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Independence Day director Roland Emmerich calls James Cameron ‘overbearing’
Roland Emmerich had some choice words for his fellow director James Cameron during a panel at Comic-Con on Friday (July 26).Emmerich, who is promoting his new Peacock series Those About to Die, appeared on stage with Training Day director Antoine Fuqua for Collider’s Directors on Directing event.Back in the early Nineties, Emmerich was attached to reboot the camp sci-fi classic Fantastic Voyage (1966), which sees a crew in a tiny submarine injected into a human body to battle with corpuscles.However, after Cameron was brought in to help on the project, Emmerich said he lost interest.“It was a little bit...
Trump says he accepts FBI ‘apology’ over assassin’s bullet claims and slams Harris at Florida speech
During a speech on Friday in Florida, Donald Trump addressed the ongoing mini-scandal over whether he was struck with a bullet to the ear at a recent Pennsylvania rally.The FBI on Friday confirmed an assassin shot Trump in the ear earlier this month after the agency’s director suggested earlier this week the wound might’ve come from shrapnel. “We accept their apology,” Trump said, to jeers from the crowd at the Turning Point Believers Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida.“It just never ends with these people,” Trump said elsewhere in the speech. “They raid Mar-a-Lago. They do things, so bad,...
Homeless people say they will likely return to sites if California clears them under Newsom's order
Three years ago, Joel Hernandez built a small wooden shack under the 405 freeway cutting through Los Angeles.He had the help of a friend who lives in his own shack, just a few steps down the stairs he painstakingly dug out of the dirt hillside and reinforced with wooden planks.Hernandez has had similar homes be cleared in homeless encampment sweeps by state or city authorities over the years, so the 62-year-old is taking in stride that his days in his makeshift shelter on state-owned land might be numbered. California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday issued an executive order directing...
Jon Stewart pushes VA to cover troops sickened by uranium after 9/11. Again, they are told to wait
Comedian Jon Stewart and troops sickened by uranium ended a meeting Friday at the Department of Veterans Affairs angry that once again they have been told they will have to wait to see whether the VA will connect their illnesses to the toxic base where they were deployed shortly after 9/11.The denied claims were supposed to have been fixed by the PACT Act, a major veterans aid package bill that President Joe Biden signed in 2022 and said is one of his proudest accomplishments in office. For many veterans it has made access to care much easier. But the bill...
Key Pakistani Islamist party begins sit-in to protest increase in electricity bills
Hundreds of supporters of a key Islamist party began a sit-in protest in the garrison city of Rawalpindi late Friday after authorities detained dozens to prevent them from holding the rally in Pakistan's neighboring capital, citing security reasons, officials said.The Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan party originally issued a call for holding the sit-in near the parliament building in Islamabad to pressure the government to withdraw a substantial increase in electricity costs, which have drawn nationwide criticism. People complain they are getting electricity bills even higher than their salaries.Naeem-ur-Rehman, who heads Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, told demonstrators in Rawalpindi that he was willing to stage the sit-in even for weeks. He said police arrested a large number of the party's supporters to prevent them from staging the sit-in in Islamabad.Authorities say electricity fees have been increased to meet conditions set by the International Monetary Fund during negotiations that led to a staff-level agreement for a new $7 billion loan deal for Pakistan earlier this month.
Judge strikes down one North Carolina abortion restriction but upholds another
A federal judge ruled Friday that a provision in North Carolina's abortion laws requiring doctors to document the location of a pregnancy before prescribing abortion pills should be blocked permanently, affirming that it was too vague to be enforced reasonably.The implementation of that requirement was already halted last year by U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles until a lawsuit challenging portions of the abortion law enacted by the Republican-dominated General Assembly in 2023 was litigated further. Eagles now says a permanent injunction would be issued at some point. But Eagles on Friday restored enforcement of another provision that she had previously...
North Carolina regulators says nonprofit run by lieutenant governor's wife owes the state $132K
North Carolina state regulators now declare a nonprofit run by the wife of North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson must repay over $132,000 for what they call disallowed expenses while carrying out a federally funded child care meal program. The state Department of Health and Human Services revealed a larger amount in a Friday letter to Yolanda Hill following a compliance review of Balanced Nutrition Inc., for which Hill is listed as owner and chief financial officer. Robinson, who is also the Republican nominee for governor this fall, worked in the nonprofit years ago before running for elected office,...
Surrounding states bracing for spike in demand as Iowa abortion ban set to take effect
Abortion providers are bracing for Iowa’s near total abortion ban to take effect on Monday.In Illinois, the Chicago Abortion Fund, a group which provides referrals and funds to those seeking abortions, saw a 165 percent increase in support requests from patients in Iowa this month, it told The Washington Post.“It’s staggering even to me,” the group’s executive director Megan Jeyifo said.Last month, the Iowa Supreme Court lifted a hold on a 2023 state law, banning abortions in most cases after six weeks, after a lower court temporarily blocked the law.The ban will now take effect Monday morning.In preparation, Planned...
Dallas megachurch faces new questions as disgraced founder’s son announces abrupt departure
The son and daughter-in-law of a disgraced Texas megachurch pastor who departed in shame last month over allegations of sexually abusing a pre-teee have also stepped down from their leadership positions at the congregation.James and Bridgette Morris, the executive senior pastor and executive pastor of ministry experience, communication, and women’s ministry at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, met this week with church elders and, after having been “diligent in prayer” about the situation, “collectively made the decision” to resign, according to a statement issued by Gateway officials late Thursday.“We as Elders affirm and believe that God has placed a desire...
