Category: BUSINESS

  • Host sleeps with Javier Bardem, mocks Diesel

    Host sleeps with Javier Bardem, mocks Diesel

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    SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Conan O’Brien will ruffle Hollywood feathers when Season 2 of his travel series “Conan O’Brien Must Go” takes flight May 8 on Max.

    O’Brien, 61, who will return as Oscars host next year, unveiled the premiere of the six-episode season at the raucous, sold-out opening night of the “This Is Not a Fiction” documentary festival on Wednesday.

    Among the new adventures, the Spain trip features a tour of Madrid from famed resident Javier Bardem. Bardem’s wife, Penélope Cruz, should be warned: there are scenes of O’Brien and Bardem sleeping together in a hotel bed (in several positions) after an exhausting day of sightseeing. The crashed duo share a bed in matching pajamas.

    Speaking after the screening, O’Brien compared his bed interlude with Bardem to a kiss with Ryan Reynolds for a spoof of “The Notebook.”

    “So I have slept with Javier Bardem. And a bunch of years ago at Comic-Con, I made out with Ryan Reynolds… then we shot a bit,” said O’Brien, who called his nocturnal Bardem scenes “wonderful.”

    “I have these experiences that so many people on my staff envy,” said O’Brien. “They’re like, ‘Wait a minute, you got to sleep with Javier Bardem?’”

    Oscar-winning Bardem (“No Country for Old Men”) was enthusiastic about leading O’Brien on the TV tour. What started with one planned stop turned into much more.

    “He kept saying, ‘No, we have to do more. I have another idea. Let’s do this,’” said O’Brien. “He doesn’t have enough work.”

    In another segment from the season premiere, O’Brien performs a mocking voiceover of Vin Diesel’s dialogue from “The Street Always Wins” scene in “Furious 7.”

    “There is the fear of Vin Diesel getting angry. I’ll deal with that when it comes,” said O’Brien. “Sometimes I worry about these things. Then I realize, what are you going to do?”

    He made no apologies for being obsessed with the “Furious” clip, which features Diesel’s Dominic Toretto character beating Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw with a seismic boot stomp that destroys a garage.

    “I could watch that clip for hours. It makes no sense,” joked O’Brien. “I will just talk about how insane it is that one stomp with his size-three boot would cause that garage to collapse.”

    The new season features more global high jinks as O’Brien visits his fans in New Zealand and Austria.

    The travel series has already been renewed for a third season in a politically charged global climate. “Now that America is loved more than ever, I’m looking forward to being an ambassador,” he said sarcastically. “If nothing else, people can take out their aggression and rage on me.”

  • See full episode schedule, how to watch

    See full episode schedule, how to watch


    “This final chapter of June’s journey highlights the importance of hope, courage, solidarity, and resilience in the pursuit of justice and freedom,” according to the season synopsis.

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    “The Handmaid’s Tale” returned earlier this week for its sixth and final season and the first three episodes had a lot to unpack.

    After escaping Gilead, June (Elisabeth Moss) finally finds peace in Alaska where she is reunited with her mother Holly (Cherry Jones). However, her peace is short-lived, and she returns to No Man’s Land to successfully help husband Luke (O-T Fagbenle), and best friend Moira (Samira Wiley) escape a Mayday mission gone bad. On the other hand, Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) is attempting to build New Bethlehem, Gilead’s new, reformed community where refugees are welcomed back.

    According to Hulu, June will fight to take down Gilead with Luke and Moira joining the resistance in the final season of Emmy-winning drama series. Serena, meanwhile, “tries to reform Gilead while Commander Lawrence and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) reckon with what they have wrought, and Nick (Max Minghella) faces challenging tests of character.”

    “This final chapter of June’s journey highlights the importance of hope, courage, solidarity, and resilience in the pursuit of justice and freedom,” the season’s synopsis says.

    Adapted from Canadian author Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel of the same name, “The Handmaid’s Tale” tells “the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States,” according to the series synopsis.

    June/Offred, one of the few fertile women in the oppressive Republic of Gilead, known as Handmaids, “struggles to survive as a reproductive surrogate for a powerful Commander and his resentful wife” in society.

    Here’s what to know about Season 6 of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” including full episode schedule and cast.

