newyorkpost--2020-07-29--45 Years Ago, ‘Jaws’ Predicted We Wouldn’t Close Beaches For Public Safety

“ Larry , if we make an effort today , we might be able to save August.
” I ’ ve been thinking about that line , spoken in desperation by Roy Scheider in Jaws , a lot recently .
In the context of Steven Spielberg ’ s classic 1975 thriller—which celebrated its 45th anniversary last month , and is currently streaming on HBO Max—it was the Amity chief of police pleading with the mayor to let him shut down the beaches .
There had been two fatal shark attacks in the area .
The mayor had brushed aside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and Martin had let it happen .
But this time , a little boy was dead .
Surely he would listen to reason now , right ?
“ August ?
” The mayor replies , incredulous .
“ For Christ ’ s sake , tomorrow is the 4th of July .
It ’ s going to be one of the best summers we ever had .
Those beaches will be open for this weekend.
” Murray Hamilton , a character actor who also appeared in films like The Graduate and The Amityville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hits the exact right note of despicable , willful ignorance .
The famed mechanical shark may be terrifying , but the real villain of this story—adapted from Peter Benchley ’ s 1974 novel , who co-wrote the script with Carl Gottlieb—is the politicians who put money before their citizen ’ s safety .
You hate the mayor so much in this moment , and lately , I ’ ve been hating him even more , because “ Those beaches will be open for this weekend ” sounds so very similar to the sound-bite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the national coronavirus-related shut-downs back in March : “ I ’ d love to have it open by Easter.
” Spoiler alert : The mayor doesn ’ t close the beaches .
Or , he does , but only for 24 hours .
Other steps are taken : An expert oceanographer , Matt Hooper ( Richard Dreyfuss ) is hired to help identify the deadly shark , and a team of men is sent out to hunt the beast .
And they do , indeed , catch a shark .
Both the mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them that the bite marks on the victims don ’ t match up with this shark ’ s jawline .
The wrong shark was caught , and the real killer is still out there .
The mayor refuses to hear it ; refuses to let Hooper perform an autopsy .
It ’ s not the news he wanted to hear .
Apparently , the mayor never had any intention of listening to the scientist , despite hiring him for his opinion .
Instead , he insists that Brody and Hooper don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this year , and Hooper ’ s from out of town .
Neither of them , he says , are familiar with how damaging closing the beaches would truly be .
“ I think I ’ m very familiar with the fact that you are going to ignore this particular problem until it swims up and bites you in the ass !
” Hooper yells at him .
The mayor is unmoved , insisting that the real concern is the vandals defacing their tourist-aimed billboards .
“ Amity is a summer town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people can ’ t swim here , they ’ ll be glad to swim at the beaches of Cape Cod , the Hamptons , Long Island , ” he insists .
So the beaches re-open .
Tourists and citizens flood the shores on the 4th of July .
People are nervous , at first , but after gentle nudging from their mayor , they happily splash into the water .
After all , it ’ s summer , it ’ s a holiday , and they want to have fun .
Their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swim ; said that the danger was past .
Why not ?
Do I even need to outline the parallels ?
The scientific community told us the COVID-19 pandemic was going to be bad .
They told us to the solution was to shut down .
They told us it was too early to re-open .
They told our governors , and they told our president , and they didn ’ t listen .
They insisted we needed to save the stock market first , and human lives second .
We haven ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet we re-opened the beaches for the 4th of July anyhow .
In the case of Florida governor Ron DeSantis , this is not so much a metaphor as it is a literal description of exactly what happened .
There have now been over 5,000 COVID-related deaths in the state , with cases peaking the week after the 4th of July holiday .
Nationwide , numbers continue to climb .
The US death toll from the virus hit more than 146,000 on Sunday , as officials debate the re-opening of schools in September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Amity Island on Independence Day in 1975 , the shark attacks .
Again .
It kills a boater , and it nearly kills Brody ’ s own son .
The Amity mayor visits Chief Brody at the hospital , visibly shaken and ashamed .
“ August… ” he stammers .
But he ’ s lost all right to his authority , and both he and Brody know it .
“ What are you talking about ?
Larry , the summer is over , ” Brody says .
“ You ’ re the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was acting in the town ’ s best interest , ” the Mayor replies weakly .
Then : “ My kids were on that beach , too.
” It ’ s a moment of sweet satisfaction for the audience .
Finally , finally , the gravity of this situation seems to have gotten through to him .
It took three deaths for the Amity mayor to realize he ’ s made an irrevocable mistake ; but he did , at least , realize it .
He must live with their deaths on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the look on his face makes clear he doesn ’ t take that punishment lightly .
The villain has gotten his comeuppance , and now it ’ s time for the hero to save the day .
That beautiful fantasy seems increasingly unlikely to unfold in our parallel reality of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Our leaders have hundreds of thousands of deaths on their hands , but some of them remain resolutely unwilling to face the consequences of that deadly mistake .
If they ’ d made an effort earlier , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But there is no saving August now .
The summer is over .
We ’ re living in shark city .

“Larry, if we make an effort today, we might be able to save August.”
I’ve been thinking about that line, spoken in desperation by Roy Scheider in Jaws, a lot recently. In the context of Steven Spielberg’s classic 1975 thriller—which celebrated its 45th anniversary last month, and is currently streaming on HBO Max—it was the Amity chief of police pleading with the mayor to let him shut down the beaches. There had been two fatal shark attacks in the area. The mayor had brushed aside the first as a “boating accident,” and Martin had let it happen. But this time, a little boy was dead. Surely he would listen to reason now, right?
“August?” The mayor replies, incredulous. “For Christ’s sake, tomorrow is the 4th of July. It’s going to be one of the best summers we ever had. Those beaches will be open for this weekend.”
Murray Hamilton, a character actor who also appeared in films like The Graduate and The Amityville Horror before his death in 1986, hits the exact right note of despicable, willful ignorance. The famed mechanical shark may be terrifying, but the real villain of this story—adapted from Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel, who co-wrote the script with Carl Gottlieb—is the politicians who put money before their citizen’s safety. You hate the mayor so much in this moment, and lately, I’ve been hating him even more, because “Those beaches will be open for this weekend” sounds so very similar to the sound-bite Donald Trump gave the press when discussing the national coronavirus-related shut-downs back in March: “I’d love to have it open by Easter.”
Spoiler alert: The mayor doesn’t close the beaches. Or, he does, but only for 24 hours. Other steps are taken: An expert oceanographer, Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) is hired to help identify the deadly shark, and a team of men is sent out to hunt the beast. And they do, indeed, catch a shark. Both the mayor and Chief Brody are elated—until Hooper informs them that the bite marks on the victims don’t match up with this shark’s jawline. The wrong shark was caught, and the real killer is still out there.
The mayor refuses to hear it; refuses to let Hooper perform an autopsy. It’s not the news he wanted to hear. Apparently, the mayor never had any intention of listening to the scientist, despite hiring him for his opinion. Instead, he insists that Brody and Hooper don’t understand this town. Brody only moved in this year, and Hooper’s from out of town. Neither of them, he says, are familiar with how damaging closing the beaches would truly be.
“I think I’m very familiar with the fact that you are going to ignore this particular problem until it swims up and bites you in the ass!” Hooper yells at him. The mayor is unmoved, insisting that the real concern is the vandals defacing their tourist-aimed billboards.
“Amity is a summer town. We need summer dollars. If the people can’t swim here, they’ll be glad to swim at the beaches of Cape Cod, the Hamptons, Long Island,” he insists.
So the beaches re-open. Tourists and citizens flood the shores on the 4th of July. People are nervous, at first, but after gentle nudging from their mayor, they happily splash into the water. After all, it’s summer, it’s a holiday, and they want to have fun. Their government told them it was safe to swim; said that the danger was past. Why not?
Do I even need to outline the parallels? The scientific community told us the COVID-19 pandemic was going to be bad. They told us to the solution was to shut down. They told us it was too early to re-open. They told our governors, and they told our president, and they didn’t listen. They insisted we needed to save the stock market first, and human lives second. We haven’t caught the real shark yet; yet we re-opened the beaches for the 4th of July anyhow. In the case of Florida governor Ron DeSantis, this is not so much a metaphor as it is a literal description of exactly what happened. There have now been over 5,000 COVID-related deaths in the state, with cases peaking the week after the 4th of July holiday. Nationwide, numbers continue to climb. The US death toll from the virus hit more than 146,000 on Sunday, as officials debate the re-opening of schools in September.
On the fictional, re-opened beach of Amity Island on Independence Day in 1975, the shark attacks. Again. It kills a boater, and it nearly kills Brody’s own son. The Amity mayor visits Chief Brody at the hospital, visibly shaken and ashamed.
“August…” he stammers. But he’s lost all right to his authority, and both he and Brody know it.
“What are you talking about? Larry, the summer is over,” Brody says. “You’re the mayor of shark city.”
“I was acting in the town’s best interest,” the Mayor replies weakly. Then: “My kids were on that beach, too.”
It’s a moment of sweet satisfaction for the audience. Finally, finally, the gravity of this situation seems to have gotten through to him. It took three deaths for the Amity mayor to realize he’s made an irrevocable mistake; but he did, at least, realize it. He must live with their deaths on his conscience for the rest of his life, and the look on his face makes clear he doesn’t take that punishment lightly. The villain has gotten his comeuppance, and now it’s time for the hero to save the day.
That beautiful fantasy seems increasingly unlikely to unfold in our parallel reality of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our leaders have hundreds of thousands of deaths on their hands, but some of them remain resolutely unwilling to face the consequences of that deadly mistake. If they’d made an effort earlier, perhaps they could have saved August. But there is no saving August now. The summer is over. We’re living in shark city.
Where to watch Jaws


newyorkpost--2020-07-29--Andrea Bocelli felt ‘humiliated and offended’ by Italy’s COVID-19 lockdown