Olympics day one: Spotlight on sport after rain dampens unique opening ceremony
After a rain-soaked opening ceremony like no other, sport will take centre stage at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.Medals will be awarded in the French capital in cycling, swimming and diving among others, while gymnastics, hockey, tennis and equestrian also get under way.Here the PA news agency looks ahead to the key early action in Paris.Tarling goes for goldBritain’s first medal of the Games, potentially gold, could come from 20-year-old Josh Tarling in the cycling time trial. The Welshman was only eight when he watched Lizzie Deignan (then Armitstead) win Britain’s first medal of the 2012 London Games. Now he...
Pep Guardiola not ruling out signing new Man City contract
Pep Guardiola says he has not ruled out signing a new contract with Manchester City.Guardiola’s current deal is due to expire next summer and appeared to hint after steering City to a fourth successive Premier League title in May that next season could be his last at the club.However, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss on Friday opened the door for his time at the Etihad to be extended into a 10th year.Speaking during the club’s pre-season tour of New York, the Spaniard discussed his future on the eve of City’s friendly against AC Milan at Yankee Stadium.PEP 💬...
What the papers say – July 27
A series of arson attacks on French railways ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony dominates discussion on Saturday’s front pages.French police and security officials are bracing for further attacks as they scramble to identify who is responsible for the chaos, the Times reports.The Times: Olympics sabotaged #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/zNdzY8Ak7g— George Mann (@sgfmann) July 26, 2024The i and Daily Mirror say the “spectacular” opening ceremony went ahead as planned despite the huge train network delays.Saturday's Front Page: Hunt for Olympic saboteurs as fans face days of chaosLatest: https://t.co/7WvKNt0bJt pic.twitter.com/3LAYUjMdJT— The i paper (@theipaper) July 26, 2024Saturday's front page: Sabotaged https://t.co/3A2NKfyvz3#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/LaSLQseQ7O—...
Man, 23, arrested in connection to murder of his 82-year-old Vermont neighbor
A 23-year-old man faces a murder charge after police found his 82-year-old neighbor dead.Darren Martell was charged on Thursday with aggravated murder in connection to the killing of Roberta Martin, according to NECN. Martell had been living next door to the victim in Enosburgh, Vermont.Family reported Martin missing on July 17 after they went to her home to check on her, and she was not there.Vermont State Police said Sunday that troopers found human remains in the woods near Martin’s home. An autopsy confirmed they were the 82-year-old woman, according to the report.Police have yet to detail how the woman died.According to the Saint Albans Messenger, authorities believe Martell broke into Martin’s residence and sexually assaulted the victim before killing her.When her family arrived at the home, they found the air conditioning pulled out from the window and still running.Martell was charged on Thursday while being held in jail. He had been in custody since Monday when he was arrested on a charge of lewd and lascivious conduct after police reportedly found him touching himself along the edge of a walking path near a school, according to NECN.If convicted, Martell faces life in prison.
FBI says Trump was indeed struck by bullet during assassination attempt
Nearly two weeks after Donald Trump’s near assassination, the FBI confirmed Friday that it was indeed a bullet that struck the former president’s ear, moving to clear up conflicting accounts about what caused the former president’s injuries after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally.“What struck former President Trump in the ear was a bullet, whether whole or fragmented into smaller pieces, fired from the deceased subject’s rifle,” the agency said in a statement.The statement from the FBI marked the most definitive law enforcement account of Trump’s injuries and followed ambiguous comments earlier in the week from Director...
Oldest federal judge, 97, embroiled in battle with bench trying to suspend her
The oldest federal judge is fighting to keep her office as her fellow justices say she must be suspended due to concerns about her mental health.US Circuit Judge Pauline Newman, 97, was appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1984. Newman’s fellow justices on the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit unanimously voted to sideline her in September, Bloomberg Law reports. The vote came after Newman refused to undergo medical testing and provide medical records as concerns arose about her mental health.“Affidavits prepared after more than 20 interviews with Court staff reflect consistent reports of deeply troubling interactions with Judge...
Texas man, 75, dies after being stung by dozens of bees while bulldozing trees on his property
A 75-year-old man was killed in a bee attack as he was bulldozing trees on his property in Texas.The beehive was in one of the trees Bryce Smith was clearing at his home in Bedias, about 80 miles from Houston, when the attack occurred. KBTX reported that Smith was stung more than 60 times on his face and neck.Someone brought the man inside his home and called 911. First responders declared him dead at the scene.“The Bedias community lost a very, very good individual yesterday, a very good man,” said Grimes County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Judge...
New York City turns to AI-powered scanners in push to keep guns out of the subway system
New York City is turning to AI-powered scanners in a new bid to keep guns out of its subway system, but the pilot program launched Friday is already being met with skepticism from riders and the threat of a lawsuit from civil liberties advocates who say the searches are unconstitutional.The Evolv scanner — a sleek-looking weapons detector using artificial intelligence to search riders for guns and knives — was on display at a lower Manhattan subway station where Mayor Eric Adams announced the 30-day trial.“This is good technology,” Adams said at Fulton Center near the World Trade Center.“Would I...
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