Month: March 2024

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Netflix to release NFL docuseries ‘Receiver’ ft. Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, and more

#17 DAVANTE ADAMS #32 TYSON CAMPBELL. RAIDERS VS JAGUARS NOVEMBER 6^ 2022 AT TIAA BANK FIELD JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA

Netflix announced the new sports docuseries ‘Receiver’, the sequel to its popular ‘Quarterback’ docuseries released in 2023. The streaming service said in a press release Tuesday that it is developing a series following pass catchers during the NFL 2023-24 season, posting on Instagram: “adams. jefferson. samuel. st. brown. kittle. from the creators of QUARTERBACK, RECEIVER is coming later this year”

‘Receiver’ features five star NFL pass catchers: Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Deebo Samuel. The series will chronicle the players on and off the field through the 2023-24 season and will premiere this summer, featuring eight, 45-minute episodes.  An official synopsis reads: “It’s been said that there’s no more difficult position in the NFL than the quarterback. But throwing the pass is only half the story. Receiver follows five of the NFL’s best pass catchers throughout the 2023 season on and off the field.” 

“Receiver” is produced by NFL Films, Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions and Mahomes’ 2PM Productions. Manning said in a statement: “We are excited to be working again with Netflix and NFL Films to give fans unprecedented access to what it’s like to play receiver at the highest level. As we did with Quarterback, we look forward to telling the stories of five incredible receivers, each with their unique personality, skillset, and motivation for what drives them to be the best.”

Netflix VP of nonfiction sports Gabe Spitzer shared: “The natural progression is from a pass to a catch, so we’re excited to dive into the Receiver world after the success of our ‘Quarterback’ series. NFL Films, Omaha Productions and 2PM Productions have delivered again in finding unique and dynamic athletes who will further highlight the drama of this sport on and off the field.”

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Kelly Clarkson, Peyton Manning, Jimmy Fallon to host Olympics ceremonies

Kelly Clarkson hosts and performs during the 91st annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony in New York on November 29^ 2023

Singer Kelly Clarkson and retired professional football player Peyton Manning announced on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon that they will host the opening ceremony at the Paris Summer Olympics with ‘Sunday Night Football’ announcer Mike Tirico. The opening ceremony will take place July 26 along the Seine river, with the Olympic games to run through Aug. 11.

Clarkson, 41, and Manning, 47, will  launch of NBC‘s 17 days of Olympics coverage alongside Tirico, with NBC ‘Today’ co-hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb reporting along the route of the parade of boats on the River Seine.   Clarkson also said of teaming up with Manning and Tirico: “Together, we are hosting the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympic Games. You will never see these three individuals do anything else together. This is the most random thing that they’ve done and I am down for the ride.”

Fallon will also be heading to Paris to host the 2024 Olympics Closing Ceremony. Fallon himself broke the news on his podcast channel in a YouTube clip: “It’s real, It’s happening, I’m gonna do it. I am heading to Paris. I am going to co-host the Olympics closing ceremony this summer. I had no idea that’s gonna happen…I am beyond excited, I am beyond honored!”

NBC’s live coverage of the ceremony kicks off July 26 on NBC and Peacock at noon ET.

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Trump attorneys say he cannot secure $464 million appeal bond in New York fraud case

Republican presidential nomination front runner Donald Trump at 60 Centre Street; Manhattan's supreme court. NEW YORK CITY - AUGUST 17 2015

Attorneys for former President Donald Trump said in a court filing on Monday that he has not been able to get a bond to secure the $464 million civil fraud judgment against him.  Trump’s lawyers said he needs to post a bond for the full amount by next week in order to stop New York Attorney General Letitia James from being able to collect while he appeals, but they have not had any success getting a bond.

The filing said: “Defendants’ ongoing diligent efforts have proven that a bond in the judgment’s full amount is ‘a practical impossibility.’ These diligent efforts have included approaching about 30 surety companies through 4 separate brokers. Their efforts, including “countless hours negotiating with one of the largest insurance companies in the world,” have proven that “obtaining an appeal bond in the full amount” of the judgment “is not possible under the circumstances presented.”

