Month: March 2023

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GOP House committee subpoenas Antony Blinken over Afghanistan withdrawal

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House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul subpoenaed Secretary of State Antony Blinken, to demand the official records on the department’s Dissent Channel warning against a speedy withdrawal from Afghanistan.  The Dissent Channel is a confidential channel operated by the State Department and used by foreign affairs officials and other government employees. Employees may use the channel to share dissenting opinions about the government or matters of foreign affairs.

The cable from the State Department may reveal what the department’s employees in Kabul shared with Blinken and the Biden administration nearly a month before troops were withdrawn. McCaul’s press release said the record was first requested in August 2021, after U.S. troops and staff were evacuated.

Signed by 23 staffers from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul on July 13, 2021, the Dissent Channel cable warned the State Department that the Taliban was rapidly advancing in Afghanistan, forecasting a situation the Afghan military would be unable to handle. McCaul said in a statement that Blinken has refused to provide the cable despite multiple concessions being offered on McCaul’s behalf: “We have made multiple good-faith attempts to find common ground so we could see this critical piece of information. Unfortunately, Secretary Blinken has refused to provide the Dissent Cable and his response to the cable, forcing me to issue my first subpoena as chairman of this committee. The American people deserve answers as to how this tragedy unfolded, and why 13 U.S. service members lost their lives.” McCaul said concessions included reviewing the documents by camera and having the names of staffers who signed the cable redacted.

Blinken testified to the Foreign Affairs Committee last week and during his testimony he said he was preparing the relevant information the committee is seeking.

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Eddie Redmayne to star in Peacock’s ‘The Day of the Jackal’ series

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Eddie Redmayne has been cast in Peacock and Sky’s  “The Day of the Jackal,” a modern reimagining of Frederick Forsyth’s novel, and the 1973 Edward Fox film it inspired.

Redmayne will play the Jackal, who is hired by the OAS, a French dissident organization, to kill then-president of France Charles de Gaulle. Production is to begin this year, with Redmayne also serving as executive producer of the thriller series. No release date or additional casting have been announced yet.

A press release from Peacock reads: “While staying true to the DNA of the original story, this contemporary drama will delve deeper into the chameleon like ‘anti-hero’ at the heart of the story in a high-octane, cinematic, globetrotting ‘cat and mouse’ thriller, set amidst the turbulent geo-political landscape of our time.”

Gareth Neame, CEO of production company Carnival Films, said in a statement: “We are excited to bring to life Ronan Bennett’s re-imagining of Forsyth’s revered thriller in the complex world in which we live today and are incredibly fortunate to have an actor of Eddie’s calibre as our Jackal Paired with Ronan’s screenplay and Brian Kirk’s direction, this is a first-class creative team … We are excited to bring to life Ronan Bennett’s re-imagining of Forsyth’s revered thriller in the complex world in which we live today and are incredibly fortunate to have an actor of Eddie’s calibre as our Jackal. Paired with Ronan’s screenplay and Brian Kirk’s direction, this is a first-class creative team.”

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Grey’s Anatomy is renewed for Season 20 at ABC

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ABC has renewed the hit medical drama Grey’s Anatomy for Season 20. The network also announced that executive producer Meg Marinis will take the reins as showrunner next season, replacing the departing Krista Vernoff.  The Season 20 renewal now extends Grey’s Anatomy’s record as the longest-running primetime medical drama in TV history (Grey’s premiered on ABC back in 2005).   The show currently ranks as ABC’s top entertainment series in the key adults 18-49 demographic.

Marinis has been an executive producer on Grey’s since Season 15, having started as a writer’s production assistant on the show back in Season 3, working her way up to staff writer and then to EP, writing a total of 35 episodes. She’ll take over for Vernoff, who announced her departure from Grey’s and Station 19 back in January. Vernoff said in a statement: “It has been the privilege of a lifetime to be entrusted to run Grey’s Anatomy for the past six years and Station 19 for the last four. The passion of the dedicated fandoms and the impact that these shows have on hearts and minds cannot be overstated. The amount of talent in these two extraordinary casts and these two brilliant writers’ rooms is beyond measure — and these crews work magic week after week.”

