Tuesday, December 2, 2025

 
Home Blog Page 73

City Council power play will make or break Mamdani’s mayoralty

0


In January, both ends of City Hall will be under new leadership.

The voters chose Zohran Mamdani as the city’s next chief executive. He will run the mayor’s side of the oldest functioning City Hall in the country.

The members of the City Council, however, will elect a new speaker, who will lead the city’s legislature from the building’s opposite wing.

Zohran Mamdani was joined by New York officials in a group photo in Brooklyn, New York, on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. Bloomberg via Getty Images

Ahead of that January vote, the neck-and-neck front-runners are Julie Menin, an Upper East Side establishment Democrat considered a relative moderate, and the progressive Crystal Hudson of Brooklyn, the mayor-elect’s ideological fellow traveler. 

While not nearly as prominent as the mayor, the speaker holds significant power over the direction of the city government.

She or he decides which of the hundreds of bills pending in the council come before the body for a vote.

The speaker also appoints the chairs of the committees in which those bills originate, who have the power to oversee and investigate city agencies.

If Hudson is elected, she will bring up bills that advance the agenda of her progressive base.

For example, City Council leftists, including its Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) members, are determined to pass the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA).

This proposed local law would force any owner selling a building with three or more units to notify the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development and share information about the building’s finances before listing it for sale.

Owners would then have to give qualified nonprofits an exclusive 120-day window to make offers on the building — during which they’d be prohibited from selling to an individual or a “for-profit” entity.

Worse, the HPD commissioner can extend this period, placing even more pressure on financially strapped owners to sell to a nonprofit.

The measure may well be unconstitutional, but DSA-style progressives will deploy it to push favored not-for-profit companies — many of which depend on the council for funding — to become primary owners of city residential real estate.

Their misguided worldview assumes these quasi-governmental landlords are superior to the small, family-based businesses that own a large share of the outer boroughs’ rent-regulated multi-family buildings.

Under Speaker Hudson, a radical, anti-private property, anti-business measure like COPA is likely to reach the council floor.

She could also use her power to foist bad policy upon the mayor.

When Mayor Eric Adams refused to run the NYPD according to the progressives’ preferences, the council passed the How Many Stops law to require officers to fill out reams of paperwork describing their interactions with the public.

If, for example, Mamdani takes the advice of Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and abandons his promises to disband the NYPD’s Strategic Response Unit and suppress its gang database, Speaker Hudson could push legislation that bans the unit and dismantles the database.

In doing so, she’d override the police commissioner and corner Mamdani between his ideological campaign promises and the real-life demands of public safety.  

Only the speaker has the prerogative to prevent the worst bills from reaching a vote.

If she chooses not to, she can place the new mayor in a very difficult position — forcing him to choose between prudential governance, supported by a broad consensus, and the ideological dreams of his far-left allies.

Conversely, a Speaker Menin could bottle up the DSA’s legislative disasters, shielding the mayor from his own bad ideas and giving him the room he needs to govern in a more moderate and effective way.

Mamdani may already perceive the need for such a built-in check.

Not only has he retained Tisch, he has also refused to support City Councilman Chi Ossé’s primary bid against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).

And in contrast to his aggressive victory speech, Mamdani’s visit with President Trump on Friday was remarkably measured, even genial.

The mayor-elect seems to understand that he can’t succeed amid ceaseless anxiety over public safety and in a perpetual war with non-DSA Democrats.

If he wants to be an effective mayor, Mamdani must transform himself from outside agitator railing against the system to a wise manager of that very system.

While Hudson appears to be his natural ally and ideological companion, Mamdani’s mayoralty could sink under the weight of an overactive, radical City Council that places him under constant leftist political pressure.

A partnership with the older, more experienced Menin — who, incidentally, is Jewish — would offer balance at the grand staircase that stands as the fulcrum between the two wings of City Hall.

With a race that can tip either way, the speakership will decide whether New York’s next mayor starts off on a steady footing — or begins to slip with his first step.

Christian Browne is an attorney and adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute, where John Ketcham is director of cities and a legal policy fellow.



This story originally appeared on NYPost

‘Wicked: For Good’ defies gravity at box office with $226 million haul, biggest ever opening for Broadway musical adaptation

0

Universal Pictures’ two-part “Wicked” gamble continues to defy gravity at the box office. Just a year after part one brought droves of audiences to movie theaters around the country, even more people bought opening weekend tickets to see the epic conclusion, “Wicked: For Good.” According to studio estimates on Sunday, “Wicked: For Good” earned $150 million from North American theaters in its first days in theaters and $226 million globally.

Not only is it the biggest opening ever for a Broadway musical adaptation, unseating the record set by the first film’s $112 million launch, it’s also the second biggest debut of the year behind “A Minecraft Movie’s” $162 million.