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Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli — who recently revealed that he had contracted COVID-19 and fully recovered – had a few harsh words about the country’s lockdown measures during the pandemic, according to a report.
The 61-year-old star said he felt “humiliated and offended” by the measures, saying, “I could not leave the house even though I had committed no crime,” the BBC reported.
Bocelli also admitted that he had disobeyed the lockdown rules and believed that the severity of the pandemic, which has killed more than 35,000 Italians, had been overblown, according to the news outlet.
It was unclear from the report when he ignored the rules.
In May, he said he had made a “swift and full recovery” from the disease, which he contracted in March, and has donated his blood to help vaccine research.
Bocelli made his most recent comments at a conference in Italy’s Senate attended by opposition politicians including Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right League party, who has attacked the government of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte over the handling of the health crisis in the country.
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Italy imposed a national lockdown in early March and eased it in stages in the following months.
Bocelli, 61, said he disobeyed lockdown rules “because I did not think it was right or healthy to stay home at my age,” adding that “I am a certain age and I need sun and vitamin D.”
He also suggested that others should “refuse to follow the rules.”
Bocelli added that the outbreak had been overblown and he didn’t know anyone in intensive care.
“So what was all this sense of gravity for?” he said. “Let’s refuse to follow this rule. Let’s read books, move around, get to know each other, talk, dialogue.”
He also slammed the government’s approach to reopening schools.
“I have an eight-year-old daughter and it’s unthinkable that these children will have to go to school divided by a piece of plexiglass and hidden behind a mask,” he said.
“It’s unthinkable that schools were closed so quickly, and with the same speed nightclubs were reopened, where young people go not to learn, but to disperse their brains,” Bocelli added.
He later claimed his remarks were “misunderstood,” adding that his foundation has helped many people who have been sickened with the bug.


newyorkpost--2020-07-29--Bol Bol is poised to cause a lot of 2019 NBA Draft regret

Bol Bol had to wait over a year to make his first appearance for the Denver Nuggets .
He ’ s wasted no time in showing what he ’ s capable of .
In his NBA debut , the 7-foot-2 rookie filled up the stat sheet , recording 16 points , 10 rebounds and six blocks in an 89-82 exhibition win over the Washington Wizards .
He followed that up with 15 points , three rebounds and two blocks in a 119-104 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans .
Coming out of high school , Bol was ranked No .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , behind Duke trio RJ Barrett , Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish .
Bol Bol , the son of former NBA center Manute Bol , was expected to be a one-and-done with Oregon before becoming a lottery pick .
Left foot surgery derailed his collegiate career , however , and he was limited to just nine games .
He averaged 21 points , 9.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in his brief time with the Ducks .
The surgery , and lingering questions about his work ethic , caused Bol to freefall in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him up with the 44th pick , but he was sidelined for the entirety of his rookie campaign until the league went on pause because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Now , 13 months after his nightmare draft night , Bol is finally showing what made him a top prospect .
“ I ’ ve been working really hard , especially since I got here in the bubble , ” Bol told reporters after the first exhibition game .
“ I was just trying not to be nervous , and then everything would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight players currently available in the bubble , Nuggets coach Michael Malone has opted for an ultra-tall lineup , featuring three seven-footers on the floor at once .
It has allowed Bol to flash what made him such a salivating prospect , consistently hitting threes , slashing and finishing at the rim and altering opponents ’ shots all over the court .
“ I can ’ t teach 7- [ foot ] -2 .
I can ’ t teach a 7- [ foot ] -9 wingspan , and I sure as hell can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the way out to the NBA 3-points line , ” Malone told reporters after the first exhibition game .
“ So , he ’ s only going to get better as he gets stronger.
” Although he has received ample playing time in Denver ’ s warm-up games , the team expects to recoup many of the players that have brought them to the No .
3 seed in the Western Conference ahead of the seeding games that start this weekend .
Malone told reporters he does not foresee the big-man-lineup to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meaning Bol will be pushed down in the rotation behind Nikola Jockic , Mason Plumlee and Paul Millsap .
Michael Porter Jr. ’ s return will also likely cut into Bol ’ s minutes .
Still , Bol could be a versatile and dangerous weapon off the bench at Malone ’ s disposal as the team looks ahead at another playoff run .

Bol Bol had to wait over a year to make his first appearance for the Denver Nuggets. He’s wasted no time in showing what he’s capable of.
In his NBA debut, the 7-foot-2 rookie filled up the stat sheet, recording 16 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks in an 89-82 exhibition win over the Washington Wizards. He followed that up with 15 points, three rebounds and two blocks in a 119-104 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Coming out of high school, Bol was ranked No. 4 in ESPN’s recruiting rankings, behind Duke trio RJ Barrett, Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish.
Bol Bol, the son of former NBA center Manute Bol, was expected to be a one-and-done with Oregon before becoming a lottery pick. Left foot surgery derailed his collegiate career, however, and he was limited to just nine games. He averaged 21 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in his brief time with the Ducks.
The surgery, and lingering questions about his work ethic, caused Bol to freefall in the 2019 NBA Draft. The Nuggets scooped him up with the 44th pick, but he was sidelined for the entirety of his rookie campaign until the league went on pause because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, 13 months after his nightmare draft night, Bol is finally showing what made him a top prospect.
“I’ve been working really hard, especially since I got here in the bubble,” Bol told reporters after the first exhibition game. “I was just trying not to be nervous, and then everything would just come to me.”
With just eight players currently available in the bubble, Nuggets coach Michael Malone has opted for an ultra-tall lineup, featuring three seven-footers on the floor at once. It has allowed Bol to flash what made him such a salivating prospect, consistently hitting threes, slashing and finishing at the rim and altering opponents’ shots all over the court.
“I can’t teach 7-[foot]-2. I can’t teach a 7-[foot]-9 wingspan, and I sure as hell can’t teach a really soft touch all the way out to the NBA 3-points line,” Malone told reporters after the first exhibition game. “So, he’s only going to get better as he gets stronger.”
Although he has received ample playing time in Denver’s warm-up games, the team expects to recoup many of the players that have brought them to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference ahead of the seeding games that start this weekend.
Malone told reporters he does not foresee the big-man-lineup to be used in real games, likely meaning Bol will be pushed down in the rotation behind Nikola Jockic, Mason Plumlee and Paul Millsap. Michael Porter Jr.’s return will also likely cut into Bol’s minutes.
Still, Bol could be a versatile and dangerous weapon off the bench at Malone’s disposal as the team looks ahead at another playoff run.


newyorkpost--2020-07-29--Joe Biden spotted with Kamala Harris talking points as VP speculation mounts

Biden , 77 , also promised that his administration will `` look like ...

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden was photographed holding notes with talking points on Sen. Kamala Harris as speculation mounts that the former 2020 contender is the frontrunner for the VP slot.
The notes were spotted Tuesday during the former vice president’s midday press conference in Wilmington, Delaware. They were written on Joseph R. Biden, Jr. stationery and covered five topics, the top one being Harris (D-Calif.).
Under Harris’ name, five talking points were listed on the stationery, including, “Do not hold grudges,” “Campaigned with me & Jill [Biden],” “Talented,” “Great help to campaign” and “Great respect for her.”
Lower down on the list, under the heading “VP,” Biden’s list reads “highly qualified,” and “diverse group.”
Despite Harris being at the top of Biden’s notes, the former VP was not asked about her during the press conference.
The bullet points were listed for Biden, however, just one day after Politico reported that former Sen. Chris Dodd, a longtime Biden ally on the VP selection committee, had become concerned about Harris as the frontrunner because she felt no remorse over their debate sparring.
Dodd, the outlet reports, recently asked Harris about ambushing Biden during the first Democratic primary debate on the issues of busing and working with segregationists.
“She laughed and said, ‘that’s politics.’ She had no remorse,” Dodd told a longtime Biden donor, who alleged that Dodd was stunned by the response.
In that debate, Harris called Biden out on both of those issues, saying, “I do not believe you are racist, but I also believe, and it is personal — it was hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and careers on the segregation of race in this country.”
Harris continued that, “It is not only that, but you also worked with them to oppose busing,” she added, claiming that she was part of the second class to integrate her public school in California growing up and was bused to school.
Her “that little girl was me” line brought her campaign a much needed polling and financial boost at the time, and the team even began selling t-shirts with the line on it and a young picture of the senator.
Biden’s bullet-point about not holding grudges likely relates to that debate encounter.
Adding further speculation to the mix, Politico mistakenly published that Biden had already chosen Harris as his running mate.
In their “running-mate rundown,” the outlet wrote that, “Joe Biden chose Kamala Harris to become his running mate for the 2020 election on Aug. 1, two weeks before the Democratic National Convention, after keeping his choice close to the chest for months.”
The Politico report even included a quote attributed to Biden, saying, “In his announcement, Biden called Harris ‘a worthy opponent and a worthy running mate,’ alluding to the pair’s rivalry during the earlier stages of the Democratic primary. She will bring her experience as a prosecutor, household name recognition, and skill as a debater to the ticket.”
Since then, the outlet has taken down the content, saying that the incident happened when, “Placeholder text was mistakenly published to the site.”
Asked about Harris possibly being Biden’s pick while departing the White House Wednesday, President Trump held back criticism of his potential rival.
“I think she’d be a fine choice, Kamala Harris,” the commander-in-chief told reporters without elaborating.
Since dropping out of the race late last year, the relationship between Harris and Biden has softened.
While the California senator has repeatedly declined to publicly discuss being considered for the VP job, she has certainly worked to stay in Biden’s favor.
Along with hosting numerous fundraisers for the former vice president, Harris has also gone to bat for the Biden family in the Senate.
In her capacity as a member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, she wrote to Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) in mid-May, asking him to shift his focus away from an investigation into Biden’s son Hunter Biden and corruption allegations regarding Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings.
On a more personal note, Harris and Biden have shared a common bond through his late son Beau Biden. Harris worked with the younger Biden during her tenure as California attorney general.
Beau Biden was serving in the same position for the state of Delaware at the time.
The presumptive Democratic nominee has said that he expects to announce his vice presidential pick in the first week of August.
The Biden campaign declined to respond to The Post’s request for comment.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-07-29--Has Ellen DeGeneres been deserted by A-list pals amid show investigation?