    We’ve got room on the couch! Sign up for USA TODAY’s Watch Party newsletter for more recaps of your favorite shows.

    When do new episodes of the ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ come out? Release date, time

    New episodes of “The Handmaid’s Tale” Season 6 drop every Tuesday on Hulu at midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT (previous day).

    ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’: Stream on Hulu | Watch on Sling

    Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle

    ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 6 episode schedule

    Season 6 “The Handmaid’s Tale” premiered with the first three episodes on April 8. The final season of the series will have 10 episodes. Here’s what the upcoming schedule looks like:

    • Episode 4 “Promotion”: April 15
    • Episode 5 “Janine”: April 22
    • Episode 6 “Surprise”: April 29
    • Episode 7 “Shattered”: May 6
    • Episode 8 “Exodus”: May 13
    • Episode 9 “Execution”: May 20
    • Episode 10 “The Handmaid’s Tale”: May 27

    How to watch ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 6

    “The Handmaid’s Tale” will be available to stream on Hulu, starting April 8.

    Hulu offers membership options ranging from $7.99 a month to $17.99 a month for normal streaming services and $75.99 a month to $89.99 a month for plans with streaming and live television. New users can also sign up for a free trial.

    Watch every season of The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu

    ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 6 cast

    Cast members for “The Handmaid’s Tale” Season 6, as per Hulu, include:

    • Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne / Offred
    • Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy Waterford
    • Bradley Whitford as Commander Joseph Lawrence
    • Max Minghella as Commander Nick Blaine
    • Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia Clements
    • O-T Fagbenle as Luke Bankole
    • Samira Wiley as Moira Strand
    • Madeline Brewer as Janine Lindo / Ofwarren / Ofdaniel / Ofhoward
    • Amanda Brugel as Rita Blue
    • Ever Carradine as Naomi Putnam
    • Sam Jaeger as Mark Tuello
    • Josh Charles as High Commander Wharton

    Watch ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 6 trailer

    We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

    Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

  • Rapper found liable, ordered to pay $4 million

    Rapper found liable, ordered to pay $4 million

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    Soulja Boy was found liable Thursday in a civil trial after facing allegations of sexual assault and kidnapping brought by a woman who claims she was his former assistant.

    A California jury found Soulja Boy, 34, liable in his civil case for claims of sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment and more, and the anonymous assistant was awarded more than $4 million in compensatory damages, according to a release from her attorney.

    The outcome concludes a trial in Santa Monica, California, which saw the rapper, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, accused of physical and sexual violence. The “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” emcee has previously denied any wrongdoing.

    “We’re happy our client was vindicated, and the jury believed her claims of physical and sexual assault,” said Ron Zambrano, an attorney for the Jane Doe plaintiff. “We’re looking forward to moving on to the punitive damages phase of the case.”

    In a statement to USA TODAY, Way’s attorney Rickey Ivie said the evidence presented in the case “does not support the verdict.”

    “It is unfortunate that aspersions and misperceptions of a culture were allowed to influence the trial,” Ivie said. “Mr. Way fully intends to pursue his post-trial remedies and to fight for a just result in this case.”

    Soulja Boy trial, explained

    The trial, which began in March, saw both the rapper and his alleged former assistant take the stand to recount their sides of the story. The woman, along with her legal team, painted a picture of a violent man whose abusive cycles included demeaning text messages, physical harm, and threats.

    “I didn’t even feel human anymore. I felt like an animal,” she told jurors according to Rolling Stone and Vibe. “I wanted to die.”

    Way painted their relationship as entirely consensual and called the allegation that he would beat her “disgusting.”

    The trial was based on a lawsuit filed in January 2021 in which a woman, who chose to remain anonymous and be identified as Jane Doe, alleged the rapper began sending her unsolicited nude pictures within the first month of her employment as his personal assistant. The two then began a romantic relationship that ultimately turned toxic, the lawsuit alleges.

    Lawyers for Doe accused Way of “numerous instances of physical violence,” including kicking, throwing and punching, as well as “sexual assaults, spitting on her body, and threats of physical violence and death.”

    When the woman tried to quit and leave, the lawsuit alleges Way locked her in a room against her will for three days with no hot water.