“The results are just fantastic,” said Jim Orr, who heads domestic distribution for Universal. “Some films can deliver a false positive when tickets go on sale early but these results speak for themselves.”

Universal began rolling out “Wicked: For Good” in theaters earlier this week, with previews on Monday ($6.1 million from 1,050 theaters) and Wednesday ($6.5 million from 2,300 theaters). By Friday it was playing in 4,115 North American locations and had raked in $68.6 million. IMAX showings accounted for $15.5 million, or 11%, of its domestic haul — a November record for the company.

IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond said in a statement that the strong market share shows, “our momentum carries into demos and genres beyond our traditional core, including families.”

As with the first film, women powered opening weekend, making up around 71% of ticket buyers according to PostTrak exit polls. Critics were somewhat mixed on the final chapter, but audiences weren’t: An overwhelming 83% of audiences said it was one they would “definitely recommend” to friends. As far as foot traffic is concerned, the box office tracker EntTelligence estimates that about 2 million more people came out for “Wicked: For Good’s” first weekend than for “Wicked’s.”

Jon M. Chu directed both “Wicked” films, starring Cynthia Ervio and Ariana Grande. The first film made over $758.7 million worldwide and received 10 Oscar nominations (winning two, for costume and production design ). The question is how high “Wicked: For Good” can soar. Combined, the two films cost around $300 million to produce, not including marketing and promotion costs.

“The first film paved the way,” Orr said. “It’s really become a cultural event I think audiences are going to be flocking to theaters for quite some time to come.”

Two other films also opened in wide release this weekend, but further down on the charts behind a buffet of holdovers. Searchlight Pictures opened its Brendan Fraser film “Rental Family” in 1,925 theaters where it earned $3.3 million. The Finnish action film “Sisu: Road to Revenge,” a Sony release, also played in 2,222 theaters. It earned an estimated $2.6 million.

Second place went to “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” with $9.1 million in its second weekend, followed by “Predator: Badlands” with $6.3 million in weekend three. “The Running Man” followed in fourth place with $5.8 million, down 65% from its debut last weekend.

Although this weekend the box office was more of a winner takes all scenario, “Wicked: For Good’s” success is vitally important for the exhibition industry as a whole as it enters the final weeks of the year.

“It sets up a very strong final homestretch of the year,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s head of marketplace trends.

After the slow fall season, the Thanksgiving blockbusters could not arrive soon enough. Early next week, “Zootopia 2” enters the mix and is also expected to drive big crowds to the cineplex over the holiday break.

Thanksgiving is often one of the biggest moviegoing frames of the year, Dergarabedian said, and both “Wicked 2” and “Zootopia 2” will benefit. Last year “Wicked,” “Moana 2” and “Gladiator II” helped power a record five-day frame.

The running domestic box office is currently hovering around $7.5 billion, according to Comscore. Before the pandemic, the annual box office would regularly hit $11 billion, but the post-pandemic goal has lessened to $9 billion. The big question now is whether titles like “Wicked: For Good,” “Zootopia 2” and “Avatar:Fire and Ash” can push the industry over that threshold.

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. “Wicked: For Good,” $150 million.

2. “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” $9.1 million.

3. “Predator: Badlands,” $6.3 million.

4. “The Running Man,” $5.8 million.

5. “Rental Family,” $3.3 million.

6. “Sisu: Road to Revenge,” $2.6 million.

7. “Regretting You,” $1.5 million.

8. “Nuremberg,” $1.2 million.

9. “Black Phone 2,” $1 million.

10. “Sarah’s Oil,” $711,542.



This story originally appeared on Fortune

Ozempic-maker’s shares plunge after failed Alzheimer’s trial | Money News

0


Shares in Nov Nordisk, the Danish firm best known for its Wegovy and Ozempic weight loss drugs, have plunged after it called a halt to closely-watched trials on a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

The company had been testing whether a key ingredient in the drugs could slow progression of the brain disorder.

Novo Nordisk, which began the trials two years ago, had always treated the study as an outside bet but one which had the potential to land big rewards, if successful, as earnings from its core diabetes/weight loss space come under pressure from intense competition.

Money latest: UK visitors face new rules

The drug tested was Rybelsus, a pill approved only for type 2 diabetes, which contains semaglutide like Wegovy and Ozempic

But shares fell more than 12% initially in Copenhagen, to lows not seen since the summer of 2021, when Novo revealed that the planned expansion of the trial, into a third year, would not proceed.

Martin Holst Lange, chief scientific officer and executive vice president of research and development at Novo Nordisk, said: “Based on the significant unmet need in Alzheimer’s disease as well as a number of indicative data points, we felt we had a responsibility to explore semaglutide’s potential, despite a low likelihood of success.

