague, in Netherlands, and intelligence community InformNapalm.
Russia denied it was responsible for the carnage at the Mariupol theatre, claiming it was blown up by Ukraine’s Azov Battalion.
But this has been refuted by several investigations.
The theatre strike was classed as a war crime by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and Amnesty International.
People
KARK Little Rock
KJRH Tulsa, OKAn Arkansas man missing since October 2021 was found alive earlier this month walking on a beach in Texas.
Harley McCourt's family had last seen the now-27-year-old on Oct. 2, 2021 – the same day they reported him missing to the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office in Arkansas after realizing he had left home without his cellphone or wallet.
"Yesterday I got to put my arms around my son. Something I had prayed hard for since Oct 2021," McCourt's mother, Kim McCourt, wrote in a March 12 statement posted to a Facebook page dedicated to finding her son. "Harley is back with his family and my heart is full again. Thank you all for the prayers and support."
The Pulaski County Sheriff's Office said McCourt had been located in Galveston, Texas, on March 11.
MISSING GEORGIA GIRL IS HOME SAFE, BUT 'THERE ARE MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS’: COPS
The sheriff's office described McCourt as a "hermit" at the time of his disappearance, saying it was unusual for him to leave his residence and that he had been struggling with depression and paranoia about COVID-19.
McCourt's family searched tirelessly for the 27-year-old, handing out flyers, buying a billboard and even offering a $10,000 reward for information that could lead to him, according to KARK-TV.
WIFE OF LOTUS DRUMMER SPEAKS OUT AFTER HUSBAND, SON DISAPPEAR ON KAYAKING TRIP: ‘THEY DIED TOGETHER’
"Every day just trying to find something, anything. I felt like an investigator," McCourt's sister, Brittany Crumpton, told the outlet. "Your mind just wanted to tell you, ‘No, he’s not alive. He’s not alive.' But my heart just… said he’s alive somewhere and he’s out there."
She described her brother as "fun," saying they would "go on camping trips" and McCourt was "always the one to show everyone how to fish and do everything."
Nearly a year-and-a-half after he went missing, around 3 a.m. on March 11, McCourt's family received a phone call from authorities in Galveston saying they had stopped the 27-year-old on the side of the road because he was walking against traffic.
MISSING INDIANA LAWYER CIERA BRELAND'S MOM BELIEVES SHE WAS KILLED
Authorities let him go because he hadn't committed any crimes, but he had been carrying his backpack at the time, which listed his family's contact information just in case he ever got lost while hunting, according to KARK-TV.
Crumpton and Kim McCourt immediately began the seven-hour drive to Galveston to reunite with McCourt, the outlet reported. They began their search by taking to the beach in a golf cart and handing out flyers.
Toward the end of the day without any luck, they began to look for seashells.
At one point, someone called Kim's name.
"She looked up, and I just like threw all my seashells down, and I was like, 'Oh my gosh.' I couldn’t believe it, he was walking down the beach, he had an umbrella, his glasses, and he had a COVID mask on still," Crumpton told KARK-TV.
She encouraged others looking for their missing loved ones: "Don’t give up. Keep the faith.… Keep pictures out. Keep it going because someone will see him."
McCourt's family told KARK-TV that it is still unclear how the 27-year-old got lost and became homeless for almost a year-and-a-half, but he is currently receiving mental health treatment.
Emily Atack has scrapped her own ITV2 comedy show after three series, MailOnline can reveal.
The former Inbetweeners star, 33, launched The Emily Atack Show in November 2020, nearly two years after finishing runner up in I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, and it proved a hit with young audiences.
But the actress has decided to shelve the series in favour of her starring role in raunchy new Disney+ show Rivals, which is an adaption of Jilly Cooper's steamy 1988 novel.
A TV insider told MailOnline: 'The show means so much to Emily, but she felt it was the right time to move on, there are no plans to make another one.
'It takes a lot of work and dedication and other commitments this year meant it would be hard to give another series her all.
'She'll always be proud of it as not many female stars have been able to make their own stand-up comedy show.'
The Emily Atack Show combines stand-up with various sketches, including impressions of stars including Holly Willoughby and Gemma Collins.
Her stand-up routines regularly contained anecdotes from her dating and love life, including a time she claimed to be having a three-way relationship with a married couple.
BANG Showbiz
Bang Showbiz
Cover VideoDespite shelving plans to make a fourth series this year, Emily hasn't ruled out bringing the show back some time in the future.
A spokesperson for Emily said: 'The Emily Atack show has been a great success so far, and Emily is discussing future opportunities about the series, but because Emily is flat out filming for her new Disney+ show she hasn't had a moment to sit down and write new material or commit to any filming dates.
'She's hoping she will have time to revisit The Emily Atack show in 2024.'
An ITV source added: 'Whilst there are no plans for a new series in 2023, it was a great show and one that could appear on forthcoming schedules in the future.'
Emily's steamy new drama Rivals features a stellar cast, including former Doctor Who David Tennant, ex-EastEnders star Danny Dyer, Poldark hunk Aidan Turner, and Sex Education's Bella Maclean.
The I'm A Celeb star plays Sarah Stratton, the new wife to Deputy Prime Minister, Paul Stratton, played by W1A actor Rufus Jones, who is ambitious and not afraid to use her looks to get to the top.
Emily will reportedly reprise the famous scene in the book where her character strips off and plays tennis naked with her lover.
In January, Emily explored the reasons why she's sexually harassed online on a daily basis through her BBC documentary Asking for It?
The comedic actress broke down in tears recalling the number of unwanted sexual messages and photographs she receives, explaining there's not a day that goes by where she isn't sent explicit pictures of male genitals.
Speaking in the documentary, she said: 'It is the ultimate disrespect. It is the ultimate thing of going, I think you're easy access and you're up for it.'
The star explained that the situation worsened for her during lockdown, later visiting schoolgirls and teenage boys to get to the bottom why society has learned to accept this behaviour.
Gwyneth Paltrow dressed to impress throughout eight days of testimony in the Park City, Utah, ski crash trial stemming from an alleged collision in 2016.
The 50-year-old Oscar-winner showed off her subtle, yet sophisticated sense of style in the courtroom as she paired major designer labels with her own G. Label by Goop brand threads, some of which sold out in minutes online upon being featured in court.
Cynthia Augello, partner at Warren Law Group, told Fox News Digital that "every aspect of her behavior, attire and statements will be scrutinized," so it comes as no surprise that Paltrow went for an understated presence to impress the jury.