    After fleeing, the lawsuit alleges the woman was violently attacked and raped by Way on separate occasions when she attempted to retrieve her belongings. Lawyers for Doe also argued she is owed unpaid wages for her work as a personal assistant.

    Soulja Boy allegations: Other lawsuits arise alleging ‘abuse’

    In May 2021, four months after the complaint against Way was filed, the rapper was hit with another lawsuit from a woman who alleged he subjected her to “constant abuse” during their romantic relationship.

    The second accuser, who also opted to remain anonymous, said she suffered a miscarriage after Way became irate and began punching and kicking her.

    “It took her years to escape the psychological and physical grasp of her abuser,” her lawyer, Neama Rahmani, told USA TODAY at the time.

    Way was also accused of assault and kidnapping by a former girlfriend, Kayla Myers. According to Billboard, he was ordered to pay her $235,900 in compensatory damages and $236,000 in punitive damages in 2023.

    (This story has been updated to add new information.)

    Contributing: Maria Puente and Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY

  • Kennedy Center’s Richard Grenell lashes out at musician

    Kennedy Center’s Richard Grenell lashes out at musician

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    Amid an overhaul at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a musician is calling out the interim president for an “unprofessional and rude” email exchange.

    Guitarist and composer Yasmin Williams took to Instagram Wednesday to share a thread between her and Richard Grenell, the temporary head of the cultural institution. In a series of screenshots, Williams showed an increasingly hostile exchange between her and Grenell after she asked several questions about changes to the programming under President Donald Trump.

    USA TODAY has reached out to reps for Williams and the Kennedy Center for comment.

    “I hope posting this email thread illuminates the terrible folks who are now leading the Kennedy Center,” Williams wrote in a caption alongside the photos. “I’ve had so many amazing career and life highlights at the Kennedy Center and I hate to think that the establishment could be run down permanently by this man.”

    After Williams asked whether President Trump cared that certain artists had decided to cancel shows at the Kennedy Center after he announced the overhaul and if the institution had implemented any changes related to hiring and booking, Grenell responded by asking her if she would play for an audience that included Republicans or boycott.

    When Williams wrote back that boycotting a performance because Republicans might be in her audience made no sense, Grenell, who was the ambassador to Germany during Trump’s first term, retorted that “Every single person who canceled a show did so because they couldn’t be in the presence of Republicans.”

    “You shouldn’t believe what you read in the newspapers who exist to hate Republicans,” Grenell continued. “Don’t swallow what the media tells you. Don’t be gullible.”

    In February, Trump announced a massive overhaul at the Kennedy Center that included the termination of multiple board of trustees members, including Chairman David Rubenstein. He also replaced longtime president Deborah Rutter with Grenell.

    The reason for the changes, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, was the center’s decision to host drag show performances at its venue.

    In response to all the upheaval, multiple stars and artists cut ties with the center, with several high-profile board members stepping down and others canceling future performances. An interview with Issa Rae and several performances of the Broadway hit “Hamilton” were among the events canceled.

    In the email exchange, Grenell also went on to reference an instance in which Vice President JD Vance was booed during a Kennedy Center performance following the changes, calling the shouters “your people” and asking Williams, “Who is the intolerant one?”

    Then, in a paragraphs long screed, he enumerated several serious money problems the Kennedy Center was facing and confirmed that he had fired some high-earning staff and cut DEI programs “because we are in debt.”

    “Yes I cut the DEI (expletive) because we can’t afford to pay people for fringe and niche programming that the public won’t support,” he wrote. “YOU reached out to me unsolicited and accused me of being intolerant. Don’t be a victim now.”

    In response, Williams asked for Grenell to re-read her original email, stating that she had never called him intolerant and chided him for his “unprofessional,” “rude,” and “defensive” response.

    “HUGE shout out to the employees, members of the (National Symphony Orchestra), and everyone else who has to deal with such terrible leadership and have their work environment be so chaotic and upsetting,” she continued in her caption.

    Contributing: Savannah Kuchar

  • ‘The Amateur’ Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne talk CIA spy movie

    ‘The Amateur’ Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne talk CIA spy movie

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    NEW YORK − When Rami Malek won an Oscar for playing Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” he remarked in his acceptance speech, “I may not have been the obvious choice, but I guess it worked out.”