Image:
Novo’s revenues are increasingly threatened by generic alternatives to Ozempic and Wegovy.

“While semaglutide did not demonstrate efficacy in slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, the extensive body of evidence supporting semaglutide continues to provide benefits for individuals with type 2 diabetes, obesity, and related comorbidities,” he said.

Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias affect more than 55 million people globally. There is no cure.

Novo’s shares settled around 9% down on the day, building on losses over the year to date that have now extended beyond 55%.

The share price reaction would suggest that some investors had factored in a measure of success from Novo’s trials.

Some market analysts expressed horror over the scale of Monday’s share price decline.

Sydbank’s Soren Lontoft said of the trial’s end: “Based on the history of Alzheimer’s treatment, this doesn’t come as a big surprise to me.

“The share’s reaction is probably more due to the bad sentiment around the Novo Nordisk share and the negative news flow over the past year – perhaps there was hope for a little tailwind from this study.”



This story originally appeared on Skynews

Trump’s plan for Ukraine; Marjorie Taylor Greene : NPR

0


Good morning. You’re reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.

Today’s top stories

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he is optimistic about reaching an agreement between Russia and Ukraine. Yesterday, U.S. and Ukrainian officials met in Geneva to discuss President Trump’s peace plan. The president has set a deadline of Thursday for Ukraine to agree to the 28-point plan. European leaders are skeptical and believe the plan needs further development.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio holds a press conference following closed-door talks on a U.S plan to end the war in Ukraine at the U.S. Mission in Geneva, on Nov. 23, 2025.

Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images


hide caption

toggle caption

Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

  • 🎧 Europeans feel left out, even though they were in some of the meetings in Geneva. That’s because when the peace plan was drafted, European heads of state were not consulted, NPR’s Rob Schmitz tells Up First. That is a significant oversight for those leaders, given that the plan included numerous commitments from them, including billions of dollars for Ukraine’s reconstruction, as well as participation in an emergency blueprint if the proposal is violated. The Kremlin has not weighed in on the Geneva talks. The U.S. is expected to hold separate talks with Russia.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, abruptly announced on Friday that she would resign from Congress effective Jan. 5. The congresswoman rose to prominence as one of Trump’s biggest defenders, but she has recently become one of his biggest critics, saying he abandoned his own agenda.

  • 🎧 From Greene’s point of view, she has not shifted on her political stance, NPR’s Stephen Fowler says. It is Trump and others in their party who have not maintained consistency in their America First conservatism. Fowler notes that it is essential to recognize the president is not a traditional conservative, and his return to office was based on convincing diverse groups and demographics with varying ideologies and policies to unite under the America First banner and defer to his interpretation of what conservatism means.

Over the weekend, Israel and Hamas both accused the other of violating the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. The ceasefire has been holding for a little over six weeks. Yesterday, Israel also struck Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, for the first time since June, killing a Hezbollah commander. This action has led many to worry about the nearly year-long ceasefire in place there.

  • 🎧 Much of the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire has been completed. The next phase involves setting up an International Stabilization Force in Gaza, according to NPR’s Kat Lonsdorf. But there are still many questions about who will make up that force and how they will be trained. Lonsdorf says it may sound contradictory to still be discussing a ceasefire when there are so many people being killed and both sides have accused each other of violations, but the agreement is holding, and there hasn’t been a full return to war.

Cost of living

A collage of photos showing students walking under an arch that says Purdue University, a man walking past a Harvard sign and college students sitting under trees at the University of New Mexico.

After adjusting for inflation, tuition has essentially doubled for private and public colleges over the past 30 years.

Getty Images/Emily Bogle/NPR


hide caption

toggle caption

Getty Images/Emily Bogle/NPR

NPR’s series Cost of Living: The Price We Pay is examining what’s driving price increases and how people are coping after years of stubborn inflation. 

Over the past 30 years, the average tuition for public and private four-year colleges has roughly doubled when adjusted for inflation. Many families do not pay the full tuition amount because students receive financial or merit aid. That reduced cost is known as the net price. But even the net price is higher than it was two decades ago. What’s causing the cost of college to rise so quickly?

  • 💰 Reduction in state funding has been a significant issue for public institutions. As legislatures cut funding, colleges were compelled to increase tuition to offset the shortfall.
  • 💰 A high price tag can dictate prestige, and there are wealthy families willing to pay it. For example, 40% of Harvard’s incoming class pays the full tuition.
  • 💰 College prices vary from institution to institution and state to state. Families often don’t know the total cost of a school until the end of the admissions process, making it difficult to compare options.

Listen to why the cost of college has risen so dramatically. This week, the series will explore the cost of holiday shopping. Stay up-to-date on the latest stories here.