"A litigant's choice of clothing in court can unconsciously convey significant information about them, whether it is accurate or not," Augello said. "Ms. Paltrow's overall demeanor and unique aura leave an indelible impression on both the judge and the jury, and while her visage should not influence the outcome of the case, it undoubtedly plays a role in shaping perceptions."
Paltrow earned a legal victory Thursday when an eight-person jury found she was not liable for a ski crash collision involving Terry Sanderson at the Deer Valley Resort. She countersued and was awarded $1 in damages, in addition to attorney fees.
GWYNETH PALTROW WINS SKI CRASH LAWSUIT
Gwyneth Paltrow wore a wide range of fashionable outfits for her eight-day ski crash trial. (Associated Press)
"Gwyneth Paltrow has chosen an appropriate wardrobe for her trial, opting for attire that aligns with the expectations of the local community, while maintaining an effortless appearance," Augello said. "Despite the likelihood of her clothing being costly, it is a widely accepted notion that her wardrobe would be expensive."
Costly is an understatement for a few of Gwyneth's getups. On the first day of trial, Paltrow wore a $1,200 pair of brown leather Celine boots, a green trench coat and cream-colored sweater from The Row, and aviator Ray-Ban sunglasses.
Gwyneth Paltrow wore a cream sweater and glasses for first court appearance Tuesday related to 2016 ski incident. (Rick Bowmer)
Gwyneth Paltrow appeared happy while leaving the courtroom. (AP Photo/Alex Goodlett)
On the second day of proceedings, she walked into the courtroom wearing an ivory-colored cardigan from G. Label by Goop with a $25,000 gold Foundrae clip chain heart necklace. She also carried a vintage brown leather Celine purse.
"If Ms. Paltrow were to dress down, it could create an impression of attempting to deceive the jury, which is generally not well-received," Augello said. "By appearing approachable and relatable, she doesn’t give the impression that she thinks of herself as more important than the jury."
GWYNETH PALTROW SKI TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS TAYLOR SWIFT, TOM BRADY AND OPRAH
Despite the underlying cost, each of her looks had a similar neutral palette.
Gwyneth Paltrow sported a sold-out Goop sweater with a $25,000 necklace. (Rick Bowmer)
Gwyneth Paltrow wore a Goop cardigan to court one day. (Rick Bowmer)
She wore a gray Brunello Cucinelli suit on the third day. Gwyneth has worked with the coveted Italian designer in the past, and wore the exact same suit to go shopping with her daughter, Apple, in November.
Attorney Andres Munoz, partner with Romano Law, told Fox News Digital that Paltrow "made a conscious effort to choose her attire."
"Her choice of clothing and accessories may be to play to the local crowd or to underscore that she’s the ‘obviously famous defendant’ that is being subjected to a money grab by the plaintiff," Munoz noted. "But juries also have a keen ability to sniff out disingenuous behavior. So, the balance is to appeal to the jury by appearing more likable and relatable, while staying genuine.
GWYNETH PALTROW PREPARES TO TAKE THE STAND AS HER COURTROOM APPEARANCES GO VIRAL
"Juries often penalize disingenuous behavior with an instant loss of credibility and likability. She can’t deny her own profile, so dressing down could hurt her in the end."
Gwyneth Paltrow wears a pink blouse from her Goop collection to court on Tuesday. (Jeffrey D. Allred)
On the fourth day, Gwyneth testified in Prada. She wore a long navy skirt and a black, long-sleeved polo with Chelsea boots which retail for $1,320. She told the jury that day that she lost "half a day of skiing" and was not friends with Taylor Swift despite knowing the symbolic meaning behind her own $1 countersuit.
GWYNETH PALTROW SKI CRASH TRIAL: BIGGEST BOMBSHELLS
The "Blank Space" singer won a sexual assault trial in 2017 against a former radio DJ who initially sued Swift after he claimed he was wrongfully terminated from his job after an incident at a meet-and-greet with Swift in 2013. She claimed he grabbed her inappropriately and counter-sued for battery and sexual assault, seeking $1 in damages.
"A party’s main goal at any trial is to win over the jury with a more persuasive, credible story," Munoz said. "That can be done explicitly with testimony and evidence, and implicitly with unspoken actions to be more likable and appear credible. Paltrow’s appearance during this trial is an unspoken tool of persuasion that absolutely falls within that latter category.
Gwyneth Paltrow rocked a Brunello Cucinello suit she had previously worn shopping. (Jeff Swinger)
Gwyneth Paltrow testified wearing a Prada ensemble. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, Pool)
"Juries are unpredictable, especially with strategies that may appear disingenuous. So even though she’s going for a certain ‘look,’ you never know how the jury will actually interpret it. Sometimes it can backfire."
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She brought back her Prada boots for day five and wore a $595 Goop black cardigan with a matching skirt, and repeated her Celine boots for day six, but opted for Proenza Schouler White Label leather culottes for a cool $900. Paltrow also paired the look with her own pink G. Label blouse.
Criminal defense attorney Silva Megerditchian said while jurors "see everything," as long as the clothing is appropriate, it truly does not affect the verdict.
"It is important to note when representing a celebrity, there is a difference between likability and credibility," Megerditchian said.
Gwyneth Paltrow went back to black for day seven and carried her trusty $250 notebook. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
On verdict day, Gwyneth Paltrow wore a Ralph Lauren top with a blue blazer from the designer label. (Rick Bowmer)
"As we saw in the Johnny Depp trial, Mr. Depp came off extremely likable and relatable. Ms. Paltrow may not come off relatable or even likable, but most legal analysts would say her testimony was credible and in a trial, nothing is more important than the credibility and believability of the witness, regardless of what they are wearing or how expensive their jewelry is."
Sanderson initially claimed that Paltrow left him with a "permanent traumatic brain injury" after she crashed into him from behind while skiing in 2016 at the Deer Valley Resort in Park City.
He initially filed a $3.1 million lawsuit against the actress, the exclusive resort and the ski instructor who was providing lessons to Paltrow's son at the time of the accident. A judge dismissed the claim, and Deer Valley Resort and the instructor were removed from the lawsuit.
Read moreAs far as television characters are concerned, there are few whose style is as universally loved as Rachel Green. Many fashion devotees have waxed lyrical on the character's effortless aesthetic and iconic '90s sensibilities.
Of course, Jennifer Aniston herself is just as stylish and could definitely give her fictional, fashion-obsessed character a run for her money. Over the years, Aniston has carved out her own unique personal style, which usually features a mix of neutral shades, timeless silhouettes, and expertly crafted suiting.
The actress is often spotted in little black dresses and classic beige tones, but for her most recent red carpet appearance Jen An decided to take a risk.
At the Los Angeles premiere of Murder Mystery 2 (a Netflix film Aniston stars in alongside Adam Sandler), Aniston arrived wearing a sheer, netted mini dress with silver embellishments.