    The same could be said about his character in “The Amateur,” a new spy thriller led by the least obvious choice to be an action hero: a nerdy, socially awkward CIA analyst who would normally spend an entire movie behind a computer telling Jason Bourne or Ethan Hunt where to go.

    When Malek, 43, was asked what he wanted to do next after “Bohemian Rhapsody,” he surprised even himself with his response. “I said, ‘I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I want to do an action film,’ ” the actor recalls. “Because I never thought you’d see a guy of my stature, my complexion, someone who wasn’t the obvious choice, in that position.”

    Based on the Robert Littell novel, “The Amateur” stars Malek as CIA decoder Charlie Heller, whose wife, Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), is killed in a terrorist attack. When it becomes clear the CIA has no intention of pursuing justice, Charlie takes matters into his own hands, blackmailing the agency into training him so he can go after the killers himself.

    That comes courtesy of Laurence Fishburne’s Colonel Henderson, who is assigned the role of Charlie’s teacher. After being introduced to Charlie, Henderson is “not impressed,” the “Matrix” star notes. “He’s almost like, ‘What is this, a punishment?’” Fishburne, 63, says, laughing. “Why have I been punished with teaching this clearly inept guy? He’s not going to be able to hurt anybody.”

    But Henderson soon discovers he has drastically underestimated Charlie. The idea that someone who the world has placed in a box could prove they’re capable of more than anyone expected resonated with Fishburne. “Throughout my life, people have underestimated me, or tried to pigeonhole me and had a preconceived notion of who I am based on a character I play,” he says.

    Malek, too, reflects that he has felt like he had to “constantly prove” himself since he was a kid. He sees a link between his role in “The Amateur” and his previous characters, particularly his Emmy-winning turn as socially awkward hacker Elliot on “Mr. Robot.”

    “It’s been a theme in my work: feeling underestimated and finding characters who are alienated or feel disenfranchised and overlooked, and who go on to do some pretty extraordinary things,” he says.

    So while “The Amateur” is Malek’s first lead role in an action film, it felt like a natural extension of his work on the USA Network series.

    “I remember being on ‘Mr. Robot’ for so many years thinking, he is an action hero, to a degree,” Malek says. “Instead of donning a cape, he puts on his hoodie. The premise (of ‘The Amateur’) was, ‘How do I take somebody like that, that flies under the radar, and put him on the big screen?’ “

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    ‘The Amateur’: See Rami Malek go from CIA nerd to assassin

    Rami Malek stars as a CIA decoder who doles out vengeance when his wife is killed by terrorists in “The Amateur.”

    But Malek and director James Hawes tried to be realistic about how someone like Charlie would act in the field after a career behind a desk. In one scene, he begins walking away from an explosion, but rather than looking unmoved, Charlie can’t help but flinch.

    “We all see these movies where people walk away from explosions in slow motion,” Malek says. “I’ve seen actors desperately trying to keep their eyes open and not blinking. It’s impossible! You hear a gunshot and you are going to flinch. You are going to blink.”

    While filming another sequence, Malek, worn out from running for 15 consecutive takes, fell over. But this being “The Amateur,” the blooper fit right in.

    “That was the most natural moment we had, and we decided to keep it in the film. I look exhausted because I was. I fell because I naturally tripped.”

    “The Amateur” also explores what loss can drive a person to do, and Malek paid close attention to where Charlie was in the stages of grief.

    “I love to do the homework on what somebody like that is feeling, what grief actually feels like and how you could possibly weaponize that,” he says.

    “The Amateur” was new territory for Malek in another way: It was his first time producing a movie. He saw this as a logical progression, because on past films like “No Time to Die” and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” he offered feedback on minute details like the choice of camera lens.

    “I’m a little sneaky, I must admit,” he jokes of his tendency to provide his input behind the scenes while avoiding stepping on any toes. Becoming a producer allowed Malek to get hands-on “without having to navigate those waters so delicately.”

    Though “The Amateur” came from Malek being asked to consider his next steps after “Bohemian Rhapsody,” six years after his Academy Award for best actor, he remembers trying to take in that achievement without immediately thinking about the future.

    “It’s one of those things that will probably never happen again. I don’t know if I ever need it to. But I wasn’t necessarily thinking about, ‘How do I capitalize on this?’ I just wanted to appreciate it. I do to this day, and I always will.”