How are higher prices changing the way you live? Fill out this form to share your story with NPR.

Living better

Woman hand hoding hairs fall in comb, hair fall everyday serious problem. Girl Hairs fall with a comb and problem hair isolated on white background

Woman hand hoding hairs fall in comb, hair fall everyday serious problem. Girl Hairs fall with a comb and problem hair isolated on white background

sutlafk/iStockphoto/Getty Images


hide caption

toggle caption

sutlafk/iStockphoto/Getty Images

Living Better is a special series about what it takes to stay healthy in America.

By some estimates, half of all women experience hair loss at some point in their lives. While there are some scientifically backed hair loss solutions, not every remedy is effective for everyone or for every type of hair loss. Here’s what to know and how to find support:

  • 💇‍♀️ Hair sheds in a staggered pattern, so a clump in the drain doesn’t mean you should worry about bald spots.
  • 💇‍♀️ The most common cause of permanent hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, which typically starts at the top of the head in women. If you part your hair, you may notice that the area is widening, showing more of your scalp.
  • 💇‍♀️ If you are uncertain about what type of hair loss you have, an in-person visit may be your best option to start with. However, telehealth companies can be a good alternative when a dermatologist has a long waitlist for appointments.

3 things to know before you go

Tatiana Schlossberg is pictured at her book signing in 2019 in Richmond, Calif. Schlossberg says she has a rare form of cancer.

Tatiana Schlossberg is pictured at her book signing in 2019 in Richmond, Calif. Schlossberg says she has a rare form of cancer.

Amber De Vos/Getty Images for Goop


hide caption

toggle caption

Amber De Vos/Getty Images for Goop

  1. Tatiana Schlossberg, the granddaughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer known as acute myeloid leukemia. In an essay in The New Yorker, she revealed her cancer is terminal.
  2. NPR’s Books We Love returns with over 380 titles from this year, selected by NPR staff and trusted critics. From cookbooks to mysteries and thrillers, check out the extensive list for your next read.
  3. A homeless advocacy organization within the Cincinnati Public School System will help more than 4,000 homeless students and their families by providing a designated lot for them to sleep in their cars while they await housing. The program launches in March 2026. (via WBUR)

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.



This story originally appeared on NPR

£20,000 in savings? Here’s how you can use that to target an £8,000 yearly second income

0


Image source: Getty Images

Investors looking to earn a second income through the stock market don’t strictly need to have a lot of cash available at the outset. But it can be a big help.

Investing is a long-term activity, but the most important years are the early ones. It can feel like not a lot is happening, but they’re the years that make the most difference.

Compounding returns

A £20,000 investment that yields 6.5% annually returns £1,300 in the first year, which might not sound like much. But reinvesting over time can boost that number substantially.

After 10 years or reinvesting, the annual return reaches £2,291 and this increases to £4,301 in year 20 and £8,073 after year 30. In terms of a second income, that’s much more like it.

The thing is, though, there are no shortcuts. There’s no way to get to year 30 – and access the 30-year return – without first going through all of the returns for the previous years. 

That’s why, as I said, the first few years are the most important. Getting them out of the way puts investors closer to unlocking bigger returns and brings them closer to the big pay-off.

Cash is king?

Starting sooner is a big advantage in terms of accessing higher returns in future years. And that means it’s also helpful to be able to invest as much money as possible early on.

After 30 years, the difference in annual income between investing with £20,000 at 6.5% at the outset, and £55 a month at that rate is £4,490. In other words, more up front means more later.

The reason for that is straightforward. A bigger initial investment means more of the overall outlay benefits from a longer time period, which is what generates the big returns.

Investing more gradually over time can help moderate the risk of a stock market crash. But if the general direction of stocks over time is up, it’s better to be invested as early as possible. 

What to buy?

The obvious question is what to buy to target a 6.5% return. And I think FTSE 250 real estate investment trust (REIT) Primary Health Properties (LSE:PHP) is well worth a look.

A 7.5% dividend yield is often a sign investors are worried about something. But in this case, the firm has a portfolio that’s largely occupied by a very reliable tenant – the NHS.

The firm has also recently merged with Assura, which used to be its main rival. Aside from any efficiency savings, this should have the effect of strengthening its negotiating position.

The requirement to distribute their income as dividends means growth is often a challenge for REITs. But with a 7.5% starting yield, investors might question how much they really need.

Please note that tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future. The content in this article is provided for information purposes only. It is not intended to be, neither does it constitute, any form of tax advice.

Risks and rewards

Stocks always come with risk. And one thing to note with Primary Health Properties is the mismatch between its five-year average debt maturity and its nine-year average lease expiry. 

That means the firm can’t easily increase rents to offset higher costs when the time comes to refinance. But I think this is something to be managed, rather than avoided.