This look feels like quite the departure for the star who is often seen on red carpets in floor-skimming gowns in shades of black, white or (more sparingly) red. The choice to opt for a sheer 'naked dress' style is also new for Aniston.
While Jennifer herself is usually a champion of the classic aesthetic, this daring looks definitely feels like one that her on-screen personal Rachel Green would have opted for had the show aired in 2023. It's fashion-forward and statement-making, while still feeling elevated and elegant. The perfect stylish combination.
Of course, Aniston is no stranger to excelling in the style stakes. For a recent appearance on Jimmy Fallon, Aniston was seen in a black, one-shoulder gown from Bottega Veneta's spring/summer 2023 collection.
This collection in particular, has been a favourite amongst in-the-know celebrities. Margot Robbie was spotted in a similar floor-length version of the Bottega Veneta gown at the 2022 Governors Awards, while Katy Perry just stepped out in a look from the collection yesterday.
Indeed, it seems Jennifer Aniston's style is just getting better as the years go by. Keep scrolling to shop her exact Bottega Veneta dress below.
Shop Jennifer Aniston's Bottega Veneta dress:
Venus In Paris
They didn't called her 'Venus' for nothing. Much like the captivating Roman goddess, Josephine Baker embodied beauty, sex and desire as she propelled herself across the Parisian dancefloor. New York's 'highest-paid chorus girl in vaudeville' would truly make her name in deco Paris at 'La Revue Nègre' in the mid 1920s. With her barely-there costumes, feathers, gold baubles and beaded skull caps, no wonder Ernest Hemingway called this dancer 'the most sensational woman anyone ever saw.'
The It Girl
Introducing the original 'It Girl', Clara Bow, the woman who would come to embody the roaring twenties with her flapper age escapades. It may be hard to believe, but Clara was just 20 years old when she wore this unbelievable outfit in 1925 for silent movie, My Lady of Whim. There is so much to say about this dress we actually don't know where to start. How about with that strategically placed art deco embellishment? How about there...
1930s Sophistication
As far as we're concerned the ultimate naked dress - and the classiest - is the 1930s bias-cut silk dress. This 1932 Jean Harlow press image shows you why: gracefully clinging to her figure, this wonderful cut suggests everything yet reveals nothing. Naked dressing has never looked so sophisticated.
Modern Maidens
Naked dressing really came into its own in the 1930s and their sophisticated take on the look was arguably never bettered. Floorlength gowns were given a flirtatious edge with translucent, body-skimming chiffon. 1929 movie Our Modern Maidens, is a perfect example: masterminded by MGM costume designer Adrian, the American helped define Joan Crawford's stylish look.
Before Beyonce
Celebrated for her killer one-liners, Mae West had a few other tricks up her sleeve - that is, when she wore sleeves. The Brooklyn-born sex symbol knew how to dress the part, as this 1936 film still from Go West, Young Man still testifies 80 years later. Thought Beyonce had got there first at the Met Gala? Think again. Mae's 1930s beaded number could be worn by any Hollywood a-lister on the red carpet now and it would still look current...
You Were Never Lovelier
This appliqué number certainly puts Strictly Come Dancing to shame. In 1942, Rita Hayworth danced with Fred Astaire in this beautiful layered gown that showed off her fabulous pins. As with the best naked dresses, costume designer Irene Lentz used sequins, beads and lace to flirt with the audience. As Hayworth leaps off the ground with Astaire we get a cheeky glimpse underneath.
Happy Birthday, Mr President
When Marilyn Monroe stepped out onto the Madison Square Garden stage in 1962 to sing John F. Kennedy 'Happy Birthday' she meant business - and so did her outfit. Monroe's sheer, rhinestone studded dress was so tight she literally had to be sewn into it. It was later revealed she wore nothing underneath. Few have topped those 2,500 rhinestones since.
Je T'Aime
Jane Birkin reinvented the naked dress in the 1960s and if anyone is in any doubt over this claim, get thee to Google and type 'Slogan premiere', 'Jane Birkin' and '1969'. Her thigh-skimming, see-through black mini leaved little to our imagination - and would later heavily influence Kate Moss' naked dressing in the 1990s. Why? The Birkin look is thrilling because - despite getting her kit off frequently - she always looked cool and classy. Serge Gainsbourg couldn't resist her and neither can we.
Glad Rags To Riches
Get in, Cher. This is how it's done. In 1975, photographer Richard Avedon snapped the iconic singer wearing a nude-coloured feather and sequin gown. The Time magazine cover read underneath: 'Glad rags to riches'. It's a look she adopted with gusto in the late 1970s. Ditching the hippie flares and smocks, she welcomed in a glitzy nude look like the one pictured here, taken at a gig in Miami Beach, Florida, 1979
Tina Forever
All hail, Tina Turner. She will always be the Queen of sequins to us. We can't think of a single other performer whose wardrobe matches their electric presence on stage so perfectly. This late 1970s costume is on fire and we love it.
Simply Kate
It all came together one night in 1993 and we all wanted to be Kate Moss. We've been pining after her ever since. The metallic slip dress; the fag in one hand, a beer in the other; those nipples on show. And yet with her hair scraped back and barely any makeup applied, she looked like some kind of wondrous, chain smoking mermaid. And that's Kate, isn't it?
Carrie Bradshaw
Everyone's favourite Monolo Blahnik wearing sex columnist had a penchant for naked dressing. Who could forget that Calvin Klein nude mini dress she wore on her first date with Mr Big?
Global Phenomenon
In 2000 the world went so crazy for J-Lo in this gathered Versace dress we're temped to use the words 'global phenomenon'. In 2015, Google's president Eric Schmidt even cited this sheer, tropical dress as a contributing factor in creating Google Images search. Yup, definitely a global phenomenon...
Arabian Nights
'Rihanna goes naked!' the headlines cried out. Whether you'd personally choose to wear a dress like this is besides the point. We reckon Mae West and Josephine Baker would 100% approve of this shimmering, floor length gown. Inspired by the deco decadence of the 1920s and 1930s - accessorised with a matching fur stole and a cap to rival the Arabian nights - Rihanna's red carpet walk in 2014 was in full command and we loved it.
BIDEN LETS CRIMINALS RUN FREE IN D.C. An amazing statistic has been circulating among people who follow crime in Washington, D.C. In 2022, the U.S. attorney in Washington, appointed by President Joe Biden, declined to prosecute 67% of all arrests in the city. That's not 67% of all crimes committed. It's 67% of instances in which police have identified, captured, and charged a suspect. Prosecutors just let them go.