  • 'The Amateur' stars Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne talk latest filmEntertain This!

    'The Amateur' stars Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne talk latest filmEntertain This!

    ‘The Amateur’ stars Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne talk latest filmEntertain This!

  • These celebs have already been to space before Katy Perry, Gayle King

    These celebs have already been to space before Katy Perry, Gayle King


    Ahead of next week’s launch with Gayle King and Katy Perry, look back at previous Blue Origin spaceflights that included Michael Strahan, William Shatner and Jeff Bezos as passengers.

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    Gayle King, Katy Perry and four others are due to become the latest space tourists to board a Blue Origin rocket for a brief trip high above Earth.

    For nearly four years since the first ticket sold for $28 million through an online auction, billionaire Jeff Bezos’ space technology company has been offering regular trips to space to people who either have deep pockets or recognizable names.

    The brief voyage takes civilian passengers on a trip above the Kármán Line – the 62-mile-high internationally recognized boundary of space – where they can experience a few minutes of weightlessness. Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, which takes off from the company’s Launch Site One in rural west Texas, also comes with a crew capsule outfitted with large windows for them to enjoy the stunning view of Earth.

    Pop music artist Perry and King, co-host of “CBS Mornings,” were announced last month as being among the next humans due to launch on the trip. Joining them is civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, filmmaker Kerianne Flynn and Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sánchez.

    When the crew of six women get off the ground as early as Monday morning, they’ll reach the edge of space on the company’s 11th human spaceflight.

    The trip will see them following in the footsteps of plenty of notable people, including household names like actor William Shatner and NFL legend Michael Strahan. Even Bezos, the founder of Amazon, took a trip on the New Shepard’s maiden crewed voyage in 2021.

    Here’s a look back at those three first spaceflights, along with a list of all 48 people who have so far booked passage with Blue Origin:

    Jeff Bezos launches with first crew of New Shepard

    The New Shepard flew 15 times without a crew beginning in 2012 before Bezos joined the first human flight in 2021 to ride atop the rocket as part of NS-16.

    The trip on July 20, 2021 coincided with the anniversary of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing. 

    “Happy, happy, happy!” Bezos said from space. “You have a very happy crew up here!”

    “Best day ever,” Bezos added after touchdown as he was greeted by a sea of cheering Blue Origin employees and others at the company’s campus.

    Bezos’ flight made history in myriad ways, with female aviator Wally Funk, at 82 years old, becoming the oldest person at the time to reach the edge of space, and student Oliver Daemen, Blue Origin’s first paying customer, becoming the youngest at 18 years old. Bezos and his brother Mark Bezos also became the first siblings to go to space together.

    William Shatner becomes oldest person to reach space

    Actor William Shatner surpassed Funk’s milestone with his own Blue Origin trip later that same year on Oct. 13.

    Best known for his role in the original “Star Trek” series and the first six films in the “Star Trek” movie franchise, Shatner at 90 years old rocketed to space with five others.

    When the crew safely landed back on Earth several minutes later, Shatner could be heard saying the experience was “unlike anything they described.”

    Shatner, now 94, also appeared the next day on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” where he expressed that the flight left him “overwhelmed by all the things we need to do and the loves and the losses.”

    “It was an enormous moment for me that I never expected,” he said while he appeared virtually.

    Michael Strahan flies on Blue Origin’s 3rd human spaceflight

    Michael Strahan then flew on the company’s third human spaceflight overall, and final of 2021 on Dec. 11.

    Prior to the flight, the former NFL defensive end told his “Good Morning America” co-hosts that after covering the first Blue Origin launch, he had been “enamored” with human space travel. He said Blue Origin approached him about booking his seat, and he didn’t hesitate.

    “It’s going to take a while, but I do believe it will bring a lot of technological breakthroughs and also innovations to us here on earth … and I just wanted to be a part of it,” Strahan told his “GMA” co-hosts before the flight.

    Afterward, he took to Instagram to say “it was surreal.”

    “It was unbelievable. It’s hard to even describe it. It’s going to take a little bit to process it.”

    Other passengers on Blue Origin spaceflights

    A total of 52 tickets have been punched for flights on the New Shepard, including four people who were repeat passengers.