Investors might therefore consider owning the stock as part of a diversified portfolio, rather than a standalone pick (and of course, diversification is important whatever the stocks held). Fortunately, I think there are enough other opportunities to make an £8k (eventual) income achievable.



This story originally appeared on Motley Fool

10 Years of Wild Beauty

0


British lifestyle and accessories brand Elizabeth Scarlett is marking its 10-year anniversary with a limited-edition capsule collection inspired by the wild. Launching September 30, the Wild Icons collection features ten embroidered designs, from brand-new creations like dolphins, penguins, and pandas to reimagined favourites including turtles, lions, and elephants.

Wild Beauty by Elizabeth Scarlett

“Reaching 10 years has given me a moment to pause and reflect on what we’ve built,” says Founder & Creative Director Elizabeth Petrides. “It’s been an incredible journey, from painting my first designs at the kitchen table to creating pieces that honour the natural world. This anniversary collection feels especially close to my heart; each animal represents the beauty, wonder, and urgency of what we stand to lose. As we look ahead, I feel more inspired than ever to keep creating, keep giving back, and keep protecting the wild.”

World Animal Day by Elizabeth ScarlettWorld Animal Day by Elizabeth Scarlett

Conservation continues to sit at the heart of the brand. Through its 2% To The Wild initiative, Elizabeth Scarlett donates a portion of every purchase to help protect endangered species and their habitats. Since its launch in 2015, the brand has raised more than £750,000 for global conservation projects, with a goal of £2 million by 2030.

The 10-Year Anniversary Collection will be available exclusively at elizabethscarlett.com.



This story originally appeared on Upscalelivingmag

Billie Eilish Announces Hit Me Hard And Soft Tour Film Co-Directed With James Cameron

0


Instagram/@billieeilish

Billie Eilish hit the road with her Hit Me Hard And Soft tour and soon the concerts will be available everywhere in theaters in the form of 3D concert movies co-directed with the legendary filmmaker James Cameron. The debut of this movie is on March 20, 2026, and according to Eilish, it will be one of her best touring experiences. The audience will be able to experience the extravaganza in theaters again.

Advertisement

The news was really great for the singer’s worldwide fanbase, and a lot of them, for example, began counting the days until what they thought would be an incredible and very new cinematic experience as soon as possible. Eilish expressed her excitement in collaborating with Cameron, saying the opportunity was “really a dream come true” in her Instagram post. The moment is just perfect for those fans who either attended the tour and want to relive it or those who missed the live shows and now want to take the chance.

The announcement was a huge surprise and it trigged an immediate response, with many of Eilish’s fans saying the release date was just right. A fan commented, “ON MY DAMN BIRTHDAY UR KIDDING,” and this sparked a birthday-excitement-thread as more and more people became aware that the release of the movie was going to coincide with their birthday. A fellow fan declared: “GOD, ON MY BIRTHDAY, There’s NO BETTER GIFT THAN THIS,” which pretty much summed up the different opinions that the timing could not be more important.

The international scope of the movie release raised a lot of questions and one really excited fan quizzed, “SO THE MOVIE IS GOING TO BE EVERYWHERE? IS THAT A REAL THING?” This brought about a heated debate on the countries that would get the movie and “hoping for world availability” just like some other concert movies that have been coming out recently. The concern over the regions having the releases was an indication that Eilish’s fanbase is really worldwide and they all want equal access to the film.

Technical aspects provided another grounds of interest for the followers. One super-enthusiastic fan even stated, “My next guess is that this movie will be an IMAX 3D exclusive release. The film trailer already gives me the feeling that this movie needs to be shown at IMAX.” His statement along with the discussion was happening around the various screening formats and whether the film might be at luxurious venues such as the Sphere in Las Vegas, although some users were warning that the complicated nature of content adaptation to such special and top-notch venues might defer the screening.

The strong emotions that the announcement stirred up were evident in the comments. One fan expressed it very well, “was anyone else going from crying with laughter to being shocked and grinning to crying again with laughter?” This indeed expressed the feeling of the moment of Eilish fans and was reinforced by several participants as it indicated how strongly they keep the artist’s music and performances to them. Another fan claimed they would be “seeing this 10 times a day,” which is a great way of putting that the concert movie will be so appealing to the audience that they will want to watch it over and over again.

Eilish and film director partnership with Cameron is a leading edge breakthrough in music and film. The contemporary 3D technology that has been authentically developed by Cameron and his spectacularness at making hit movies have both tilted the music world cute while the very same artist is pushing for new ways to present the work through the audience’s involvement. The combination of Eilish’s artistic signature and Cameron’s bravado in technology means the outcome will not be to just document a concert but rather produce an experience full of immersiveness that will not only redefine what concert films could do but also what they could be.