She is ranked alongside “ most admired ” women such as Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey — and her multi-million-dollar brand is built on the phrase “ be kind.
” But an internal investigation into Ellen DeGeneres ’ popular daytime talk show has now left a question mark over her reputation .
Distributor WarnerMedia has launched a probe following accusations from current and former staffers on the show — which is shown weekdays on ITV2 — of bullying and racism on the “ toxic ” set .
Rumors of Ellen ’ s years of demanding ways culminated with ex-staff members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company to investigate .
The findings could embarrass chat show queen Ellen , who was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom — America ’ s highest civilian honor — in 2016 by then President Obama .
Even though she has been surrounded by A-listers for years , none of them have been quick to come to her aid .
A source told The Sun : “ Ellen has gained a reputation as a friend to the stars , but A-listers would have to take great risks to publicly defend the show.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s going on ’ “ The explosion of the # MeToo movement has really shone a light on workplace conduct in Holly- wood .
Studios are under pressure to change the culture , ” the source said .
Ellen , 62 , has won legions of fans globally for her comedy routines and chummy interviews with the world ’ s biggest stars .
Her list of powerful pals includes Jennifer Aniston , Lady Gaga , Justin Timberlake and fellow chat show megastar Oprah .
Ellen was also at the front of the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brad Pitt , Angelina Jolie , Julia Roberts and Bradley Cooper when she hosted the Academy Awards in 2014 .
Some fans looked at the photo in a different light in May after her ex-bodyguard Tom Majercak said she had treated him in a “ demeaning ” way at the ceremony .
Ellen has even managed to befriend Meghan Markle and Prince Harry — detailing last year how she had got to hold baby Archie on a trip to the UK .
But her reputation took a knock in March when a series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kevin T Porter branded her “ notoriously one of the meanest people alive ” on Twitter and appealed for “ insane stories ” about her .
The responses included an allegation from TV writer Benjamin Siemon that “ she has a ‘ sensitive nose ’ , so everyone must chew gum from a bowl outside her office before talking to her , and if she thinks you smell you have to go home and shower ” .
The New York Post then reported that Ellen had once called Apple boss Steve Jobs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ iPhone was too small .
One current and ten former employees on “ The Ellen DeGeneres Show ” — all of whom asked to remain anonymous — continued to complain of her behavior on the program .
A black woman who used to work there said when she was hired , a senior producer told her and another black employee : “ Oh wow , you both have box braids .
I hope we don ’ t get you confused.
” At the end of each episode of her chat show , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asks the audience and those at home to “ be kind ” to one another .
The mantra has spawned a line of Be Kind products which fans can buy , including a subscription box , hat and wine tote .
One former employee said : “ That ‘ be kind ’ bulls–t only happens when the cameras are on .
It ’ s all for show.
” Others say they were instructed by managers to not speak to Ellen if they saw her .
Most blamed exec producers and senior managers but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibility ” for the workplace environment .
One added : “ If she wants to have her own show and have her name on the show title , she needs to be more involved to see what ’ s going on .
I think the executive producers surround her and tell her , ‘ Things are going great , everybody ’ s happy ’ , and she just believes that , but it ’ s her responsibility to go beyond that.
” Another ex-employee said they took medical leave for a month to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a suicide attempt .
But when they returned to work , they were told their position was being axed .
They said : “ You ’ d think that if someone just tried to kill themselves you don ’ t want to add any more stress to their lives.
” Another former employee said they were fired after taking time off on medical leave following a car accident and time away for family members ’ funerals .
The fourth person to speak out said they were given a warning for creating a GoFundMe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that weren ’ t covered by their company health insurance .
Just 24 hours after launching it , they said they were told to take it down because of concerns it might hurt Ellen ’ s image .
In April , Ellen tweeted a video likening self-isolating in her $ 20 million Beverly Hills mansion to prison .
She joked : “ This is like being in jail .
It ’ s mostly because I ’ ve been wearing the same clothes for ten days , and everyone in here is gay.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic has put the lives of so many prisoners at risk .
Then more than 30 of her crew alleged that they had received no written communication about their working hours or pay for more than a month .
Ellen first forged her career as a stand-up comedian in the 1980s before finding mainstream success on US TV .
In her hit ’ 90s sitcom “ Ellen ” she played a neurotic bookstore — owner to huge acclaim .
Now married to 47-year-old “ Arrested Development ” actress Portia de Rossi , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Show ” in 1997 .
Ellen ’ s sitcom character also revealed she was a lesbian to her therapist , played by Oprah , in an episode which was a landmark moment for TV in the US .
The show was controversially axed in 1998 following claims that Walt Disney — owner of the US TV channel ABC — was uncomfortable with the show ’ s subject matter now the main character was gay .
Five years later she launched The Ellen DeGeneres Show , which features informal chats with top celebrities — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her Twelve Days Of Giveaways promotion , audience members receive $ 2,300 worth of prizes on each of 21 episodes .
In the third series , Ellen began surprising fans by introducing them to their favorite celebrities .
The show has received 61 daytime Emmy awards .
In a joint statement , executive producers Ed Glavin , Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner said they take the stories of the employees “ very seriously.
” They added : “ Over the course of nearly two decades , 3,000 episodes , and employing over 1,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create an open , safe and inclusive work environment .
We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience .
It ’ s not who we are and not who we strive to be and not the mission Ellen has set for us.
”  Executives from show producer Telepictures and Warner Bros Television sent a memo to staffers last week stating WarnerMedia had started a probe .
Current and former staffers are set to be interviewed .
Ellen has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrounding her show .
Will the probe clear her name or bring more allegations to light ?
Only time will tell .

She is ranked alongside “most admired” women such as Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey — and her multi-million-dollar brand is built on the phrase “be kind.”
But an internal investigation into Ellen DeGeneres’ popular daytime talk show has now left a question mark over her reputation.
Distributor WarnerMedia has launched a probe following accusations from current and former staffers on the show — which is shown weekdays on ITV2 — of bullying and racism on the “toxic” set.
Rumors of Ellen’s years of demanding ways culminated with ex-staff members swapping stories on Twitter, eventually pushing the company to investigate.
The findings could embarrass chat show queen Ellen, who was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom — America’s highest civilian honor — in 2016 by then President Obama.
Even though she has been surrounded by A-listers for years, none of them have been quick to come to her aid.
A source told The Sun: “Ellen has gained a reputation as a friend to the stars, but A-listers would have to take great risks to publicly defend the show.”
‘Ellen needs to see what’s going on’
“The explosion of the #MeToo movement has really shone a light on workplace conduct in Holly- wood. Studios are under pressure to change the culture,” the source said.
Ellen, 62, has won legions of fans globally for her comedy routines and chummy interviews with the world’s biggest stars. Her list of powerful pals includes Jennifer Aniston, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake and fellow chat show megastar Oprah.
Ellen was also at the front of the “Oscars selfie” with Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts and Bradley Cooper when she hosted the Academy Awards in 2014.
Some fans looked at the photo in a different light in May after her ex-bodyguard Tom Majercak said she had treated him in a “demeaning” way at the ceremony.
Ellen has even managed to befriend Meghan Markle and Prince Harry — detailing last year how she had got to hold baby Archie on a trip to the UK.
But her reputation took a knock in March when a series of negative stories were unleashed. Comedian Kevin T Porter branded her “notoriously one of the meanest people alive” on Twitter and appealed for “insane stories” about her.
The responses included an allegation from TV writer Benjamin Siemon that “she has a ‘sensitive nose’, so everyone must chew gum from a bowl outside her office before talking to her, and if she thinks you smell you have to go home and shower”.
The New York Post then reported that Ellen had once called Apple boss Steve Jobs to complain that the font size on her iPhone was too small.
Reputation knocked
One current and ten former employees on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” — all of whom asked to remain anonymous — continued to complain of her behavior on the program.
A black woman who used to work there said when she was hired, a senior producer told her and another black employee: “Oh wow, you both have box braids. I hope we don’t get you confused.”
At the end of each episode of her chat show, which has been running since 2003, Ellen asks the audience and those at home to “be kind” to one another.
The mantra has spawned a line of Be Kind products which fans can buy, including a subscription box, hat and wine tote. One former employee said: “That ‘be kind’ bulls–t only happens when the cameras are on. It’s all for show.”
Others say they were instructed by managers to not speak to Ellen if they saw her. Most blamed exec producers and senior managers but argued Ellen needed to “take more responsibility” for the workplace environment.
One added: “If she wants to have her own show and have her name on the show title, she needs to be more involved to see what’s going on. I think the executive producers surround her and tell her, ‘Things are going great, everybody’s happy’, and she just believes that, but it’s her responsibility to go beyond that.”
Another ex-employee said they took medical leave for a month to check into a mental health facility following a suicide attempt.
But when they returned to work, they were told their position was being axed. They said: “You’d think that if someone just tried to kill themselves you don’t want to add any more stress to their lives.”
Another former employee said they were fired after taking time off on medical leave following a car accident and time away for family members’ funerals. The fourth person to speak out said they were given a warning for creating a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for medical costs that weren’t covered by their company health insurance.
Just 24 hours after launching it, they said they were told to take it down because of concerns it might hurt Ellen’s image.
In April, Ellen tweeted a video likening self-isolating in her $20 million Beverly Hills mansion to prison. She joked: “This is like being in jail. It’s mostly because I’ve been wearing the same clothes for ten days, and everyone in here is gay.”
Her public were not amused as the pandemic has put the lives of so many prisoners at risk.
Then more than 30 of her crew alleged that they had received no written communication about their working hours or pay for more than a month.
Ellen first forged her career as a stand-up comedian in the 1980s before finding mainstream success on US TV.
In her hit ’90s sitcom “Ellen” she played a neurotic bookstore — owner to huge acclaim. Now married to 47-year-old “Arrested Development” actress Portia de Rossi, she came out on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 1997.
‘Workers’ stories taken very seriously’
Ellen’s sitcom character also revealed she was a lesbian to her therapist, played by Oprah, in an episode which was a landmark moment for TV in the US.
The show was controversially axed in 1998 following claims that Walt Disney — owner of the US TV channel ABC — was uncomfortable with the show’s subject matter now the main character was gay.
Five years later she launched The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which features informal chats with top celebrities — as well as huge gifts. During her Twelve Days Of Giveaways promotion, audience members receive $2,300 worth of prizes on each of 21 episodes.
In the third series, Ellen began surprising fans by introducing them to their favorite celebrities. The show has received 61 daytime Emmy awards.
In a joint statement, executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner said they take the stories of the employees “very seriously.”
They added: “Over the course of nearly two decades, 3,000 episodes, and employing over 1,000 staff members, we have strived to create an open, safe and inclusive work environment. We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience. It’s not who we are and not who we strive to be and not the mission Ellen has set for us.”
Executives from show producer Telepictures and Warner Bros Television sent a memo to staffers last week stating WarnerMedia had started a probe. Current and former staffers are set to be interviewed. Ellen has not publicly addressed the bullying or racism allegations surrounding her show.
Will the probe clear her name or bring more allegations to light? Only time will tell.