The situation was reported by a Substack called DC Crime Facts, with more reporting added by the Washington Post.
The number, 67%, is off the charts, especially when compared with other cities with significant crime problems. In Detroit, prosecutors declined 33% of cases — and that itself was high. In Philadelphia, prosecutors declined just 4% of cases, and in Chicago, 14%, all according to numbers compiled by the Washington Post.
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The U.S. attorney in Washington is Matthew Graves, appointed in 2021 by Biden. He sat for an interview with the Washington Post and remarkably tried to argue that his office is not prosecuting less serious crimes because it is focusing on more serious crimes. When it comes to the big stuff — murders, armed carjackings, assaults with intent to kill, and first-degree sexual assault — Graves told the Washington Post that his office is doing its job. In those cases, Graves said, his office prosecutes 87.9% of all arrests. (That is a lot, the Washington Post noted, but less than the 95.6% prosecuted by Graves's Trump-appointed predecessor.)
The problem is the less serious crimes that Graves is declining to prosecute include drug possession, gun possession, and a variety of misdemeanors. In all, according to statistics compiled by the Justice Department, Graves declined to prosecute nearly 53% of all felony arrests, as well as 72% of all misdemeanor arrests. Felonies are by definition serious crimes, and the U.S. attorney in Washington is letting a majority of those arrested just walk away.
The refusal to prosecute gun possession is particularly striking because Democrats, who run the Justice Department and the Washington government, make such a big deal of gun control. They press and press for more of what they call "gun safety" measures. But when suspects are arrested on charges of possessing firearms, they let them go. Also, remember that the Council of the District of Columbia recently passed a bill overhauling the city's criminal code in which they decreased the penalties for the most serious crimes involving guns, including murder, armed home invasion, armed carjacking, and gun possession. Why push for more "gun safety" laws when you're not going to prosecute the people who break them?
Recently Biden, planning a reelection bid, tried to raise his credibility on crime by supporting a Republican effort to overturn the new Washington crime law. But at the same time, Biden's U.S. attorney is declining to prosecute a majority of the city's felony arrests. What is the sense in that?
Newsweek
NBC News
The trend is heading upward. Biden's supporters will point out that the declination rate, that is, the percentage of arrests that the U.S. attorney in Washington declines to prosecute, went up through the years when a Trump-appointed U.S. attorney ran the office in Washington. Now, the upward trend has steepened.
The government keeps statistics by fiscal year, that is Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, so the figures to do correspond directly to a president's time in office. Fiscal 2017, for example, began on Oct. 1, 2016, and ended on Sept. 30, 2017, while former President Donald Trump did not begin appointing U.S. attorneys until he took office on Jan. 20, 2017. So it does not correspond exactly. But here are the numbers for U.S. attorneys declining to prosecute felony arrests in the district.
In fiscal 2017, overlapping Obama and Trump, the declination rate was 17.3%. In fiscal 2018, the first full year of Trump, it was 23.4%. In fiscal 2019, it was 27.2%. In fiscal 2020, the last full year of Trump, it was 34.9%. And in fiscal 2021, in which Trump and Biden overlapped, it jumped to 44.3% — the biggest increase in this time period. And then in fiscal 2022, all Biden, it jumped again to 52.9%.
In his interview with the Washington Post, Graves pointed to Washington's crime lab, the Department of Forensic Sciences, which in 2021 lost its accreditation with the National Accreditation Board, known as ANAB, because it "deliberately concealed information from the ANAB assessment team, violated accreditation requirements, engaged in misrepresentations and fraudulent behavior, and engaged in conduct that brings ANAB into disrepute," according to the accrediting board's letter of suspension. The lab represents the worst of the dysfunctional District of Columbia local government.
Graves said prosecutors now have to use outside laboratories for their work. "We have to prioritize violent felonies and make sure we are doing the forensic testing for those cases," he told the Washington Post. "Our office is often bearing the cost for this analysis." However, the Washington Post pointed out that local prosecutors in Washington who handle juvenile crime, of which there is a lot, and most misdemeanors also have to use outside labs and have declined far fewer cases than the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The bottom line is that what is happening under the Biden administration, an accelerated decline in the prosecution of serious criminals, is entirely consistent with the Democratic rhetoric that Biden and others in his party employed in the 2020 election and beyond. Now, it has gotten to the point where prosecutors in the nation's capital are refusing to prosecute 53% of those arrested on felony charges — a far higher number than in comparable cities. How high can it go?
For a deeper dive into many of the topics covered in the Daily Memo, please listen to my podcast, The Byron York Show — available on the Ricochet Audio Network and everywhere else podcasts can be found. You can use this link to subscribe.
Everyone loves a good action movie. Sure, there are genres with more awards, acclaim, and stars. But there's nothing like a good action movie to boost your adrenaline. No matter who you are, there's a part of your brain that loves explosions, shootouts and fist-fights, giant action sequences, and movie stars saying one-liners that make absolutely no sense. It's part of cinema, so we've curated a list of these underrated titles. Whether it be movies you have not seen or misunderstood classics, these titles will scratch your itch for more action.
'Kung Fu Hustle' (2004)
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The family of murdered Memphis heiress Eliza Fletcher is facing a “long journey” as the state pursues a case against the man accused of kidnapping and killing her while she was out on a morning jog.
ETonline
TODAYThe 34-year-old junior kindergarten teacher, who chose a career in education despite her family’s substantial wealth, was described as “a bright light in her community” by staff at St Mary’s Episcopal School where she taught.
Fletcher was reported missing on 2 September 2022, just hours after she left her husband and two children at home to go for an early morning run.
When she failed to return home from her usual route close to Memphis University by 7.45am, her husband raised the alarm.
Three days later, her body was found. She died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Now, a man who has notched up numerous previous convictions, including for kidnap and rape, is set to be tried for her murder.
According to authorities, Fletcher was “abducted and forced into” an SUV before she was murdered.
Police believe the car she was forced into was the GMC Terrain that suspect Cleotha Henderson was driving at the time.
Henderson, who was previously known as Cleotha Abston, was arrested one after Fletcher’s abduction. He has since been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence.
The ex-convict has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, and is expected to appear in court once again on 30 March.
However, a judge presiding over the case warned Eliza’s grieving family that they are facing a long journey ahead of them in the case.
“This is going to be a long journey; these cases do not resolve themselves in a brief period of time,” Judge Lee Coffee told the family at Shelby County Criminal Court in February.
“If this case goes to trial, it will probably be two to three years before it’s actually tried. I hope we can compress it to less than that.”