For those who want to see the complete tour experience, the movie is a ticket to the outside world. Comments from fans in Latin America expressed a combination of gratitude to the artists and disappointment, e.g., one performer remarked, “Thanks for everything, my girl,” while another stated that the performer had not visited their country during the actual tour. This demonstrates how concert films can be a tool to bridge the gap between the artist’s tour and the geography that might be separating them.

Advertisement

With the March 2026 release date, fans have quite a long wait ahead of them but it is a wait filled with excitement, actually, it will only become more intense as the months pass by according to the instant reaction. Eilish’s statement that this was “one of my favorite tours ever” along with the engagement of Cameron has created a situation of very high expectations for what will certainly be one of the most difficult music film releases in 2026 worldwide. This project is yet another breakthrough in Eilish’s career, following her trend of granting irresistible experiences to her faithful fans while alongside the mavericks of all the different artistic domains. Billie Eilish continues to innovate, as seen with the global launch of her new fragrance. Her performances at major festivals, like her unforgettable set at Lollapalooza 2025, have cemented her status as a top live performer. This concert film will be a special gift for fans, much like when Briana DeJesus took her daughters to a Billie Eilish concert for a birthday gift.



This story originally appeared on Celebrityinsider

Rare art from Disneyland’s artisans revealed in new exhibit

0


Walt Disney Co. likes to resurrect a famous Walt Disney quote saying that the empire was “started by a mouse.” But when it comes to Disneyland, its theme park that become a SoCal institution, fans and history buffs crave specifics.

A new exhibit at San Francisco’s Walt Disney Family Museum aims to chart the beginnings and early evolution of the Anaheim resort, and it begins with a trip Disney took with friend, animator and fellow train aficionado Ward Kimball to Chicago. The Midwest city, as many know, is Disney’s birthplace, but in 1948 he and Kimball embarked on a vacation to that city’s railroad fair.

At the festival, they enjoyed not only locomotives, but also an Abraham Lincoln impersonator, and expansive grounds that featured small re-creations of a frontier town and a Native American village, elements that would eventually make their way to Disneyland. And while in Chicago, the duo stopped at what is now the Griffin Museum of Science & Industry, home to a re-creation of a turn-of-the-century city street.

Early 1950s concept art for Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A., from Harper Goff. The work is shown in a new exhibit at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.

(Collection of the Walt Disney Family Foundation / Harper Goff Collection / Disney)

By the time the trip had concluded, Disney’s vision of Disneyland had begun to take shape. Within days of returning to Los Angeles, Disney had written a memo capturing his ideas that would ultimately appear in Disneyland, including a train, a park and an assortment of vintage shops.

So perhaps it’s more accurate to say that, with Disneyland, it all started with a holiday to Chicago.

A red-hued building framed by the Golden Gate Bridge.

San Francisco’s Walt Disney Family Museum is dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of Walt Disney, detailing his Midwest roots, animation achievements and development of Disneyland.

(Walt Disney Family Museum)

The museum’s exhibition, “The Happiest Place on Earth: The Disneyland Story,” is based on a similarly titled book from animation producer Don Hahn and theme park designer-turned-historian Christopher Merritt. Consider the museum demonstration a sort of greatest hits companion to the coffeetable-type tomb, which is an indispensable look at Disneyland’s history, a work that collects never-before-seen concept art and places a spotlight on many of the park’s lesser-known designers.

The exhibit and book coincide with Disneyland’s 70th anniversary. The former adds to and complements the museum’s mission of preserving the legacy of Walt Disney, showing the park patriarch as something of a conductor who built Disneyland with the help of creatives across Hollywood.

  • Share via

Spread across two lower-level galleries, and also including a short film from Hahn, one that places a large emphasis on that Chicago tour, the exhibit, running through May, unfolds as a sort of a walk around the park. Portions are dedicated to Disneyland lands past and present — the exhibit includes the defunct “Indian Village,” an aspect of Frontierland that flourished in the 1950s and 1960s — but rather than try to capture the park as a whole, the museum zeroes in on seldom displayed concept art from various Disneyland artisans.

The centerpiece of the primary gallery is a rarely resurrected penciled drawing of Fantasyland from Bruce Bushman, who created pre-opening concept art for the land inspired by Marvin Davis’ master plans. You’ll spy a small train coaster, a mini Ferris wheel and a circus area, complete with a large statue of a clown that would tower over guests. It’s starkly different from both the land’s Renaissance Faire-inspired beginnings and its European village look of today, but it’s also emblematic of how Disneyland didn’t emerge fully formed and was gradually iterated on prior to its July 1955 opening.