newyorkpost--2020-07-29--Man busted in connection to two fatal shootings in Brooklyn

Chris Marckres , of Hyde Park , leaped out of a plane ...

A man has been busted in connection to two fatal Brooklyn shootings earlier this month — one that he claimed he was paid to commit, cops and police sources said Wednesday.
Cops took Hason Rink, 41, into custody around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, police said.
Rink was nabbed in the confines of the 73rd Precinct, which covers Brownsville, where one of the fatal shootings took place.
Deondraye Moore, 20, was blasted in the head the evening of July 2 on New Lots Avenue near Mother Gaston Boulevard, cops said.
As Rink was questioned by cops, he claimed that he was hired by someone to kill Moore, but wouldn’t say who put him up to the deadly task, police sources said.
A 36-year-old woman was also hurt in that shooting, according to cops.
Disturbing surveillance video tweeted by NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison at the time shows the gunman walking up to the victim, pointing a weapon at his head and firing as others pass on the street.
During the questioning, Rink also admitted to another slaying that happened three weeks later, according to the sources.
Rink allegedly gunned down Ancil Blackman, 39, around 5:30 p.m. in front of the Miller Evangelical Christian Union Church on President Street, near the corner of Rogers Avenue, in Crown Heights.
Blackman was found unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the face.
Rink told cops he did it because the victim had been talking to his girlfriend, the sources said.
Rink has been charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon in connection to each case, according to police. He also faces an attempted murder charge for the first case.
Eyewitness accounts helped investigators track down Rink, and they were also aided by the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, cops said.
Rink has three prior arrests, the most recent in 2006 for an unspecified US code violation.
He was also arrested in 1993 for robbery and 2005 for marijuana possession.
He was busted amid a recent spate in citywide gunplay.


newyorkpost--2020-07-29--William Sadler Relished The Opportunity To Sink His Teeth Into A “Really Meaty” Role In ‘The Histori

William Sadler Relished The Opportunity To Sink His Teeth Into A “Really Meaty” Role In ‘The Historian’