Here’s what we know so far about Henderson:
The revenge film is a thorny subgenre. Many films can be classified as a “revenge film,” but it is perhaps as prone to bleakness, misery, and extreme violence as any film. The revenge is often meted out with brutality, and of course, the inciting incident to provoke the revenge is often disturbing. Basically, there’s a reason Quentin Tarantino loves revenge movies.
That said, there are quality films in the revenge realm. While our list won’t get into the thornier branches of this genre — no graves shall be spit on — we have put together our selection of the best revenge movies.
Sure, Rocky Balboa ends the Cold War in Rocky IV . On top of that, he gets revenge. Ivan Drago kills Rocky’s foe-turned-friend-turned-trainer Apollo Creed in a fight, essentially spurring the Italian Stallion to take on the Soviet strongman in a boxing match
Henderson was released from Trousdale Turner Correctional Facility in 2020, after serving 20 years of a 24-year sentence for kidnapping attorney Kemper Durand at gunpoint in May 2000.
Despite being just 16 at the time of the offense, Henderson was tried as an adult.
He was released from prison four years early thanks to a combination of joining work programs during his sentence (including working in the kitchen and as a cleaner) and the time he spent behind bars prior to being sentenced.
However, prison records show that Henderson indecently exposed himself on 19 different occasions while behind bars – with one prison guard commenting in records obtained by Action 5 News that he “couldn’t help” it.
Tennessee State Representative Antonio Parkinson has suggested reviewing the state’s corrections rehabilitation strategy in the wake of Henderson’s release and subsequent arrest on new charges.
“They’re coming into state custody and we’re warehousing them and we’re punishing them, I guess, but they’re going to come out at some point,” he said.
“What’s happening in between that time when they’re behind that wall?”
Henderson had requested an even earlier release in 2016, but his victim Durand told authorities he believed his attacker showed “absolutely no remorse for the crime”, and Henderson’s request was denied at the time.
Even before he was found guilty of Durand’s 2000 kidnapping, Henderson had accrued a lengthy rap sheet.
Charles Bronson has reacted to the Parole Board's decision to keep him in jail by singing a rendition of Tom Jones' Please Release Me. The notorious prisoner, who has spent nearly 48 years behind bars, was recorded on video singing over the phone to his friend, comedian Dave Courtney.
Sky News
The Board rejected his latest bid for freedom after warning it wasn't satisfied he would be able to "manage his risk of future violence".
He was handed the written decision via an envelope today confirming the decision and has since called friends to explain how expected the result was. One of those friends he spoke to was Dave Courtney.
Before being asked by Mr Courtney to sing the song, Bronson vented about the prison staff at HMP Woodhill where he currently resides. He claimed "they" - without specifying exactly who - are "jealous" of him.
He said: "Tomorrow morning, I'll be on that f*****g yard with a big smile on my face, pushing out my press-ups. Because I know there's a couple of big fat [inaudible word] watching."
READ MORE: Aerial images show abandoned prison to house migrants near village
He added: "They see me going round the exercise yard. You're f*****g jealous mate. I've been doing it for 40 years. And then I come back to my cell and I create beautiful pieces of art.
"They put my f*****g cell door up, stuff their face with prison s**t food and fart all f****g night."
After his rant, Mr Courtney asks Bronson if he can learn the words to Tom Jones' song, to which Bronson responds that he already knows the words.
Just before he starts singing, he says: "This is please release me, by one of the greats... Sir Tom Jones."
"Obviously, I would never ever sing it to these f*****g people. It's a great song."
After singing it, Bronson then asks Mr Courtney to "tell my mum I love her".
He added: "It ain't the end of the world. Her favourite son will be smashing out his press-ups in the yard in the sunshine tomorrow."
The Parole Board wrote in a document detailing the decision: "After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress that Mr Salvador has made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Salvador was suitable for release.
"Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that he should be transferred to an open prison."
The summary of the Parole Board decision added: "The panel noted that Mr Salvador has spent most of the last 48 years in custody and that much of this time has been in conditions of segregation.
"The panel accepted that Mr Salvador genuinely wants to progress and that he is motivated to work towards his release. It thought that there was evidence of improved self-control and better emotional management.
"However, the panel was mindful of his history of persistent rule breaking and that Mr Salvador sees little wrong with this. He lives his life rigidly by his own rules and code of conduct and is quick to judge others by his own standards. His positive progress has to be assessed in the context of him being held in a highly restrictive environment.
"In the panel's view, it is unknown exactly what is containing Mr Salvador's risk. It is unclear whether the strong external controls of custody are mainly responsible or whether his attitudes have genuinely changed.
"The panel could not be satisfied that Mr Salvador has the skills to manage his risk of future violence until he has been extensively tested outside of his current highly restricted environment."Families and friends are remembering the three children and three adults killed in a mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday.
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Following his appearances in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, and Justice League, Ezra Miller's Barry Allen will next be featured in his very own solo Flash film. Unfortunately, a lot of behind-the-scenes drama has let a lot of time lapse. Initially it was writer Seth Grahame-Smith who was set to make his directorial debut with the blockbuster, but then Warner Bros handed the reins over to Rick Famuyiwa -- known for directing the indie hit Dope. Sadly, he left the movie several months after signing on, citing "creative differences." That led to Game Night duo John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein boarding... but they left as well, the film was eventually passed on to IT's Andy Muschietti.
It has been confirmed that screenwriter Christina Hodson essentially created a special big screen version of Flashpoint, complete with time travel and alternate timelines. The blockbuster will feature not just one, but two different versions of Batman (played by Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton), and the eponymous hero will be getting a brand new suit designed for him by the Caped Crusader. What's more, the film will also be introducing a brand new version of Supergirl, who will be played by Sasha Calle.
In an age when blockbuster superheroes are getting more and more diverse, it’s surprising that neither DC nor Marvel has released a solo film about a Latino character – but that's finally changing with DC's Blue Beetle movie. The big screen adventure centers on the Jaime Reyes version of the hero, and while it was originally planned as an HBO Max exclusive, it is now set to be a theatrical release.
Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (2019’s Miss Bala) was first reported to be taking care of the script back in 2018, and Angel Manuel Soto (Charm City Kings) signed a deal to direct the movie in February 2021. Cobra Kai's Xolo Maridueña was cast as the titular hero in August that same year, and the project has since added Harvey Guillén, Bruna Marquezine, and Belissa Escobedo to the supporting cast.
After Aquaman raked in $1 billion worldwide, James Wan would return to the comic book movie genre to helm the sequel. Jason Momoa is also returning to reprise the title role of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, alongside Patrick Wilson, Tamuera Morrison, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Fans have speculated whether or not Arthur Curry will be just one DC character Momoa will play on the big screen and that the role of Lobo is also in his future. However, James Gunn would put that rumor to bed, but the future of the Aquaman movies in general beyond this second installment does remain uncertain for now.