More Bushman art is shown elsewhere, in particular his drawing of Pirates of the Caribbean as a wax museum. In the mid-1950s, before it was decided the attraction would be a boat ride, it was envisioned as a walk-through experience complete with interior shops and a large battle scene. Hahn, who served as co-curator of the exhibit, in a tour of the museum’s artifacts notes that Bushman was working on “The Mickey Mouse Club” around the time he was also devising plans for Disneyland.

A museum wall with framed portraits of costumes.

Disneyland costume designs from Hollywood designer Renié Conley are on display as part of a new exhibit at the Walt Disney Family Museum.

(Frank Anzalone / Walt Disney Family Museum.)

“There’s remnants of what the ride became,” Hahn says, pointing to the map’s depictions of tunnels and sandy areas with hidden loot. “There’s battles, and you have to cross over a rickety bridge over a swamp probably with alligators. This drawing, in particular, is really special, to see the original white pencil drawing. Again, Bruce Bushman, here’s a guy doing ‘Mickey Mouse Club’ sets, but also doing these profound things.”

Earlier, the exhibition pays special attention to prominent Southern California landscape architect Ruth Shellhorn. She was hired just four months before the park opened but is credited as refining its pedestrian flow and crafting the gardens that eased transitions between Disneyland’s central hub and its lands.

“We built the park as we went along,” reads a Shellhorn quote used in the book and the exhibit and pulled from Shellhorn’s archives at the UCLA Library. “I doubt if this procedure could have been followed successfully on any other project on Earth; but this was Disneyland, a sort of Fairyland, and Walt’s belief that the impossible was a simple order of the day so instilled this spirit in everyone that they never stopped to think that it couldn’t be done.”

Costume designer Renié Conley, who worked on films such as “The Big Fisherman” and “Cleopatra,” is also showcased. Her work for the front, Main Street areas of the park is shown, and it’s Victorian, regal and just ever-so-slightly fanciful. A yellow and white dress, for instance, feels full of movement, fit equally for a tea party or a dance.

A key component of the book and exhibit, says Hahn, was a desire to focus on some of the important contributors to Disneyland who may not be household names to fans of the park. “Let’s tell the human story of this,” Hahn says. “All the crazy people who worked on this in an unbelievable short amount of time. That attracted me.”

A group of people in front of a half built Disneyland castle

Harper Goff, Bill Evans, Dick Irvine, Walt Disney, Ruth Shellhorn and Joe Fowler examine Disneyland plans in April 1955, just months before the park would open.

(Ruth Patricia Shellhorn Papers, UCLA Library Special Collections / Disney)

There’s also artwork shown for abandoned concepts, such as a never-built Chinese restaurant with a robotic host that was envisioned for Main Street, as well as alternative visions for the introductory land. Some early designs for It’s a Small World from beloved animator-turned-theme park desinger Marc Davis are in the exhibit. This is before it was decided to craft the ride in the look and tone of artist Mary Blair, and Davis’ small concepts possess a more refined look — a cartoon London, for instance, rather than a children’s playland.

A small wooden carriage with fortune telling-inspired designs in a display case.

Rare art from late Walt Disney Imagineer Rolly Crump for the never built Museum of the Weird is on display as part of a new exhibit at the Walt Disney Family Museum.

(Drew Altizer Photography / Walt Disney Family Museum)

Also rare: A small model of a vagabond’s carriage from Rolly Crump, who worked on the Haunted Mansion, the Enchanted Tiki Room and It’s a Small World, among other projects. Crump is responsible, for instance, for the whimsical facade of It’s a Small World. The carriage, with mystical, fortune telling-inspired designs, was created for the never built Museum of the Weird, which would have nestled alongside the Haunted Mansion. Crump’s son Chris says it may be one of the only surviving designs from that project.

Taken as a whole, the exhibit shows not just the beginnings of Disneyland, but how the park became an ever-evolving art project.

“It’s important,” says Hahn, when asked for this thoughts on why Disneyland has not only endured, but remains a pilgrimage for so many. Theme parks allow us to explore stories and fairy tales in a multidimensional space — an escape, yes, but also a reflection of the narratives that define a culture. And, adds Hahn, it’s a source of rejuvenation. “It’s not just kiddie stuff,” he says. “It’s important to our mental health.”

For when you go to Dinseyland, says Hahn, “you’re not thinking about your gas bill or your kid’s education or how you can’t afford to live paycheck to paycheck. It’s not cheap. It’s not a cheap day. But we still go because our hope is to get something there that we can’t get in everyday life. To me, that’s human regeneration, an ability to be inspired and get out of our head for a while.”



This story originally appeared on LA Times

Claire Rothman dead: Forum president during Lakers’ ‘Showtime’ dynasty

0

Claire Rothman, a trailblazing sports and entertainment industry executive indelibly tied to the Los Angeles Lakers during their 1980s heyday, has died.