William Sadler got his start in the theater and spent many a year treading the boards in New York City – including a stint alongside Matthew Broderick in the original Broadway cast of Neil Simon ’ s Biloxi Blues – before making the move to Los Angeles and starting a full-time career in television and film .
These days , Sadler has cemented his reputation as a character actor to such a degree that he ’ s rarely without work , and when he did a round of press to talk up his film The Historian , which is currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chance to chat with him .
During the conversation , Sadler discussed how he found his way into the project and how rare it is get an opportunity to play such a complicated character , but he also took time to tell some tales about past projects , including The Shawshank Redemption , and to talk about how excited he was to reprise his role as the Grim Reaper in the soon-to-arrive Bill and Ted Face the Music .
DECIDER : I had the opportunity to watch The Historian before hopping on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really enjoyed it .
How ’ d you find your way into it ?
Did Miles [ Doleac , the film ’ s writer , director , and leading man ] present it to you ?
WILLIAM SADLER : I believe the way it worked was that Miles got the script and the offer to my agent , my agent got them to me , and when I read the script , I thought this was a complex character .
He was an interesting man at the end of his career as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found it fascinating , because it was dealing with the decline in his own power , his ability to keep his arms around his career , he wasn ’ t being published anymore… And here comes this young professor who ’ s challenging him !
And it becomes…not just professional .
It ’ s also for the attention of Jillian Taylor .
And he ’ s taking care of his father , who ’ s got Alzheimer ’ s and who ’ s getting worse and worse .
So I just found it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interesting story .
It ’ s a very relatable one , too , even just taken in terms of getting older and aging .
Exactly !
And there aren ’ t an awful lot of films written on that topic , with characters like that .
Or I hadn ’ t seen any .
I get asked to play a lot of heavies and bad guys .
[ Laughs . ]
But I just thought this was a really meaty role .
Although he is kind of the heavy in the department .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the movie .
But there ’ s so much more going on in dealing with his aging father and his own inability to hold onto the career he once had , the power he once had .
That letting go and stepping gracefully aside thing… He ’ s grappling with that .
[ Laughs . ]
I just found that all fascinating and challenging as an actor .
Did you have any professor who – even superficially – resembled your character , Dr. Hadley ?
What , in the theater departments I went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were professors who were wrestling with their own issues like that .
But back when I was in the theater departments , I was much too self-absorbed .
[ Laughs . ]
I was focusing a lot of myself and my own career .
I know , I know… [ Laughs . ]
But this character , Hadley… He was at one time at the top of his profession .
He was a published authority , revered and feared .
And little by little , that all gets stripped away as this young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s also a love triangle .
Or maybe it ’ s a lust triangle !
But I found him a complicated character .
And that was really interesting to me as an actor .
So I said , “ Yes !
” Also , Miles produced it , directed it , wrote it , and starred in it , which is extraordinary .
That ’ s an Orson Welles feat !
I was going to ask if he was successful in terms of keeping all his plates spinning simultaneously .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m not sure how you pull all those off and do it well .
But he started with a good story , and I liked the story so much that I got drawn into the project .
And it wasn ’ t done for a great deal of money , either .
It was a really quick shooting schedule .
And John Cullum was cast to play my father , and I had lots of scenes with John .
That was just wonderful fun .
When I got to New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of my career doing theater .
So I had done a lot of Broadway , and I spent a year and a half in Biloxi Blues .
So John and I , our paths crossed quite a bit .
I hadn ’ t thought about that , although I did know that this wasn ’ t the first time he ’ d played your father .
When else did he… Oh , on Roswell !
Of course !
[ Laughs . ]
But , yes , even before that , I ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Broadway .
So to get to do such meaty work on a film with John Cullum was a treat .
Well , I wanted to ask you about some other things in your back catalog , but first and foremost I have to ask about something that ’ s coming up .
I ’ m so psyched that you ’ re back playing the Grim Reaper in Bill and Ted Face the Music .
Oh , me , too !
[ Laughs . ]
Did we wait long enough for that to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to happen eventually .
Everybody wanted it too much .
Yes , but if we ’ d waited much longer , I would ’ ve met the Grim Reaper myself !
Yeah , but maybe he would ’ ve given you an extension because he ’ s been waiting on the sequel , too .
“ Not so fast .
You have work to do.
” [ Laughs . ]
Yeah , they ’ d been talking to me – Ed Solomon and Alex [ Winter ] , mostly – over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a third one had been kicking around for a long time .
And then at some point a couple of years ago , Ed called me and said , “ We ’ re putting together the script .
Are you still interested in playing the Reaper ?
” I…may have answered too quickly .
[ Laughs . ]
But I said , “ Yes , of course !
” It ’ s one of the most fun characters I ’ ve ever played , so of course I said I was interested .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we got together on the set with Alex and Keanu and I , and I was in the makeup and the robe with the scythe , and my Czechoslovakian accent was on… [ Laughs . ]
The minute we all got together again , it was as if no time had passed at all .
It felt like we just picked it up right where we left off !
And that was really wonderful .
The energy was just fantastic .
Did you have to go back and re-watch Bill & Ted ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had the accent down again ?
I did watch it , but not for the accent .
I went back to watch all the little things I had done – the gestures and little touches and things – just to check myself , because I ’ ve been carrying that character around in my hip pocket for a long time .
And by the way , Bogus Journey was just as goofy this time as it was the first time I watched it !
I was just going to say that it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s so goofy that it holds up despite its age .
I guess goofiness is eternal .
[ Laughs . ]
Is that what it is ?
That ’ s my theory , and I ’ m sticking with it .
That ’ s a quote you could put on a t-shirt : “ Goofiness is eternal.
” [ Laughs . ]
But I really enjoyed playing that character , and once I put on the robes and the makeup , he just sort of bubbles along in his own world .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And almost everything he does is silly because of that accent , which helps immeasurably .
I actually played the Grim Reaper once before Bogus Journey .
It was on a TV show called Assaulted Nuts .
There was this one scene where I was the Grim Reaper coming to take…Elaine Hausman , I think .
And I started doing this accent that I ’ d heard from an actor who I ’ d worked with onstage namedJan Tříska .
That ’ s how I know it ’ s a Czechoslovakian accent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I just lifted it directly from him .
We did a play together called New Jerusalem at the Public Theater , and I just thought , “ Yeah , that ’ s what Death should sound like : vaguely European and kinda silly.
” I reached out to the readers to see what projects they might want me to ask about , and a couple of people pitched your short-lived series Private Eye .
Private Eye was the series that got me moved out to Los Angeles .
My wife and I lived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In fact , we met there , in ’ 76 : I was living on 7th Street between 1st and 2nd , and she was on 5th between 2nd and 3rd , and I was doing Shakespeare in the Park at the time .
But I came out to Hollywood and did a movie called Project X , with Matthew Broderick , and then after that I went back to New York and the East Village because we had a new baby , one who was born while we were filming it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was offered this role on a series from Universal .
And I had never done a series before of any kind , but it was Josh Brolin and Michael Woods .
What it meant , though , was that I would have to relocate to Los Angeles .
And I didn ’ t really want to , so I kept saying “ no.
” But the money kept getting better !
Every time I said “ no , ” they ’ d double the money…and I ’ d spent so many years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we had a new baby !
[ Laughs . ]
So we picked up and moved .
And , of course , it didn ’ t last long – twelve episodes or something like that , less than a full season – but by that time , there we were in Los Angeles .
And at least we ended up with a house in Venice and two beat-up used cars so we could get around .
I was auditioning for everything in sight , looking for the next gig !
But they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say .
I thought the writing was great , and the look of the thing… It was this film-noir sort of 1950s period detective thing .
It had lots of potential .
But what it also did for me was… It gave me a chance to learn how to work in front of a camera .
Because it ’ s episodic , every week you get another script and you ’ re back at it again .
It ’ s a great acting school for making that adjustment .
Having done years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was pretty good at part of the acting skills , but working for a camera is a different animal .
It sort of requires different stuff .
And Private Eye was very useful for that .
Another reader wanted me to ask about the experience of making Trespass , with Ice Cube and Ice-T .
I had just done the very first episode of Tales from the Crypt for HBO , which Walter Hill directed , so when the time came for him to do this movie about these two guys who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end up in a place they should never be… You know , it was based on The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , but the original title of the movie was Looters .
That was also relatively early on in my career , and it was fantastic .
Bill Paxton… He already had a bit of a career going in movies , but it was a big deal for me , and it was great fun to work with Walter again .
We ’ ve sort of remained friends over the years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinking when I was shooting it… You know , they ’ re trapped in this building , they ’ re all blasting away at each other , and they have one pistol and 21 bullets , facing an army of guys who ’ ve got truckloads of weaponry .
They had a special effects guy on the movie who had an air rifle , and he would fire zirconium balls and dust hits , and he would chase you across the room with these hits .
On camera they looked like bullets hitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hiding behind .
The whole process was still new and fascinating to me , and I loved it .
It was very athletic – it ’ s all diving through doors and whatnot – but it occurred to me that I had spent my whole childhood on the farm diving out of a hayloft with a BB gun and coming up shooting .
[ Laughs . ]
My friend from down the road , John Messer , and I used to improvise the enormously long dramas in my barn with our BB guns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germans or had to fight our way out of somewhere .
So I sort of felt like I spent my whole childhood rehearsing for that movie !
Diving through a doorway because someone ’ s shooting at you… It came really natural .
It was all I could do to not make the sound of bullets with my mouth !
It ’ s still amazing to me that that movie was written by the same guys who wrote Back to the Future ( Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale ) .
Yeah !
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem because the L.A .
Riots happened just as we were about to release it , so they changed it from Looters to Trespass .
I think they were really at a loss to know what to do .
I think they thought if they put it out with the title Looters , nobody would show up .
I found an L.A. Times article where Walter said , “ Psychologically , changing the name was more devastating than moving the movie because it was like changing the name of one of your children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the title Looters , I had to see ( Universal ’ s ) point.
” [ Laughs . ]
And didn ’ t Ice-T come out with an album called Cop Killer right around the same time ?
So we were gon na have trouble with that title , I think !
But it was great fun to do .
Working on any film , in front of a camera , that I would still learn something else new from Walter , or from Bruce Malmuth , who directed Hard to Kill , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Die Hard 2 .
What you can do in front of a camera is extraordinary compared to what you can bring to a stage performance .
If you ’ re doing it for 1100 people on a Broadway stage… Some of it ’ s the same , but most of it , like I said , is just a different animal .
There are always two things I suggest to young actors who ask for advice .
The first is to do some theater , because it ’ s all on the actor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until the moment the curtain goes down .
If the audience is going to experience anything exciting , it ’ s because you and your fellow actors cooked it up fresh that night right in front of their eyes .
On time , no excuses , eight times a week .
You get used to being able to pull it up on demand .
Whenever it ’ s required , you can yank it up and make something happen .
For lots of reasons , theater is a great training ground for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For example , if you just ran out to Los Angeles and tried to get jobs in television and movies , you work one day in March , and then maybe not again until September , when you ’ ll get a walk-on in something else .
It ’ s just not enough time .
You ’ re not practicing your craft the way you need to to get good .
But doing a month of rehearsals and then eight shows a week in front of live audiences , with all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tremendous training ground…and then you have to go learn about doing it front of cameras !
[ Laughs . ]
But that ’ s the first piece of advice I give young actors .
The other piece of advice is that if you land on a TV show and start making money , do something smart with the money .
Invest it , carefully , because the TV show may only last one season…and you ’ d be surprised how long you may have to wait to get onto the next gig !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be remiss if we didn ’ t spend a couple of moments talking about The Shawshank Redemption .
Oh , well , that was one of those experiences that just sort of… [ Chuckles . ]
You know , it ’ s funny , but I don ’ t think any of us realized at the time that we were created something that would not only last but grow in stature over the years .
I think everybody brought their A-game .
It ’ s a great story , but it was an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re sitting around the dining table with James Whitmore and Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman… You could aim the camera at anyone .
I really feel like everybody brought their A-game .
Which is , I think , part of what made it so much fun .
And you obviously enjoyed working with [ director ] Frank Darabont , and vice versa , given that you were also in The Mist , which has maybe the most devastating ending of any film ever .
I ’ d been a parent for just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it just absolutely ruined me .
Oof .
Yeah , and as I understand it – although I was obviously not involved in that decision – that ending was entirely Frank ’ s .
Apparently the studio argued with me…and I can imagine they would !
[ Laughs . ]
That ’ s an awfully dark way to end a movie .
And it ’ s not what Stephen King wrote , either !
But as I understand it , he liked it .
He did .
And I will say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hated it as a parent , as a film fan I thought it was amazing , because it ’ s absolutely not something you expected .
Right !
And what he delivered… Well , like you said , it ’ s devastating !
Well , I know you ’ ve got to run , but I appreciate you taking the time to chat .
Oh , it was my pleasure !
I was happy to do it , because I very much enjoyed filming The Historian .
Like I said , those complicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , so when I got a chance to do it , I really tried to sink my teeth into it !
Will Harris ( @ NonStopPop ) has a longstanding history of doing long-form interviews with random pop culture figures for the A.V .
Club , Vulture , and a variety of other outlets , including Variety .
He ’ s currently working on a book with David Zucker , Jim Abrahams , and Jerry Zucker .
( And don ’ t call him Shirley . )