    The spacecraft’s most recent crewed flight was Feb. 25 on a mission known as NS-30. That crew included six individuals:

    • Lane Bess: venture capitalist known for his work in technology who is the principal and founder of family fund Bess Ventures and Advisory.
    • Jesús Calleja: Spanish TV host, mountaineer, pilot and adventurer.
    • Elaine Chia Hyde: entrepreneur, physicist and pilot who founded news media company Chicago Star and Eastside Enterprises, an Artificial Intelligence research and development company.
    • Richard Scott: reproductive endocrinologist, embryologist, professor, research scientist, philanthropist, entrepreneur and pilot.
    • Tushar Shah: co-head of research at a quantitative hedge fund in New York City
    • A sixth unnamed individual

    Here’s a look at the crew of NS-28 on Nov. 22, 2024:

    • Emily Calandrelli: Best known as @thespacegal on social media who hosts science series Xploration Outer Space.
    • Sharon Hagle: founder of nonprofit SpaceKids Global that teaches STEM subjects to students.
    • Marc Hagle: president and CEO of Tricor International, a residential and commercial property development corporation.
    • Austin Litteral: risk management professional in the financial services industry.
    • James (J.D.) Russell: entrepreneur and founder of InfoHOA, a company focused on technology-based community management solutions.
    • Henry (Hank) Wolfond: Chair and CEO of Bayshore Capital in Toronto, Canada.

    Here’s a look at the crew of NS-26 on Aug. 29, 2024:

    • Nicolina Elrick: philanthropist and entrepreneur whose career spans high fashion modeling to property development and founding multiple IT corporations in the 1990s.
    • Rob Ferl: inaugural director of the Astraeus Space Institute at the University of Florida.
    • Eugene Grin: Ukraine-born immigrant to the U.S. who works in real estate and finance. 
    • Eiman Jahangir: cardiologist and associate professor of medicine and radiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
    • Karsen Kitchen: then a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill majoring in Communications and Astronomy.
    • Ephraim Rabin: American-Israeli businessman who founded technology company Parchem Fine & Specialty Chemicals.

    Here’s a look at the crew of NS-25 on May 19, 2024:

    • Ed Dwight: sculptor who creates large-scale monuments of iconic Black figures.
    • Mason Angel: founder of Industrious Ventures, a venture capital fund supporting early-stage companies.
    • Sylvain Chiron: founder of the Brasserie Mont Blanc, one of the largest craft breweries in France.
    • Kenneth L. Hess: software engineer whose technology-based family history product, Family Tree Maker, was acquired by Ancestry.com in 2003.
    • Carol Schaller: a retired certified public accountant who had at the time traveled to 25 countries after learning she would go blind.
    • Gopi Thotakura: pilot and aviator who co-founded Preserve Life Corp focused on “holistic wellness.”

    After being grounded in fall 2022 following a failed uncrewed mission, human launches resumed Aug. 4, 2022 with NS-22:

    • Coby Cotton: one of five cofounders of the YouTube comedy and sports channel Dude Perfect.
    • Mário Ferreira: Portuguese entrepreneur, investor and President of Pluris Investments Group.
    • Vanessa O’Brien: British-American explorer.
    • Clint Kelly III: Retired engineer at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA.)
    • Sara Sabry: Egyptian mechanical and biomedical engineer, and founder of Deep Space Initiative (DSI), a nonprofit aiming to increase accessibility for space research.
    • Steve Young: former CEO of Young’s Communications, a large telecommunications contractor in Florida.

    Here’s a look at the crew of NS-21 on June 24, 2022:

    • Evan Dick:  engineer, investor and managing member of investment firm Dick Holdings.
    • Katya Echazarreta: Mexican electrical engineer and host of a popular science show on YouTube, “Netflix IRL.”
    • Hamish Harding: Chair of Action Aviation, a business jet brokerage company he founded in 2004.
    • Victor Correa Hespanha: civil production engineer from Brazil.
    • Jaison Robinson: founder of JJM Investments, a commercial real estate company, and co-founder of Dream Variations Ventures, which invests in technology and sports startups.
    • Victor Vescovo: co-founder of private equity investment firm Insight Equity.