The filing added that other bond companies will not “accept hard assets such as real estate as collateral and will only accept cash or cash equivalents (such as marketable securities),” and also noted those companies typically “require collateral of approximately 120% of the amount of the judgment” totaling @ $557 million. In addition, sureties would likely charge bond premiums of approximately 2 percent per year with two years in advance—an upfront cost over $18 million .. the actual amount of cash or cash equivalents required ‘to collateralize the bond and have sufficient capital to run the business and satisfy its other obligations’ approach[es] $1 billion.”

In a filing last month, Trump’s lawyers asked that the bond amount be reduced to $100 million, but Monday’s filing argues he shouldn’t have to put up any bond at all.  His attorneys are now arguing that the $464 million penalty is “grossly disproportional” and cited the argument that “there are no victims, as there were no damages and no financial losses.”

Trump also asked that if the state Appellate Division denies his request, they enter a temporary stay so he can try to make his case to the state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals. A 30-day automatic stay of the judgment handed down by Judge Arthur Engoron is set to expire March 25, at which point James would be clear to start seizing Trump’s assets unless the appeals court steps in.

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EPA finalizes ban of last form of asbestos in U.S.

Michael S. Regan^ Administrator of the EPA at SC meeting on The impact of climate change and food insecurity at UN Headquarters in New York on February 13^ 2024

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday announced a comprehensive ban on using and importing cancer-causing asbestos, a carcinogen still used in some vehicles and in some industrial facilities and other products in the U.S.  The new rule would ban chrysotile asbestos, the only ongoing use of asbestos in the United States. The substance is found in products such as brake linings and gaskets and is used to manufacture chlorine bleach and sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan called the final rule a major step to protect public health: ““The science is clear – asbestos is a known carcinogen that has severe impacts on public health, that’s why EPA is so proud to finalize this long needed ban on ongoing uses of asbestos. With today’s ban, EPA is finally slamming the door on a chemical so dangerous that it has been banned in over 50 countries. This historic ban is more than 30 years in the making, and it’s thanks to amendments that Congress made in 2016 to fix the Toxic Substances Control Act.” 

The final rule marks a major expansion of EPA regulation under a landmark 2016 law that overhauled regulations governing tens of thousands of toxic chemicals in everyday products, including substances such as asbestos and trichloroethylene that for decades have been known to cause cancer yet were largely unregulated under federal law. Known as the Frank Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act, the law was intended to clear up a hodgepodge of state rules governing chemicals and update the Toxic Substances Control Act, a 1976 law that had remained unchanged for 40 years.

Raw chrysotile asbestos was imported into the U.S. as recently as 2022 for use by the chlor-alkali industry, which makes asbestos diaphragms to make sodium hydroxide and chlorine, used to disinfect drinking water and wastewater. It is also used to make aftermarket automotive brakes and linings and other vehicle friction products, as well as sheet gaskets. Eight such plants remain in the U.S.

The EPA banned asbestos in 1989, but the rule was largely overturned by a 1991 court decision that weakened the EPA’s authority under TSCA to address risks to human health from asbestos or other existing chemicals. The 2016 law required the EPA to evaluate chemicals and put in place protections against unreasonable risks.

Exposure to asbestos has been linked to cases of lung cancer, mesothelioma, ovarian cancer and laryngeal cancer, and it is linked to more than 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. The EPA said the announcement is part of President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot, a whole-of-government initiative to end cancer in the U.S.

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Vanessa Williams to star as Miranda Priestly in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ musical in London

Vanessa Williams attends New York City Ballet Fall Fashion Gala at David Koch Theater in New York on October 5^ 2023

Vanessa Williams, 60, and the producers of the upcoming London musical adaptation of ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ announced that Williams  will play the iconic fictional Runway magazine editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly when the show begins performances in October.  Williams said per Variety: “Bringing Miranda Priestly to life in the West End is an absolute dream come true. Gird your loins, folks.”

Williams and the production’s Instagram account shared videos of her in character as Miranda to make the announcement.  Williams wrote in a caption to one post “Yes…it’s me 👹,”and another video she shared shows her entering the fictional magazine’s offices in character.  Williams says the video: “Don’t just sit there. Buy tickets, or something” adding in the caption of the post: “that’s All…now buy some tickets to @pradawestend 🇬🇧 #thehouseofmiranda👠.”