Grey’s star Ellen Pompeo is no longer a full-time cast member; however, she’s slated to return as Meredith Grey periodically, including for May’s season finale, set to air Thursday, May 18.  The current cast includes new faces introduced at the start of Season 19 to play the new class of first-year surgical residents; and other regulars including Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey, James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber, Kevin McKidd as Owen Hunt, Kim Raver as Teddy Altman, Kelly McCreary as Maggie Pierce, Anthony Hill as Winston Ndugu, Caterina Scorsone as Amelia Shepherd, Camilla Luddington as Jo Wilson, Chris Carmack as Link Lincoln and Jake Borelli as Levi Schmitt.

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Grand jury in Trump probe concludes on Monday with no vote

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The Manhattan grand jury concluded its proceedings in former President Trump’s case on Monday afternoon with no vote. The grand jury had reconvened Monday in New York City after its proceedings related to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into Trump were canceled twice last week.

Bragg has been investigating the $130,000 hush-money payment that then-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford. That payment was made in the weeks leading up to the 2016 presidential election in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 through his own company and was later reimbursed by Trump’s company, which logged the payments as “legal expenses.” Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing with regard to the payments made to Daniels, and he has repeatedly said the payments were “not a campaign violation” but rather a “simple private transaction.”

The grand jury heard from one witness, David Pecker, who served as president of National Enquirer’s parent company, American Media Inc. and had previously testified before the grand jury as part of this case. The grand jury is set to reconvene Wednesday.

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3 students and 3 adults dead, suspect killed in Nashville school shooting

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Three adults and three children are confirmed dead following a mass shooting Monday morning at The Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville. The 28-year-old female suspect was killed in an altercation with police.

Don Aaron, a spokesman for the Metro Nashville Police Department, said during a press conference that three adults and three students were killed in the shooting at The Covenant School.  The female shooter had entered the school through a side entrance armed with at least two “assault-type rifles” and a handgun and moved from the first floor to the second floor, firing multiple shots. The suspect was fatally shot by two of five-member police team around 10:27 a.m. in a second floor lobby.  Police said that the shooter was a former student of the school.

The Covenant School was founded in 2001 as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church and has students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. Enrollment fluctuates between 195 and 210 with 33 teaching faculty members. On a normal day, the school has about 200 students and 40 staff members on campus.  Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk said the investigation remains ongoing: “While I cannot comment on the ongoing nature of the investigation, I’m really impressed with the work that’s being done by law enforcement. This is the ultimate crime when school children and caregivers are the victims of senseless gun violence.”

The school shooting is believed to be the fifth in the Nashville area since 2011, and first since 2018. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., tweeted: “Chuck and I are heartbroken to hear about the shooting at Covenant School in Nashville. My office is in contact with federal, state and local officials and we stand ready to assist. Thank you to the first responders working on site. Please join us in prayer for those affected.”

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Take a look at Keri Russell in the Netflix series ‘The Diplomat’

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Netflix shared a first-look photo of their upcoming new drama series The Diplomat, featuring Keri Russell.  The streaming service tweeted the photo with the caption: “Keri Russell stars in The Diplomat, a new series created by Debora Cahn (Homeland, The West Wing), premiering April 20. She plays a career diplomat who lands a high-profile job she’s unsuited for, with seismic implications for her marriage and political future — “

Russell plays Kate Wyler, the new U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom. Wyler must handle international crises and build alliances while also navigating her rocky marriage to her husband and fellow diplomat, Hal (Rufus Sewell).

The Diplomat is created and executive produced by Debora Cahn (writer and producer of ‘Homeland’, ‘The West Wing’ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’.). Cahn said in a statement: “‘The Diplomat’ is a show about the transcendence and torture of long-term relationships. It’s hard to keep a relationship going, be it a marriage or a military alliance. We change, the world changes, and yet we want these relationships to go on forever … It’s a show about a bunch of good people doing their best to keep their global and personal partnerships intact without killing each other. In the world of diplomacy, you’re dealing with a lot of rule-bound, protocol-driven behavior, but underneath all that, these are people who sweat, and spill coffee on their clothes, and forget the name of the person they’re talking to. All of that is always bubbling under the grandeur and majesty of working with heads of state.”

The Diplomat premieres April 20 on Netflix.

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Producer Steven Spielberg bringing ‘Smash’ musical to Broadway

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A stage musical adaptation of the NBC series “Smash” is heading to Broadway, expected to debut during the 2024-2025 season.  The new stage musical will be based on the NBC series of the same name, which aired for two seasons from 2012-2013.