William Sadler got his start in the theater and spent many a year treading the boards in New York City – including a stint alongside Matthew Broderick in the original Broadway cast of Neil Simon’s Biloxi Blues – before making the move to Los Angeles and starting a full-time career in television and film. These days, Sadler has cemented his reputation as a character actor to such a degree that he’s rarely without work, and when he did a round of press to talk up his film The Historian, which is currently streaming on Tubi, Decider jumped at the chance to chat with him. During the conversation, Sadler discussed how he found his way into the project and how rare it is get an opportunity to play such a complicated character, but he also took time to tell some tales about past projects, including The Shawshank Redemption, and to talk about how excited he was to reprise his role as the Grim Reaper in the soon-to-arrive Bill and Ted Face the Music.
DECIDER: I had the opportunity to watch The Historian before hopping on the phone with you, and I really enjoyed it. How’d you find your way into it? Did Miles [Doleac, the film’s writer, director, and leading man] present it to you?
WILLIAM SADLER: I believe the way it worked was that Miles got the script and the offer to my agent, my agent got them to me, and when I read the script, I thought this was a complex character. He was an interesting man at the end of his career as the head of this history department. I found it fascinating, because it was dealing with the decline in his own power, his ability to keep his arms around his career, he wasn’t being published anymore… And here comes this young professor who’s challenging him! And it becomes…not just professional. It’s also for the attention of Jillian Taylor. And he’s taking care of his father, who’s got Alzheimer’s and who’s getting worse and worse. So I just found it to be a fascinating character and an interesting story.
It’s a very relatable one, too, even just taken in terms of getting older and aging.
Exactly! And there aren’t an awful lot of films written on that topic, with characters like that. Or I hadn’t seen any. I get asked to play a lot of heavies and bad guys. [Laughs.] But I just thought this was a really meaty role. Although he is kind of the heavy in the department. And he’s the antagonist in the movie. But there’s so much more going on in dealing with his aging father and his own inability to hold onto the career he once had, the power he once had. That letting go and stepping gracefully aside thing… He’s grappling with that. [Laughs.] I just found that all fascinating and challenging as an actor.
Did you have any professor who – even superficially – resembled your character, Dr. Hadley?
What, in the theater departments I went through? I’m sure there were professors who were wrestling with their own issues like that. But back when I was in the theater departments, I was much too self-absorbed. [Laughs.] I was focusing a lot of myself and my own career.
That’s unheard of with college students!
I know, I know… [Laughs.] But this character, Hadley… He was at one time at the top of his profession. He was a published authority, revered and feared. And little by little, that all gets stripped away as this young dude shows up. And I guess there’s also a love triangle. Or maybe it’s a lust triangle! But I found him a complicated character. And that was really interesting to me as an actor. So I said, “Yes!” Also, Miles produced it, directed it, wrote it, and starred in it, which is extraordinary. That’s an Orson Welles feat!
I was going to ask if he was successful in terms of keeping all his plates spinning simultaneously.
I thought he did a terrific job. I’m not sure how you pull all those off and do it well. But he started with a good story, and I liked the story so much that I got drawn into the project. And it wasn’t done for a great deal of money, either. It was a really quick shooting schedule. And John Cullum was cast to play my father, and I had lots of scenes with John. That was just wonderful fun. When I got to New York, I spent the first eleven years of my career doing theater. So I had done a lot of Broadway, and I spent a year and a half in Biloxi Blues. So John and I, our paths crossed quite a bit.
I hadn’t thought about that, although I did know that this wasn’t the first time he’d played your father.
When else did he… Oh, on Roswell! Of course! [Laughs.] But, yes, even before that, I’d seen him in lots of plays on Broadway. So to get to do such meaty work on a film with John Cullum was a treat.
Well, I wanted to ask you about some other things in your back catalog, but first and foremost I have to ask about something that’s coming up. I’m so psyched that you’re back playing the Grim Reaper in Bill and Ted Face the Music.
Oh, me, too! [Laughs.] Did we wait long enough for that to come around?
I felt like it just had to happen eventually. Everybody wanted it too much.
Yes, but if we’d waited much longer, I would’ve met the Grim Reaper myself!
Yeah, but maybe he would’ve given you an extension because he’s been waiting on the sequel, too.
“Not so fast. You have work to do.” [Laughs.]
Yeah, they’d been talking to me – Ed Solomon and Alex [Winter], mostly – over the years, and the idea of doing a third one had been kicking around for a long time. And then at some point a couple of years ago, Ed called me and said, “We’re putting together the script. Are you still interested in playing the Reaper?” I…may have answered too quickly. [Laughs.] But I said, “Yes, of course!” It’s one of the most fun characters I’ve ever played, so of course I said I was interested.
And to be absolutely frank, when we got together on the set with Alex and Keanu and I, and I was in the makeup and the robe with the scythe, and my Czechoslovakian accent was on… [Laughs.] The minute we all got together again, it was as if no time had passed at all. It felt like we just picked it up right where we left off! And that was really wonderful. The energy was just fantastic.
Did you have to go back and re-watch Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey to make sure you had the accent down again?
I did watch it, but not for the accent. I went back to watch all the little things I had done – the gestures and little touches and things – just to check myself, because I’ve been carrying that character around in my hip pocket for a long time. And by the way, Bogus Journey was just as goofy this time as it was the first time I watched it!
I was just going to say that it’s one of those films that’s so goofy that it holds up despite its age. I guess goofiness is eternal.
[Laughs.] Is that what it is?
That’s my theory, and I’m sticking with it.
That’s a quote you could put on a t-shirt: “Goofiness is eternal.” [Laughs.] But I really enjoyed playing that character, and once I put on the robes and the makeup, he just sort of bubbles along in his own world. He takes on a life of his own. And almost everything he does is silly because of that accent, which helps immeasurably.
I actually played the Grim Reaper once before Bogus Journey. It was on a TV show called Assaulted Nuts. There was this one scene where I was the Grim Reaper coming to take…Elaine Hausman, I think. And I started doing this accent that I’d heard from an actor who I’d worked with onstage namedJan Tříska. That’s how I know it’s a Czechoslovakian accent: because he was Czechoslovakian, and I just lifted it directly from him. We did a play together called New Jerusalem at the Public Theater, and I just thought, “Yeah, that’s what Death should sound like: vaguely European and kinda silly.”
I reached out to the readers to see what projects they might want me to ask about, and a couple of people pitched your short-lived series Private Eye.
Private Eye was the series that got me moved out to Los Angeles. My wife and I lived in the East Village in New York. In fact, we met there, in ’76: I was living on 7th Street between 1st and 2nd, and she was on 5th between 2nd and 3rd, and I was doing Shakespeare in the Park at the time. But I came out to Hollywood and did a movie called Project X, with Matthew Broderick, and then after that I went back to New York and the East Village because we had a new baby, one who was born while we were filming it! But almost immediately after that, I was offered this role on a series from Universal. And I had never done a series before of any kind, but it was Josh Brolin and Michael Woods. What it meant, though, was that I would have to relocate to Los Angeles. And I didn’t really want to, so I kept saying “no.” But the money kept getting better! Every time I said “no,” they’d double the money…and I’d spent so many years doing theater for no money…I mean, we had a new baby! [Laughs.] So we picked up and moved.
And, of course, it didn’t last long – twelve episodes or something like that, less than a full season – but by that time, there we were in Los Angeles. And at least we ended up with a house in Venice and two beat-up used cars so we could get around. I was auditioning for everything in sight, looking for the next gig! But they were really wonderful to me, I have to say. I thought the writing was great, and the look of the thing… It was this film-noir sort of 1950s period detective thing. It had lots of potential. But what it also did for me was… It gave me a chance to learn how to work in front of a camera. Because it’s episodic, every week you get another script and you’re back at it again. It’s a great acting school for making that adjustment. Having done years and years and years of theater, I was pretty good at part of the acting skills, but working for a camera is a different animal. It sort of requires different stuff. And Private Eye was very useful for that.
Another reader wanted me to ask about the experience of making Trespass, with Ice Cube and Ice-T.
I had just done the very first episode of Tales from the Crypt for HBO, which Walter Hill directed, so when the time came for him to do this movie about these two guys who go off on a treasure hunt and end up in a place they should never be… You know, it was based on The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, but the original title of the movie was Looters. That was also relatively early on in my career, and it was fantastic. Bill Paxton… He already had a bit of a career going in movies, but it was a big deal for me, and it was great fun to work with Walter again. We’ve sort of remained friends over the years. It’s funny, I remember thinking when I was shooting it… You know, they’re trapped in this building, they’re all blasting away at each other, and they have one pistol and 21 bullets, facing an army of guys who’ve got truckloads of weaponry. They had a special effects guy on the movie who had an air rifle, and he would fire zirconium balls and dust hits, and he would chase you across the room with these hits. On camera they looked like bullets hitting the beam or the table you were hiding behind. The whole process was still new and fascinating to me, and I loved it.
It was very athletic – it’s all diving through doors and whatnot – but it occurred to me that I had spent my whole childhood on the farm diving out of a hayloft with a BB gun and coming up shooting. [Laughs.] My friend from down the road, John Messer, and I used to improvise the enormously long dramas in my barn with our BB guns, where we were being chased by Germans or had to fight our way out of somewhere. So I sort of felt like I spent my whole childhood rehearsing for that movie! Diving through a doorway because someone’s shooting at you… It came really natural. It was all I could do to not make the sound of bullets with my mouth!
It’s still amazing to me that that movie was written by the same guys who wrote Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale).
Yeah! And I guess the original title became a problem because the L.A. Riots happened just as we were about to release it, so they changed it from Looters to Trespass. I think they were really at a loss to know what to do. I think they thought if they put it out with the title Looters, nobody would show up.
I found an L.A. Times article where Walter said, “Psychologically, changing the name was more devastating than moving the movie because it was like changing the name of one of your children. But with the two Ices and the title Looters, I had to see (Universal’s) point.”
[Laughs.] And didn’t Ice-T come out with an album called Cop Killer right around the same time? So we were gonna have trouble with that title, I think! But it was great fun to do. Working on any film, in front of a camera, that I would still learn something else new from Walter, or from Bruce Malmuth, who directed Hard to Kill, or from Renny Harlin when I did Die Hard 2. What you can do in front of a camera is extraordinary compared to what you can bring to a stage performance. If you’re doing it for 1100 people on a Broadway stage… Some of it’s the same, but most of it, like I said, is just a different animal.
There are always two things I suggest to young actors who ask for advice. The first is to do some theater, because it’s all on the actor from the moment the curtain goes up until the moment the curtain goes down. If the audience is going to experience anything exciting, it’s because you and your fellow actors cooked it up fresh that night right in front of their eyes. On time, no excuses, eight times a week. You get used to being able to pull it up on demand. Whenever it’s required, you can yank it up and make something happen. For lots of reasons, theater is a great training ground for a lot of what actors have to do. For example, if you just ran out to Los Angeles and tried to get jobs in television and movies, you work one day in March, and then maybe not again until September, when you’ll get a walk-on in something else. It’s just not enough time. You’re not practicing your craft the way you need to to get good. But doing a month of rehearsals and then eight shows a week in front of live audiences, with all the nerves and other distractions, is a tremendous training ground…and then you have to go learn about doing it front of cameras! [Laughs.] But that’s the first piece of advice I give young actors. The other piece of advice is that if you land on a TV show and start making money, do something smart with the money. Invest it, carefully, because the TV show may only last one season…and you’d be surprised how long you may have to wait to get onto the next gig!
Before we go, I’d be remiss if we didn’t spend a couple of moments talking about The Shawshank Redemption.
Oh, well, that was one of those experiences that just sort of… [Chuckles.] You know, it’s funny, but I don’t think any of us realized at the time that we were created something that would not only last but grow in stature over the years. I think everybody brought their A-game. It’s a great story, but it was an extraordinary experience. You know, you’re sitting around the dining table with James Whitmore and Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman… You could aim the camera at anyone. I really feel like everybody brought their A-game. Which is, I think, part of what made it so much fun.
And you obviously enjoyed working with [director] Frank Darabont, and vice versa, given that you were also in The Mist, which has maybe the most devastating ending of any film ever.
[Cackles.] Y’think?
I’d been a parent for just over two years when I saw it, and it just absolutely ruined me.
Oof. Yeah, and as I understand it – although I was obviously not involved in that decision – that ending was entirely Frank’s. Apparently the studio argued with me…and I can imagine they would! [Laughs.] That’s an awfully dark way to end a movie. And it’s not what Stephen King wrote, either! But as I understand it, he liked it.
He did. And I will say that, even as much as I hated it as a parent, as a film fan I thought it was amazing, because it’s absolutely not something you expected.
Right! And what he delivered… Well, like you said, it’s devastating!
Well, I know you’ve got to run, but I appreciate you taking the time to chat.
Oh, it was my pleasure! I was happy to do it, because I very much enjoyed filming The Historian. Like I said, those complicated characters don’t come along every day, so when I got a chance to do it, I really tried to sink my teeth into it!
Will Harris (@NonStopPop) has a longstanding history of doing long-form interviews with random pop culture figures for the A.V. Club, Vulture, and a variety of other outlets, including Variety. He’s currently working on a book with David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker. (And don’t call him Shirley.)
Watch The Historian on Tubi