    Here’s a look at the crew of NS-20 on March 31, 2022:

    • Marty Allen: startup investor known for turning around Party America as its CEO.
    • Sharon Hagle
    • Marc Hagle
    • Jim Kitchen: teacher, entrepreneur, and world explorer who has visited all 193 U.N.-recognized countries
    • Gary Lai: Aerospace engineer at Blue Origin who helped design the New Shepard.
    • George Nield:  president of Commercial Space Technologies who served as an associate administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration.

    Here’s a look at the crew of NS-19 on Dec. 11, 2021:

    • Laura Shepard Churchley: Daughter of astronaut Alan Shepard, the namesake of the New Shepard vehicle who was the first American in space.
    • Michael Strahan
    • Dylan Taylor:Investor and CEO of Voyager Space Holdings, a space exploration company, and the founder of nonprofit Space for Humanity.
    • Evan Dick
    • Lane Bess
    • Cameron Bess: content creator and child of Lane Bess.

    Here’s a look at the crew of NS-18 on Oct. 13, 2021:

    • Chris Boshuizen: former NASA engineer and co-founder of satellite company Planet Labs.
    • Glen de Vries: Vice-Chair, Life Sciences & Healthcare, Dassault Systèmes and co-founder of software company Medidata.
    • Audrey Powers: a vice president at Blue Origin overseeing flight operations.
    • William Shatner

    The inaugural crewed launch of Blue Origin’s New Shepard took place July 20, 2021 with the NS-16 mission:

    • Jeff Bezos
    • Mark Bezos: Brother of Jeff Bezos.
    • Wally Funk: American aviation pioneer who has long championed female inclusion in spaceflight.
    • Oliver Daemen: the first official ticket-holder to fly on New Shepard.

    Contributing: John Bacon, Emre Kelly, Hannah Yasharoff, Jenna Ryu, Amy Haneline, USA TODAY; Algernon D’Ammassa, El Paso Times

    Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]

  • Where you've seen the young Hollywood cast of 'Warfare'Movies

    Where you've seen the young Hollywood cast of 'Warfare'Movies

    Where you’ve seen the young Hollywood cast of ‘Warfare’Movies

  • Rosie O’Donnell’s daughter Chelsea wants to take birth mom’s name

    Rosie O’Donnell’s daughter Chelsea wants to take birth mom’s name

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    Rosie O’Donnell’s estranged daughter Chelsea wants to change her name following media attention surrounding her legal troubles.

    Chelsea O’Donnell, 27, the oldest daughter of the comedian, filed to change her name in January, according to Wisconsin Circuit Court records viewed by USA TODAY Thursday. The Daily Mail was first to report the news.

    A rep for Rosie O’Donnell declined to comment. On Sunday, the former talk-show host shared a lengthy, heartfelt note about the breakdown of her and Chelsea’s relationship and the media attention surrounding Chelsea’s legal trouble on Substack.

    The former “The View” host said she got her daughter’s permission to post it, and confirmed Chelsea’s request for a name change. “she wishes to change her last name / to her birth moms maiden name,” the poetic note read. “doesn’t make sense to me / I am not her.”

    According to Marinette County, Wisconsin, jail records viewed by USA TODAY, Chelsea O’Donnell was booked on Nov. 18 following arrests in September and October for charges including allegedly maintaining a “drug trafficking place,” neglecting a child, domestic abuse and possessing methamphetamine, THC, drug paraphernalia and an illegally obtained prescription.

    Last month, the 27-year-old was sentenced to six years probation for three counts of possessing methamphetamine, jumping bail and resisting or obstructing an officer, according to People, Page Six and Entertainment Weekly.

    Rosie O’Donnell, who has commented before on Chelsea’s run-ins with law enforcement, wrote that her daughter has expressed frustration with her lack of privacy. “what would I say that she will be ok with me sharing,” she wrote. “she doesn’t like it when the press shows up at some hearing.”

    The former talk show host also addressed remarks saying she should talk about her daughter more or that she “should have done something else” to help her. “every adoption story is complicated,” she wrote.

    “her story is her own to tell,” Rosie continued, adding that Chelsea’s “journey” has been “made public by a series of bad decisions on everyones part when she was a young teen.”

    O’Donnell has five children and shares 27-year-old Chelsea with ex-wife Kelli Carpenter.