Todd Phillips' Joker was a massive hit when it came out in 2019, getting wide-spread critical acclaim, making over $1 billion at the global box office, and earning star Joaquin Phoenix his first Academy Award. There was zero expectation that Warner Bros. would leave money on the table by not producing a sequel, and thus we are getting Joker: Folie à Deux in 2024.
Little is known about the Joker sequel plot-wise, but it has been confirmed that Lady Gaga is set to co-star in the film as Harley Quinn, and it's expected that she will be playing a very different iteration of the character compared to what Margot Robbie has been doing in the DC Extended Universe movies.
Fans of Henry Cavill were saddened by the news that – despite his appearance in Black Adam’s post-credits scene – the British actor would not be reprising the role of Superman after all. However, the news that James Gunn is penning another interpretation of the Man of Steel is not a bad consolation.
Titled Superman: Legacy, this new reboot will follow Clark Kent in his mid-20s and is set to come out in the summer of 2025. That is as far as we know about it for now.
Fans of Robert Pattinson can be happy to know that – after proving all the haters wrong – the British actor will be reprising the role of Batman. However, it should be noted that co-writer and director Matt Reeves’ vision for Gotham still does not exist in the new DCU canon.
Titled The Batman: Part II, the sequel to the acclaimed, Oscar-nominated hit from 2022 is part of DC Studios’ Elseworlds brand, which was technically already set in motion by the release of Joker in 2019. The film is set to come out in the fall of 2025 and that is as far as we know about it for now.
At the moment, we cannot say when we will see some form of the Justice League on the big screen again. Yet, we can say that there are plans to bring a new team of superheroes into the mix.
Described by James Gunn as a passion project of his, The Authority is based on a Wildstorm brand comic about a group of vigilantes with a unique brand of justice that they intend to carry out by any means necessary. This team – including characters named Midnighter and Deathblow, to name a few – will be major focal points to the new DCU.
Outside of the aforementioned upcoming Batman movies that do not exist in the DCU, the timeline’s new, official iteration of the Dark Knight has been chosen. No, I am afraid it is not going to be Ben Affleck, either.
The Brave and the Bold will feature a Batman inspired by comics written by the legendary Grant Morrison and will pair him with Robin for the first time on the big screen since Joel Schumacher’s live-action Batman movies from the late ‘90s. Instead of Dick Grayson, however, this Boy Wonder is Damian Wayne – Bruce’s estranged son with killer instincts.
One of the most devastating turns of events regarding DC movies in the past year was the cancellation of the solo Batgirl movie. However, we can at least be happy to know that a film putting Superman’s female cousin in the spotlight is officially in the works.
Inspired by the recent comic by acclaimed writer Tom King is the upcoming epic Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which follows the “jaded” titular Kryptonian, as James Gunn describes. There is no telling at the moment if The Flash’s Sasha Calle will be reprising her role in this.
One of the most acclaimed DC TV shows in recent memory was DC Universe’s Swamp Thing series. Thus, it was a very disappointing surprise to see it cancelled before it had even completed its first season.
Thankfully, the plant-based humanoid is getting another chance at glory with his own movie. This will be the first new attempt at a Swamp Thing movie since the long-forgotten 1982 film by horror master Wes Craven, which also spawned a sequel seven years later.
One of DC Comics’ darkest characters, John Constantine, has undergone a few different onscreen iterations – including a gender-swapped version in Netflix’s The Sandman. The first and, arguably, the most recognizable was from a self-titled 2005 cult favorite starring Keanu Reeves.
In perhaps the most surprising turn of events regarding upcoming DC movies as of late, Reeves is set to reprise the role of the occult detective in Constantine 2. The John Wick star recently joked about begging for a sequel for years before his wish came true.
While it was still unclear what was to become of Henry Cavill's Superman, Warner Bros. was at work developing a new version of the Man of Steel in the meantime. In February 2021 it was announced that J.J. Abrams is set to produce a new Superman blockbuster through his Bad Robot banner, and Ta-Nehisi Coates (who has written Black Panther and Captain America comics in recent years) has been tapped to pen the script.
While little is known about the project, it is expected that it will feature the first Black interpretation of the legendary hero made for the big screen. However, no new developments have come about the project since James Gunn and Peter Safran took over, so whether or not this still exists under the studio’s Elseworlds line-up remains up in the air for now.
If your favorite DC superhero is missing from this current line-up, just keep your eyes peeled for updates to our upcoming DC movies schedule. Perhaps a new title could be added to the mix soon enough.
The Tyrannosaurus had big lips that covered up its sharp, jagged teeth, according to new research. Depictions in films such as Jurassic Park that make it look more fierce are wrong, say scientists. Predatory dinosaurs had scaly, lizard like kissers that would have kept its mouth shut - most of the time. An international team examined the tooth structure, wear patterns and jaw shapes of lipped and lipless reptile groups.
They found mouth anatomy and function of the meat-eating theropods, which includes T Rex, resembled lizards more than crocodiles. Co-author Dr Mark Witton, of the University of Portsmouth, said: "Dinosaur artists have gone back and forth on lips since we started restoring dinosaurs during the 19th century, but lipless dinosaurs became more prominent in the 1980s and 1990s.
"They were then deeply rooted in popular culture through films and documentaries - Jurassic Park and its sequels, Walking with Dinosaurs and so on. Curiously, there was never a dedicated study or discovery instigating this change and, to a large extent, it probably reflected preference for a new, ferocious-looking aesthetic rather than a shift in scientific thinking.
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"We're upending this popular depiction by covering their teeth with lizard-like lips. This means a lot of our favourite dinosaur depictions are incorrect, including the iconic Jurassic Park T Rex." T Rex and his fellow theropods such as Velociraptor would not have teeth that stick out even when their mouths are closed unlike reproductions in movies - and even museums.
Only a few land animals such as elephants and wild boars have exposed teeth - and these have no enamel. Co-author Dr Kirstin Brink, of the University of Manitoba, Canada, said: "Dinosaur teeth have very thin enamel and mammal teeth have thick enamel - with some exceptions. Crocodile enamel is a bit thicker than dinosaur enamel, but not as thick as mammalian enamel. There are some mammal groups that do have exposed enamel, but their enamel is modified to withstand exposure."
The idea top predators like T Rex and Velociraptor had mouths where perpetually visible upper teeth hung over their lower jaws - similar to the mouth of a crocodile - has been debated for decades. The most detailed study of its kind to date now shows their lips were similar to those of lizards and their relative, the tuatara - a rare reptile found only in New Zealand.