newyorkpost--2020-07-29--Vermont farmer finds double amputee skydiver’s lost prosthetic leg

A double amputee skydiver from Vermont has been reunited with a prosthetic leg he lost during a jump – thanks to an eagle-eyed farmer who spotted the limb in his soybean field , according to a report .
Chris Marckres , of Hyde Park , leaped out of a plane Saturday at Vermont Skydiving Adventures in West Addison , but one of his prosthetic legs took a dive of its own , NECN and NBC10 Boston reported .
“ I think my adrenaline was so high and I was just so excited , I didn ’ t realize I had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a phone interview Monday .
He was harnessed to an instructor for the tandem jump and landed safely with his remaining prosthetic leg – but he really wanted to find the other one because a replacement would be very pricey .
So he plunged into an effort to track it down by calling on people in the area on Facebook to keep their eyes out for his leg .
Farmer Joe Marszalkowski noticed the unusual post and discovered the slightly scratched but otherwise undamaged prosthetic on Sunday in the soybean field .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an eye out , ” Marszalkowski said .
“ It was literally a needle in a haystack as far as trying to find it.
” He added : “ I was very grateful to have found it without running it over with a machine this fall during harvest — or , God forbid , the combine sucked it up .
It would ’ ve destroyed it.
” “ I can ’ t thank everybody enough , especially Joe .
We kind of take for granted sometimes how many truly good people there still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Even though Marckres offered a reward , Marszalkowski told NECN and NBC10 Boston that just knowing he helped out a fellow Vermonter was rewarding enough .

A double amputee skydiver from Vermont has been reunited with a prosthetic leg he lost during a jump – thanks to an eagle-eyed farmer who spotted the limb in his soybean field, according to a report.
Chris Marckres, of Hyde Park, leaped out of a plane Saturday at Vermont Skydiving Adventures in West Addison, but one of his prosthetic legs took a dive of its own, NECN and NBC10 Boston reported.
“I think my adrenaline was so high and I was just so excited, I didn’t realize I had lost it,” Marckres said in a phone interview Monday.
He was harnessed to an instructor for the tandem jump and landed safely with his remaining prosthetic leg – but he really wanted to find the other one because a replacement would be very pricey.
So he plunged into an effort to track it down by calling on people in the area on Facebook to keep their eyes out for his leg.
Farmer Joe Marszalkowski noticed the unusual post and discovered the slightly scratched but otherwise undamaged prosthetic on Sunday in the soybean field.
“You’ve always got to keep an eye out,” Marszalkowski said. “It was literally a needle in a haystack as far as trying to find it.”
He added: “I was very grateful to have found it without running it over with a machine this fall during harvest — or, God forbid, the combine sucked it up. It would’ve destroyed it.”
Marckres called the successful search “a positive experience.”
“I can’t thank everybody enough, especially Joe. We kind of take for granted sometimes how many truly good people there still are in the world,” he said.
Even though Marckres offered a reward, Marszalkowski told NECN and NBC10 Boston that just knowing he helped out a fellow Vermonter was rewarding enough.


newyorkpost--2020-07-29--Mark Zuckerberg says Facebook has made Instagram, WhatsApp better

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will defend his company ’ s ownership of Instagram and WhatsApp to congressional lawmakers Wednesday amid calls to break up the powerful platforms .
In prepared testimony to the House Judiciary Committee ’ s antitrust panel , Zuckerberg says Facebook has used its infrastructure to improve Instagram and WhatsApp in ways that benefitted users .
“ These benefits came about as a result of our acquisition of those companies , and would not have happened had we not made those acquisitions , ” says Zuckerberg ’ s testimony , which NBC News earlier reported .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that provide more value to people and advertisers , which is a core goal of Facebook ’ s acquisition strategy.
” For instance , he says , Facebook helped Instagram to control “ runaway spam ” and build the direct-messaging and video services that are key parts of the app today .
Additionally , WhatsApp became free after its merger with Facebook and built voice and video-calling products on Facebook ’ s technology , according to Zuckerberg .
The billionaire social-media tycoon will deliver the testimony at a hotly anticipated congressional hearing examining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will appear along with Google CEO Sundar Pichai , Apple chief Tim Cook and Amazon boss Jeff Bezos .
Some Washington lawmakers have questioned whether Facebook should control three of the world ’ s biggest social media platforms over concerns about competition and privacy .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
cited Facebook as an example of a company that has used mergers to limit competition in her presidential campaign proposal to break up big tech companies .
And Sen. Josh Hawley ( R-Mo . )
pressed Zuckerberg in a meeting last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prove Facebook ’ s commitment to data privacy , the Associated Press reported .
Zuckerberg reportedly told Facebook staffers last year that he would “ go to the mat ” in a fight against Warren ’ s breakup proposal .
Facebook shares rose 0.8 percent in premarket trading to $ 231.97 as of 7:13 a.m. Wednesday after dropping 1.4 percent Tuesday .

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will defend his company’s ownership of Instagram and WhatsApp to congressional lawmakers Wednesday amid calls to break up the powerful platforms.
In prepared testimony to the House Judiciary Committee’s antitrust panel, Zuckerberg says Facebook has used its infrastructure to improve Instagram and WhatsApp in ways that benefitted users.
“These benefits came about as a result of our acquisition of those companies, and would not have happened had we not made those acquisitions,” says Zuckerberg’s testimony, which NBC News earlier reported. “… The end result is better services that provide more value to people and advertisers, which is a core goal of Facebook’s acquisition strategy.”
For instance, he says, Facebook helped Instagram to control “runaway spam” and build the direct-messaging and video services that are key parts of the app today. Additionally, WhatsApp became free after its merger with Facebook and built voice and video-calling products on Facebook’s technology, according to Zuckerberg.
The billionaire social-media tycoon will deliver the testimony at a hotly anticipated congressional hearing examining the power of tech giants. Zuckerberg will appear along with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple chief Tim Cook and Amazon boss Jeff Bezos.
Some Washington lawmakers have questioned whether Facebook should control three of the world’s biggest social media platforms over concerns about competition and privacy.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) cited Facebook as an example of a company that has used mergers to limit competition in her presidential campaign proposal to break up big tech companies. And Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) pressed Zuckerberg in a meeting last year to sell Instagram and WhatsApp to prove Facebook’s commitment to data privacy, the Associated Press reported.
Zuckerberg reportedly told Facebook staffers last year that he would “go to the mat” in a fight against Warren’s breakup proposal.
Facebook shares rose 0.8 percent in premarket trading to $231.97 as of 7:13 a.m. Wednesday after dropping 1.4 percent Tuesday.


newyorkpost--2020-07-29--Ghislaine Maxwell allegedly took photos of topless girls as a ‘hobby’: court docs

When Ghislaine Maxwell was put in charge of running Jeffrey ...