The Devil Wears Prada musical adaptation first opened in Chicago in 2022. The musical is based on the 2006 movie of the same name, which was based on author Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 novel. Tony Award-winner Beth Leavel played Miranda Priestly at the James M. Nederlander Theatre in London prior to the production’s move to the West End. The Devil Wears Prada musical will hold an exclusively preview engagement at Theatre Royal Plymouth in Plymouth, U.K., this July prior to its opening on the West End, as the production previously announced. The show opens at London’s Dominion Theatre in October.

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

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Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell to star in Sony Pictures’ ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’

Margot Robbie at the 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Barker Hangar. SANTA MONICA^ USA. January 14^ 2024

“A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,” a fantasy romance starring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell, has been acquired by Sony Pictures to be distributed worldwide. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey will be directed by Kogonada, who also helmed the TV series “Pachinko” and the sci-fi drama “After Yang.” Plot details are being kept under wraps, but the film is described as “an imaginative tale of two strangers and the extraordinary emotional journey that connects them.” “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” marks Robbie’s follow-up role to “Barbie,” which she also produced. Production starts this spring in California.

Tom Rothman, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group, said in a statement: “Every once in a great while in this job you read a script so special and original, that you fly to the last page, inspired and uplifted. ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,’ by Seth Reiss, is such a script and together with the superb director Kogonada, the perfect cast of Colin and Margot, and top flight producers Bradley Thomas, Dan Friedkin and Ryan Friedkin, it is a project from heaven. We believe the audience is desperate for originality and we feel honored and grateful to all involved to have won out for it.”

Added Imperative Entertainment, “We are thrilled to partner again with our good friend, Tom Rothman, and the great team at Sony. We are big believers in the theatrical experience, which is Sony’s specialty, and we’re excited Kogonada’s creation will be enjoyed on the big screen.”

Margot Robbie & Colin Farrell’s Next Movie ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’ Sells Worldwide To Sony In First Major EFM Deal: Berlin Market Has Liftoff!

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2 killed, 5 injured in St. Patrick’s Day mass shooting in Washington, D.C.

"Police Line Do No Cross" caution tape^ with a law enforcement officer in the blurry background

A suspect is still at large in the shooting that left two people dead and five injured early Sunday in Northwest, D.C. early Sunday morning. During a news conference from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Third District officers responded to a reported shooting around 3 a.m. on Sunday at the intersection of 7th Street NW and P Street NW, about seven blocks east of Logan Circle and four blocks north of Mt. Vernon Square. The shooting occurred near the Kennedy Recreation Center.

Officers at the scene learned that at least seven people were shot during the incident, with two people dead and the remaining victims were taken to a local hospital for treatment of their injuries. Police were continuing the search on Sunday for a suspect who they said fled on foot.  According to the Metropolitan Police Department, investigators were searching for a Black man with “average build, wearing light pants, blue shirt. Last seen on foot southbound on 7th Street NW. DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911.”

Executive Assistant Chief Jeffrey Carrol said during a news conference Sunday morning: “We’re asking anyone who may have any information related to this incident or may have witnessed it, to contact the Metropolitan Police Department.” A motive for the shooting remains under investigation, police said.

According to police department crime statistics, Sunday’s shooting came amid a 35% increase in homicides in Washington, D.C., compared to the same period in 2023.

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Suspect captured in fatal shooting of New Mexico State Police officer

New Mexico State Police cruiser at New Mexico State Police station 4^ Alamogordo NM 88310.

Following a two-day manhunt a suspect is in custody for the murder of a New Mexico State Police officer, who was shot and killed on a highway near Tucumcari, New Mexico last week.  Officer Justin Hare, 35, was shot without warning around 5 a.m. local time Friday morning when he responded to a call of a driver with a flat tire on Interstate 40 near milepost 318, state police previously said. Hare died after being transported to a local hospital.

New Mexico state police posted Sunday on social media that the suspect, 32-year-old Jaremy Smith of South Carolina, was captured following an officer-involved shooting on Sunday with the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office did not provide further details. Smith has a criminal history in South Carolina, including allegations of hostage taking, burglary and armed robbery; he also has spent time in Albuquerque. The vehicle with the flat tire belonged to a paramedic in Marion County, South Carolina, 52-year-old Phenesia Machado-Fore, who was found murdered Friday after she was reported missing from the area. Smith is a person of interest in the South Carolina case as well.