They are the last survivors of an order that thrived in the age of the dinosaurs. Unlike mammals, they were not muscular. Most reptile lips cover the teeth but cannot be moved independently - they cannot be curled back into a snarl, or make other sorts of movements we associate with lips in humans.
cbc.ca
The Associated Press
The Canadian PressCo-author Dr Derek Larson, of the Royal BC Museum in Canada, said: "Palaeontologists often like to compare extinct animals to their closest living relatives, but in the case of dinosaurs, their closest relatives have been evolutionarily distinct for hundreds of millions of years and today are incredibly specialised. It’s quite remarkable how similar theropod teeth are to monitor lizards. From the smallest dwarf monitor to the Komodo dragon, the teeth function in much the same way.
"So, monitors can be compared quite favourably with extinct animals like theropod dinosaurs based on this similarity of function, even though they are not closely related." The analysis in the journal Science found tooth wear in lipless animals was markedly different from that seen in carnivorous dinosaurs. Dinosaur teeth were no larger, relative to skull size, than those of modern lizards, implying they were not too big to cover with lips.
Also, the distribution of small holes around the jaws, which supply nerves and blood to the gums and tissues around the mouth, were more lizard-like in dinosaurs than crocodile-like. Furthermore, modelling mouth closure of lipless theropod jaws showed that the lower jaw either had to crush jaw-supporting bones or disarticulate the jaw joint to seal the mouth.
Dr Brink said: "As any dentist will tell you, saliva is important for maintaining the health of your teeth. Teeth that are not covered by lips risk drying out and can be subject to more damage during feeding or fighting, as we see in crocodiles, but not in dinosaurs."
T Rex having lips has scientific implications for how it and other theropods chewed and processed food. Lead author Dr Thomas Cullen, of Auburn University, US, said: "It has been argued in the that the teeth of predatory dinosaurs might be too big to be covered by lips.
"Our study shows, in actuality, their teeth were not atypically large. Even the giant teeth of tyrannosaurs are proportionally similar in size to those of living predatory lizards when compared for skull size, rejecting the idea their teeth were too big to cover with lips" The results provide new insights into how we reconstruct the soft-tissues and appearance of dinosaurs and other extinct species.
This can give crucial information on how they fed, how they maintained their dental health, and the broader patterns of their evolution and ecology. Added Dr Witton: "Some take the view we are clueless about the appearance of dinosaurs beyond basic features like the number of fingers and toes. But our study, and others like it, show we have an increasingly good handle on many aspects of dinosaur appearance.
"Far from being clueless, we are now at a point where we can say 'oh, that doesn't have lips? Or a certain type of scale or feather?’ Then that is as realistic a depiction of that species as a tiger without stripes." It doesn't mean no extinct beasts had exposed teeth Some, like sabre-toothed carnivorous mammals, or marine reptiles and flying reptiles with extremely long, interlocking teeth, almost certainly did.
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Sharon Stone said that she made $13.5 million less than her "Basic Instinct" costar Michael Douglas.
- "I was new. I was new and he was a very big star," she said at an event this week, per Page Six.
- Stone also said that a line producer called her Karen throughout the "entirety of the film."
Sharon Stone has said that she made $13.5 million less than her "Basic Instinct" costar Michael Douglas.
"Michael Douglas made $14 million. Now, I was new. I was new and he was a very big star," she said while delivering a speech at the New York Women In Film & Television's 43rd annual Muse Awards lunch on Tuesday, according to Page Six and Mail Online.
According to both outlets, Stone — who said earlier this month that she lost half her money in a banking scandal — went on to say that she was recompensed just $500,000 for her role opposite Douglas as novelist-turned-murder suspect Catherine Tramell in the erotic thriller.
Representatives for Douglas did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Stone also said that a line producer repeatedly referred to her as "Karen" throughout the "entirety of the film."
"Even at the Governor's Ball [after the Oscars], he still called me 'Karen.' And I carried that humiliation really deeply within me — even though my name wasn't on the poster," she said.
Stone has previously spoken out about the pay disparity between her and her costar in the movie, which launched her career but also took a toll on her health and caused her to lose custody of her 4-year-old son
BANG ShowbizIn an InStyle essay published last year to mark the film's 30th anniversary, the actor revealed that to soften the blow of her low salary, she had a clause added to her contract that allowed her to keep her character's entire wardrobe, which included items from Hermès and other designers.
"People thought I was crazy, but the truth is I wasn't getting paid much compared to my male costar," she wrote. "I made $500,000; Michael made $14 million. So keeping my costumes was a really smart thing to do."
Meanwhile, in 2021, Stone told CBC she "made not enough money to buy my dress to go to the Oscars the next year."
"Basic Instinct" was nominated for best film editing and best original score at the 1993 Academy Awards, but was largely left out of the awards conversation.
Stone, however, did win best female performance and most desirable female at the MTV Movie Awards for her seductive turn in the movie.
Stone isn't the only female star who has been vocal about pay discrepancies in Hollywood recently.
Last year, "Jurassic World" star Bryce Dallas Howard told Insider's Entertainment Reporter Ayomikun Adekaiyero that she was paid "so much less" than her costar Chris Pratt.
Although reports initially indicated that the two had quite a sizable pay gap, Howard explained that the reports were wrong and that she was paid even less than the speculated figure.
However, Pratt pushed for her to receive better compensation for other franchise opportunities that were not already contractually binding.
Sharon Stone’s gala confessions continue.
After claiming she lost “half my money” presumably in the Silicon Valley Bank collapse in a speech at the Women’s Cancer Research Fund’s fundraiser this month — Stone says she also got shortchanged on her groundbreaking film, “Basic Instinct.”
Stone revealed at the New York Women In Film & Television’s 43rd annual Muse Awards lunch that she only made $500,000 for the 1992 sex thriller.
“Michael Douglas made $14 million. Now, I was new. I was new and he was a very big star,” she told the crowd of mostly female film and TV execs on Tuesday.
Stone also explained how she faced disrespect from a line producer on the Paul Verhoeven-directed project, who kept mistakenly referring to her as Karen throughout the “entirety of the film.”
“Even at the Governor’s Ball [after the Oscars], he still called me ‘Karen!’ And, I carried that humiliation really deeply within me — even though my name wasn’t on the poster,” she said.
Stone was honored at the event with eight other women, including “The Piano Lesson” star Danielle Brooks, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Janet Yang, “Slumdog Millionaire” star Freida Pinto and Sandra Lee.
Lee brought fiance Ben Youcef as her supportive arm candy for the luncheon. Spies caught him refusing Cipriani’s food and water because he’s observing Ramadan.