Ghislaine Maxwell allegedly photographed topless girls as a “hobby” — keeping the snaps with sex toys in Jeffrey Epstein’s Florida mansion, according to court documents.
The British socialite “had an album full of photographs of people, young girls, girls,” Epstein’s former butler, Juan Alessi, said in an unsealed 2016 deposition revealed by DailyMail.com.
“And I remember that she had. Like a hobby … It was some girls were topless, taking the sun,” he said, while insisting they did not show “any vaginal or things.”
Alessi, 70, also said that he was given access to cash to pay “probably over 100” girls to massage Epstein and Maxwell — and would find sex toys in the room, which he would wash off, according to the Mail’s docs.
“I would find things like a dildo, it’s called a double,” Alessi said about his time working at Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion from 1990 to 2002, according to the documents.
“But I find these things, put my gloves on, took it out and rinse it, and put it in Ms. Maxwell’s closet,” he reportedly said.
He also saw a “shiny black costume” in Maxwell’s closet that he believed was used for sex, the Mail said.
Alessi insisted he knew they were Maxwell’s sex toys because he knew where “everything was in that house” as part of his duties.
One such toy found in the trash by undercover cops was a purple “Jelly A**l Wand,” according to a police report also obtained by DailyMail.com.
“This device is commonly used as a sexual toy,” A Palm Beach officer wrote in the 2005 report, the site said.
Alessi’s statement was made to lawyers for Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre as part of her 2015 defamation lawsuit against Maxwell for accusing her of lying by saying she was trafficked and abused.
The case was settled in 2017 for an undisclosed sum, but documents were ordered unsealed. More will be unsealed this week, a federal judge has ruled.
Maxwell is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on charges of conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse young women.
Epstein, 66, hanged himself in his Manhattan lockup last August while facing serious sex charges.


newyorkpost--2020-07-29--Tamar Braxton’s new reality TV show postponed after possible overdose

Tamar Braxton ’ s new WeTV reality show has been postponed following the star ’ s recent hospitalization .
The docuseries , “ Tamar Braxton : Get Ya Life !
, ” which was scheduled to premiere on July 30 , has been rescheduled to debut on Sept. 10 .
Braxton was hospitalized on July 16 after being found unconscious at a Los Angeles residence .
“ Tamar Braxton has been an incredibly important member of the WE tv family for more than a decade , and our first concern is for her recovery and well-being .
Given the current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ‘ Tamar Braxton : Get Ya Life !
’ until September 10 .
This series was conceived by Tamar and is a real portrait of a dynamic woman juggling the demands of being a single mother , a new relationship and her career .
We know , when the time is right , Tamar ’ s fans will relate to seeing this honest portrait of her life , but – at this moment – we are joining with her fans and sending strength and healing in the hope that she is getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this difficult time , ” WeTV said in a statement provided to Deadline .
We tv describes the series as “ the most authentic side of Tamar Braxton ever ” with a “ series of shocking revelations and extreme breakthroughs.
” The docuseries follows Braxton ’ s life with her new boyfriend David as she relaunches her music career , navigates co-parenting with her ex and battles the pressure to reconcile and reunite with her family , according to the network ’ s description .
Braxton also stars in WeTV ’ s “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ To Catch a Beautician ” on VH1 .
Below is a sneak peek of “ Get Ya Life !
”

Tamar Braxton’s new WeTV reality show has been postponed following the star’s recent hospitalization.
The docuseries, “Tamar Braxton: Get Ya Life!,” which was scheduled to premiere on July 30, has been rescheduled to debut on Sept. 10.
Braxton was hospitalized on July 16 after being found unconscious at a Los Angeles residence.
“Tamar Braxton has been an incredibly important member of the WE tv family for more than a decade, and our first concern is for her recovery and well-being. Given the current situation, we are postponing the premiere of ‘Tamar Braxton: Get Ya Life!’ until September 10. This series was conceived by Tamar and is a real portrait of a dynamic woman juggling the demands of being a single mother, a new relationship and her career. We know, when the time is right, Tamar’s fans will relate to seeing this honest portrait of her life, but – at this moment – we are joining with her fans and sending strength and healing in the hope that she is getting the support and help she needs at this difficult time,” WeTV said in a statement provided to Deadline.
We tv describes the series as “the most authentic side of Tamar Braxton ever” with a “series of shocking revelations and extreme breakthroughs.” The docuseries follows Braxton’s life with her new boyfriend David as she relaunches her music career, navigates co-parenting with her ex and battles the pressure to reconcile and reunite with her family, according to the network’s description.
Braxton also stars in WeTV’s “Braxton Family Values,” and hosts “To Catch a Beautician” on VH1.
Below is a sneak peek of “Get Ya Life!”


newyorkpost--2020-07-29--Man allegedly decapitated landlord with samurai sword over rent dispute

A man allegedly used a samurai sword to decapitate his Connecticut roommate — a nationally known bridge player — and has refused to talk with investigators about the crime , claiming he is a sovereign citizen , according to a report .
Jerry David Thompson , 42 , of Hartford , had recently moved into a vacant bedroom in the Asylum Avenue home of Victor King , 64 , a Travelers insurance company retiree and professional bridge player , the Hartford Courant reported .
Thompson threatened his landlord with the sword after the two men had a dispute about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the arrest warrant cited by the news outlet .
A day before he was beheaded Sunday , King reported to police that Thompson had waved the blade at him , the Courant reported .
When King ’ s friends could not reach him Sunday , they alerted authorities .
Police and firefighters later forced their way into the house and discovered the grisly , bloody scene .
Police tracked Thompson down and pulled him over in the city ’ s North End , but he refused to say anything to investigators – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paper , “ paper in glove compart in Jeep is all you need , ” according to the report .
In the vehicle ’ s glove compartment , cops found paperwork suggesting that he considered himself a sovereign citizen and not subject to the law .
Thompson , who has previous convictions for assault and robbery , was arraigned Tuesday in Superior Court , where he also remained mum and was ordered held on $ 2 million bail .
King worked in IT at Travelers for more than 20 years , retiring in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the news outlet reported .
“ He was very good at it .
Very good at teaching others to play it .
Just a kind and gentle person whose first love was bridge , ” the victim ’ s cousin Jim Banks told the Courant .
Paul Linxwiler , executive editor of the Bridge Bulletin , a publication of the American Contract Bridge League , described King a Grand Life Master , “ which is our highest rank.
” To achieve that rank , one must have at least 10,000 master points , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to play a lot…and you have to be good , too.
” King had accumulated 15,298.55 master points , said the ACBL ’ s Patsy Edwards .
In 2016 , he won a national championship .
“ He was known as a top player from New England , ” Linxwiler told the paper .
Banks called his cousin “ one of the good guys — one that would never hurt a soul .
One that would always reach out and help others .
He was pleasant as can be .
Always seemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a joy to be around .
”

A man allegedly used a samurai sword to decapitate his Connecticut roommate — a nationally known bridge player — and has refused to talk with investigators about the crime, claiming he is a sovereign citizen, according to a report.
Jerry David Thompson, 42, of Hartford, had recently moved into a vacant bedroom in the Asylum Avenue home of Victor King, 64, a Travelers insurance company retiree and professional bridge player, the Hartford Courant reported.
Thompson threatened his landlord with the sword after the two men had a dispute about the suspect not paying the rent, according to the arrest warrant cited by the news outlet.
A day before he was beheaded Sunday, King reported to police that Thompson had waved the blade at him, the Courant reported.
When King’s friends could not reach him Sunday, they alerted authorities. Police and firefighters later forced their way into the house and discovered the grisly, bloody scene.
Police tracked Thompson down and pulled him over in the city’s North End, but he refused to say anything to investigators – but just scribbled on a piece of paper, “paper in glove compart in Jeep is all you need,” according to the report.
In the vehicle’s glove compartment, cops found paperwork suggesting that he considered himself a sovereign citizen and not subject to the law.
Thompson, who has previous convictions for assault and robbery, was arraigned Tuesday in Superior Court, where he also remained mum and was ordered held on $2 million bail.
King worked in IT at Travelers for more than 20 years, retiring in 2018 to focus on playing bridge, the news outlet reported.
“He was very good at it. Very good at teaching others to play it. Just a kind and gentle person whose first love was bridge,” the victim’s cousin Jim Banks told the Courant.
Paul Linxwiler, executive editor of the Bridge Bulletin, a publication of the American Contract Bridge League, described King a Grand Life Master, “which is our highest rank.”
To achieve that rank, one must have at least 10,000 master points, Linxwiler said, which means “you have to play a lot…and you have to be good, too.”
King had accumulated 15,298.55 master points, said the ACBL’s Patsy Edwards. In 2016, he won a national championship.
“He was known as a top player from New England,” Linxwiler told the paper.
Banks called his cousin “one of the good guys — one that would never hurt a soul. One that would always reach out and help others. He was pleasant as can be. Always seemed to be happy. He was just a joy to be around.”


newyorkpost--2020-07-29--Little girl and her pet sheep are the ‘fairy’ best of friends

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Meet Verity and her “woolly” cute friend, Hugo. The inseparable pair are often found exploring around their family farm in East Hampshire, England. Watch the heart-melting moment they embark on an adventure together to find magical fairies, all while dressed in the sweetest sparkly costumes.
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