Steven Spielberg, Robert Greenblatt and Neil Meron, who produced the original TV series, will serve as lead producers on the musical. Theater veteran Susan Stroman (“The Producers”) is directing the production, with a score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (“Some Like It Hot,” Hairspray,” “Mary Poppins Returns”), who wrote “Let Me Be Your Star” and dozens of more songs for the television show, many of which will be used in the musical. Additional new material will be added to the Broadway production; additional details, including the cast, have yet to be announced.

Debra Messing, Jack Davenport, Megan Hilty, Katharine McPhee and Christian Borle starred in “Smash,” which was created by Theresa Rebeck.  The stage version (like the TV version) will follow the process of mounting the musical “Bombshell,” about the life of Marilyn Monroe; however, producers say the Broadway adaptation will “depart liberally from the series.”

‘Smash’ Musical Heading To Broadway With Steven Spielberg, Neil Meron & Robert Greenblatt Producing

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Seven confirmed dead after fatal explosion at chocolate factory in Pennsylvania

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Authorities in West Reading, PA confirmed on Sunday night that the remains of two more victims of the chocolate factory explosion in Pennsylvania were discovered, bringing the death toll from the explosion on Friday at the R.M. Palmer Co. chocolate factory to seven. West Reading Police Chief Wayne Holben said at an evening news conference that this closes search operations at the R.M. Palmer Company, as no other people connected to the location were missing.

Identities of the dead were unavailable. West Reading Mayor Samantha Kaag said Sunday that the White House reached out on Saturday: “They’ve offered condolences, asked us that if we need anything, to please reach out. So we are getting calls from numerous sources and we’re grateful for all of them. We’re grateful the resources that they’re offering. Right now we’re just kind of trying to get our feet on the ground and figure out where we can put them and how we can delegate them.”

A facility spokesperson said 10 people who survived with injuries were taken to Reading Hospital in the West Reading borough, an area of Berks County about 63 miles northwest ofaPhiladelphia. Two were transferred to other facilities, two were in good or fair condition at Reading Hospital, and the others were treated or checked out and released.

R.M. Palmer Company employs 850 people today, according to the company’s website. In a statement, the company expressed anguish, said it has lost “close friends and colleagues …Everyone at RM Palmer is devastated by the tragic events at one of our West Reading facilities and we are focused on supporting our employees and their families.”

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President Biden approves Mississippi disaster relief as tornado death toll rises

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President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in Mississippi, in the aftermath of the deadly tornado that ripped through the Mississippi Delta late Friday, leaving the region  — one of the poorest in the country — devastated. At least 25 people were killed in Mississippi, and one man died in Alabama.

Early Sunday, Biden ordered federal aid to supplement recovery efforts, the White House said in a statement.  As recovery efforts continued, the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center warned that severe thunderstorms would bring “the possibility of a couple of strong tornadoes” across the central Gulf states on Sunday. As a result, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency tweeted that residents should “have a plan” and “know their safe place.”

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves issued a state of emergency and vowed to help rebuild the region, with more than half a dozen shelters opened in the state to house those displaced. According to early data tweeted from National Weather Service office in Jackson, Friday’s tornado received a preliminary EF-4 rating. An EF-4 tornado has top wind gusts between 166 mph and 200 mph, according to the service.

Lance Perrilloux, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s office in Jackson, told the Associated Press that preliminary information based on estimates from storm reports and radar data indicate the tornado was on the ground for more than an hour and traversed at least 170 miles. He added that preliminary findings showed the tornado began its path of destruction just southwest of Rolling Fork before continuing northeast toward the rural communities of Midnight and Silver City, and onward toward Tchula, Black Hawk and Winona.

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‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ leads the weekend box office with $73.5M in domestic earnings

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‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ took first place at the box office, earning $73.5 million domestically in its opening weekend. The film easily beat ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ now in its second weekend.

In North America, the fourth installment in the John Wick franchise bested the $56.8 million opening of 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum — and marked Lionsgate’s biggest domestic opening of the pandemic era.

Directed by Chad Stahelski, ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’  once again stars Keanu Reeves as the expert assassin nicknamed Baba Yaga.  The cast also features Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgard, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Rina Sawayama, Ian McShane and the late Lance Reddick, who died earlier this month. The film is produced by Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee and Stahelski.

‘Scream VI’ took the No. 3 spot, with ‘Creed III’ following at No. 4, and ’65’ rounding out the top five.

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