Lee took the stage and credited Stone for giving “me some of my best advice” when she sat next to her on a plane before she was known as a lifestyle TV host and activist.
She said that Stone told her at the time, “‘Make sure your hair is never perfect.'”
“It hasn’t been perfect since you said it,” Lee quipped.
Stone confirmed the meeting during her acceptance speech, saying, “Yes, Sandra and I sat on a plane together… and I told her to give more than you take, and boy, did you. I’m so proud,” she said.
The room erupted in applause — and chuckles — when Stone shared a story from the recent Vanity Fair Oscar party about how her friend, “Sarah Paulson said to me, ‘Why is everybody so mad at you?'”
“I think you all know why everyone’s so mad at me,” the Hollywood rabble-rouser told the crowd.
After a nearly three year hiatus, Perry Mason is finally returning to screens for a second season. Season two will see a new case, about the murder of the scion of a powerful oil family.
TheWrapThe logline reads: "Months after the Dodson case has come to an end, the scion of a powerful oil family is brutally murdered. When the DA goes to the city's Hoovervilles to pinpoint the most obvious of suspects, Perry, Della, and Paul find themselves at the center of a case that will uncover far reaching conspiracies and force them to reckon with what it truly means to be guilty."
Matthew Rhys will once again star as Mason, a private investigator who becomes a lawyer. He's joined in season two by a large ensemble cast, including Juliet Rylance and Chris Chalk.
New episodes of Perry Mason will air weekly on Monday evenings on HBO, and stream on HBO Max.
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There will be eight episodes:
- Episode 1, "Chapter Nine": March 6, 2023 at 9 p.m. eastern
- Episode 2, "Chapter Ten": March 13, 2023 at 9 p.m. eastern
- Episode 3, "Chapter Eleven": March 20, 2023 at 9 p.m. eastern
- Episode 4, "Chapter Twelve": March 27, 2023 at 9 p.m. eastern
- Episode 5, "Chapter Thirteen": April 3, 2023 at 9 p.m. eastern
- Episode 6, "Chapter Fourteen": April 10, 2023 at 9 p.m. eastern
- Episode 7, "Chapter Fifteen": April 17, 2023 at 9 p.m. eastern
- Episode 8 (season finale), "Chapter Sixteen": April 24, 2023 at 9 p.m. eastern
The U.S. Air Force plans to scrap its troubled AGM-183 Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) hypersonic weapon program and instead switch its priorities to the rival Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM). The announcement comes after the ARRW recently suffered another test failure.
Air Force Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Andrew Hunter told a House Armed Services subcommittee in a written testimony yesterday that the service doesn’t “currently intend to pursue follow-on procurement” of the ARRW after the completion of two more tests. The cancellation of the ARRW was not discussed during the hearing itself.
Andrew Hunter, the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, is the Air Force’s Service Acquisition Executive, overseeing research, development, and acquisition activities. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Chad Trujilo
The two remaining test flights will be used to gather important data, Hunter said, but this is intended to help inform future hypersonic programs rather than leading to further ARRW procurement.
“There is inherent benefit to completing the All-Up Round (AUR) Test Flights (ATFs) to garner the learning and test data that will help inform future hypersonic programs and, potential leave behind capability support,” Hunter added.
An artist’s conception of the AGM-183A ARRW showing the nose cone breaking away, revealing the hypersonic boost-glide vehicle inside. Lockheed Martin
To complete the ARRW prototyping effort, the Air Force is requesting $150.3 million of Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) funding as part of the Fiscal Year 2024 presidential budget.
This is all bad news for manufacturer Lockheed Martin, but will be welcomed by Raytheon, which produces the HACM, another air-launched weapon. However, while the ARRW employs a boost-glide vehicle payload, the HACM is an air-breathing weapon. Both are hypersonic weapons, typically defined as being capable of flying at speeds of Mach 5 or above.
Artwork that Raytheon previously released showing the HAWC missile design it developed together with Northrop Grumman, and which has informed the current HACM program. Raytheon
Hunter’s announcement was not altogether surprising. The Air Force had only recently said that it is more committed to HACM, though a decision to formally cancel ARRW had not previously been disclosed. ARRW suffered a number of failures at the beginning of its flight test program, although it’s notable that the situation had seemed to be improving more recently.
Only two days ago, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall confirmed in another hearing that a March test of the ARRW had ended in failure. The March 13 test was the second test launch of a fully representative prototype ARRW. The Air Force had earlier issued a lukewarm assessment of the test, saying it “met several objectives.”
Kendall, meanwhile, told the House Appropriations Committee’s defense panel that the March 13 test was “not a success” and that the program overall has “struggled a little bit in its testing process.”
On the other hand, Kendall described the previous test, on December 9, which involved the first launch of a fully operational prototype ARRW, as “a very successful flight.” Overall, though, Air Force Secretary Kendall has been fairly downbeat about the prospects of success for the Lockheed missile, noting in March last year that said “ARRW still has to prove itself.”
Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall (center) delivers testimony during a House Appropriations Committee hearing in the Capitol Building, Washington, D.C., March 28, 2023. U.S. Air Force photo by Andy Morataya
That last comment came after plans to buy ARRW missiles were removed from the Fiscal Year 2022 spending bill once passed by Congress, with funds instead being directed into additional research and development. That decision came on the back of a dismal 2021 for the program, with no fewer than three test failures.
While not mentioned specifically by Hunter, it’s worth noting that the HACM is a significantly smaller weapon than ARRW, which means that it can be carried by a wider variety of platforms, including different tactical jets. That means the Raytheon is inherently more flexible than the bigger ARRW, which has so far only been carried by the B-52H strategic bomber, with the suggestion that it could be a possible future armament option for the F-15EX fighter jet.
- On June 1, 1937, Amelia Earhart took off from Oakland, California, on an eastbound flight around the world. It was her second attempt to become the first pilot ever to circumnavigate the globe. She flew a twin-engine Lockheed 10E Electra and was accompanied on the flight by navigator Fred Noonan. They flew to Miami, then down to South America, acro...
A B-52H bomber carries AGM-183A prototypes during a flight test. U.S. Air Force
While HACM might offer some operational advantages over ARRW, there’s no doubt that the cancellation of the program is a blow to the Air Force and the U.S. military at large. For some time now, there have been concerns that the United States is falling behind key strategic rivals in its development of hypersonic weapons. Both China and Russia are understood to have operational hypersonic weapons.
Crew members were flying two HH60 Blackhawk helicopters during a routine training mission before the crash at Fort Campbell at around 10pm local time on Wednesday (3am on Thursday UK time), the military base has said in a statement.