New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weisler said Smith approached the passenger side of Hare’s patrol vehicle. After a short conversation in which Hare offered him a ride to town, Smith allegedly opened fire without warning; he then allegedly walked to the driver’s side, opened fire on the officer again and pushed him to its passenger side, got in the patrol vehicle and drove off.  Colleagues were alerted to Hare’s situation after the officer did not respond to radio traffic, and later appeared to have been able to depress a panic button common on police radios.  A responding officer saw Hare’s patrol vehicle traveling in the opposite direction, but by the time the officer reached the vehicle,it had crashed on an interstate frontage road and was abandoned. Hare was found along the same frontage road, where he was taken to a hospital. The suspect had vanished.

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Oprah Winfrey primetime special on weight loss drugs airing on ABC

Oprah Winfrey at premiere of 'A Wrinkle In Time' at BFI IMAX in London^ England - March 13^ 2018

Oprah Winfrey will host an ABC primetime special about weight loss drugs, airing on ABC. Oprah recorded the special, titled “An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution,” in front of a live studio audience, where she gathers medial experts to discuss weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy. The medical experts featured in the primetime special are Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. W. Scott Butsch, ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News medical correspondent Dr. Darien Sutton and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s Dr. Amanda Velazquez.

Oprah in a statement: “It is a very personal topic for me and for the hundreds of millions of people impacted around the globe who have for years struggled with weight and obesity. This special will bring together medical experts, leaders in the space and people in the day-to-day struggle to talk about health equity and obesity with the intention to ultimately release the shame, judgment and stigma surrounding weight.”

Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group, in a statement: “We are thrilled to work with Oprah and the voices she has assembled to open a dialogue that destigmatizes and educates viewers on the important and polarizing topic of weight loss. I can think of no one better to lead this meaningful conversation about such a critical issue that touches all of our lives.”

Oprah recently announced she was stepping down from the board of WeightWatchers after almost 10 years. She had served on the company’s board since 2015, when she acquired a 10% stake in WeightWatchers. The news cam after Winfrey told People magazine last December that she decided to start taking a weight-loss medication: “The fact that there’s a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for.”

“An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution” airs Monday, March 18 at 8pm ET on ABC and streams on Hulu the next day.

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Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ renewed for two seasons; will conclude with Season 3

Daniel Dae Kim^ Ken Leung^ Kiawentiio Tarbell^ Gordon Cormier^ Ian Ousley^ Dallas Liu^ Elizabeth Yu attends the premiere of Netflix's Avatar The Last Airbender. Hollywood^ CA^ February 15^ 2024:

Netflix has renewed Avatar: The Last Airbender for Season 2 and Season 3, with the show to end after its third season. Episode counts and release dates for Seasons 2 and 3 will be announced at a later date. Netflix posted: “The Avatar will return!! Seasons 2 & 3 of AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER are coming!” Netflix also shared a video of Daniel Dae Kim, who plays Fire Lord Ozai, sharing news of the renewal with the cast.

The show’s eight-episode first season premiered on Feb. 22 and recorded 41.1M views in its first 11 days, topping its TV list for the last two weeks and being on track to enter its top ten most-watched list over its first three months. It debuted ranking at No. 1 in 76 countries.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is based on the animated Nickelodeon series of the same name, which had a three-season run from 2005 to 2008. Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender stars Gordon Cormier as Aang, a powerful young warrior who must master the four elements (air, water, earth and fire — in that order!) to defeat the merciless Fire Nation and restore balance to a world threatened by the terrifying Fire Nation. Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley, Dallas Liu, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Ken Leung and Daniel Dae Kim also star.

The show’s three season run will mirror the structure of the animated series, which featured three books across three seasons to Aang’s story that premiered on Nickelodeon in 2005, and became a hit on Netflix during the early stages of the pandemic. Netflix plans to film Seasons 2 and 3 in close succession in order to mitigate the fact that child actors tend to grow up quickly.

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