    Chelsea O’Donnell made headlines as a teen in 2015 when she ran away from her New York home and was found a week later in New Jersey. As an 18 year old, she moved in with her biological mother in Wisconsin. Now, she is a mother to four children, with her youngest being born last fall, per Rosie O’Donnell’s Oct. 30, 2023, Instagram post.

    Rosie O’Donnell said Chelsea is “doing so well now in spite of the tabloid fodder,” she added. “she has the right to do it without strangers judgement” and “i wish i could delete my fame for her.”

    She continued: “we raise them we do r (sic) best (but) we all fail in so many ways. but rain or shine same name or not that’s my girl.”

    If you or someone you know is struggling with mental and/or substance use disorders, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s free and confidential treatment referral and information service at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). It’s available 24/7 in English and Spanish (TTY: 1-800-487-4889).

    Contributing: KiMi Robinson

  • Michael B. Jordan faces off with vampires

    Michael B. Jordan faces off with vampires

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    Give Ryan Coogler a niche movie genre and he’s undoubtedly going to reinvent the thing.

    He reinvigorated the boxing drama with “Creed.” He put a signature stamp (twice) on the superhero film with his “Black Panther” outings. So it’s not a surprise that the writer and director does the same with “Sinners” (★★★½ out of four; rated R; in theaters April 18), making vampire movies, gangster flicks and even musical spectaculars his own.

    Add in a double dose of Michael B. Jordan, a fabulous debut from Miles Caton, plus sex and gore, and Coogler’s got something devilishly special.

    In 1930s Mississippi, twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both Jordan) have returned home from Chicago to buy a sawmill and set up their own juke joint, wanting to fill it with whiskey and Irish beer, paying customers, and plenty of blues. For the latter, they recruit their young cousin Sammie (Caton), sharecropping son of a local preacher, to grab the exquisite resonator guitar they gifted him and entertain the masses. Yet even Stack – the sly and cunning counterpart to the more stoic and serious Smoke – is gobsmacked at just how good Sammie is.

    So good, in fact, that he taps into a whole other plane of existence. On the juke’s opening night, Sammie performs a mind-blowing number that transcends space and time: Literally, he’s joined by ancient drummers, a ballerina, a DJ with a turntable and a guitarist with a flying V axe in the film’s wildest, most mystical scene. But it also catches the attention of the red-eyed, impressively fanged Remmick (Jack O’Connell).

    Remmick and his fellow bloodsucking Irish musicians want an invite to the party, and unlucky souls, including some of our heroes, are turned into vamps while the rest fight for survival over one very bloody night.

    Those just coming for the scary-movie finery need to temper expectations. (It’s way more “Porgy and Bess” than “Lost Boys,” at least early on.) Coogler takes a methodical approach to his world building as well as his dramatis personae. We slowly get to know the Smokestack twins, Sammie, Smoke’s rootworking ex Annie (a great Wunmi Mosaku), Stack’s jilted former lover Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), local bluesman Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo) and others before all hell breaks loose. It’s an excellent mindset for this kind of story: These friends and family grow on us, which makes the later carnage cut that much deeper.

    No one mines every inch of Jordan’s considerable talent like his frequent collaborator Coogler. As iconic as Adonis Creed and Erik Killmonger were, the Smokestack twins might have them beat. A lot of urban legend comes with the brothers – from their war record to their dealings with iconic mobsters – and while each rocks their own style, Jordan strongly cements their close connection essentially acting opposite himself. His chemistry with both Mosaku and Steinfeld does wonders fleshing out key backstories for all four characters. 

    O’Connell is a charismatic menace as the movie’s lead vampire. Coogler in his own stylish way tackles the racism of the time as well as cultural appropriation, and he draws an intriguing contrast between the Black characters’ penchant for the blues and the vamps’ love for a catchy jig. The biggest revelation is Caton, a young musician with a gifted voice and some serious acting chops in his first film role. “Sinners” opens on a scarred, traumatized Sammie, desperately holding on to the remnants of his guitar, and it sets the mood for the next two hours and change.

    There’s a lot of movie to be had here, and even when you think it’s over, Coogler is nowhere near done. With “Sinners,” an inimitable auteur makes the most of every surrealist detail and crafts a fright fest that’s musical and meaningful, mesmerizing and memorable.