Family members confirmed her death, on Saturday, was due to complications from a fall. She was 97.

As the president and general manager of the “Fabulous Forum,” Rothman was pivotal in bringing big-name musicians to the Inglewood venue and had deep ties to the Lakers when it was the team’s home during the “Showtime” era, when the Lakers won five championships in a decade.

Jeanie Buss, the daughter of former Lakers owner Jerry Buss — who after the recent sale of the team acts as its governor in NBA meetings — lamented the loss of Rothman, a woman she said shaped her career.

“Claire paved the way for women working in live entertainment. She was tenacious, creative and indomitable. My father always described her as the MVP who championed the Fabulous Forum as the West Coast concert rival to the legendary Madison Square Garden,” Buss said Sunday evening.

“For me personally, she was a mentor and a guide, helping me learn and navigate an industry that had never been very open to women in leadership,” Buss said. “I learned an incredible amount from her as an executive and consider her one of the major influences in my life.”

Rothman, hired in 1975 by Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke, became the vivacious president and general manager of the Forum during a pivotal moment in the Lakers’ history. She was frequently seen around town wearing the many championship rings that the team won during her tenure. Rothman was a prominent character in the HBO series “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” played by actor Gaby Hoffmann.

“Claire Rothman is a f— legend,” Rebecca Bertuch, a writer for the show, told The Times in 2022. “I mean, she broke barriers that people didn’t think would ever be broken and she kicked ass and was notorious and well-known in her line of work for being that girl.”

Rothman has been recognized for her role in professional sports at a time when women were not commonplace or were treated poorly.

“I’m not exactly quiet,” Rothman is quoted as saying during a speech in a 1985 profile in The Times. “I am the only woman in the United States who runs a major sports arena. I have a variety of duties. I book the building. I schedule the sports. The box office answers to me, all the staffing answers to me, and at night I get to play hostess.”

She brought big-name acts such as Prince to the Forum and developed relationships with entertainers including Linda Ronstadt, Neil Diamond and Lionel Richie.

“Many building managers will not meet artists in their entire lives,” Larry Vallon, then-vice president of the Universal Amphitheatre, told The Times in 1985. “In Claire’s case, artists go out of their way to meet her. She has an incredible reputation in the industry.”

It was a remarkable position for a woman whose family had humble beginnings in this country.

Rothman’s family fled Romanian pogroms against Jewish people at the turn of the 20th century, immigrating to Philadelphia, according to Magda Peck, a cousin of Rothman’s mother.

“What I remember about Claire was how important family was to her and how close she was with my mother and the other cousins,” Peck said. “There was something about modeling how women support each other, how cousins are there for each other across generations.”

Peck, a public health expert, last saw Rothman a couple of weeks ago.

“She said, ‘Promise me that you’ll stay close to the cousins,’” Peck said. “Before she’s famous, before she’s the mother of the Lakers family, [she prioritized] the value of extended family.”

Rothman died in Las Vegas, where she had moved after leaving Southern California. She is survived by a son and a daughter, and multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren.



This story originally appeared on LA Times

Matthew Stafford is playing as good as any QB ever for the Rams

0


A crescendo is building, and the Rams might be best to ignore it.

So much can happen from week to week in the NFL — check out Philadelphia’s loss to Dallas — that the Rams can’t get too comfortable, even with the way they’re playing.

In the last five games, culminating with their 27-point stomping of Tampa Bay on Sunday night, the Rams have outscored opponents in the opening quarter, 63-3.

Matthew Stafford has thrown 27 touchdown passes without an interception.

In four of the games in this six-game winning streak, the Rams defense has allowed 10 points or fewer.

  • Share via

Gary Klein breaks down what went right for the Rams in their 34-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at SoFi Stadium on Sunday night.

But it’s uncomfortably early for anyone in the organization to be thinking about Santa Clara in February. The Rams need to play with blinders on. Yes, they’ve secured the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the moment, but they have a one-game lead over the Eagles, who beat them earlier this season and therefore have the tie-breaker. There’s no wiggle room.

The glide path is far different than 2021, when the Rams wound up winning the Super Bowl on their home field. That season, they went 0-3 in November games.

This bears a closer resemblance to 2018, Sean McVay’s second season, when the last game before Thanksgiving was an instant classic at the Coliseum, Jared Goff and the Rams beating Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, 54-51.

There’s no ignoring that we’re watching something special in Stafford, who takes the snap, scans the field and delivers a laser with remarkable reliability. He processes with the speed of AI.

It was 10 years ago at Levi’s Stadium that Denver’s Peyton Manning, quarterbacking his second franchise, won his second Super Bowl ring and decided to retire.

Could that be Stafford? Second franchise. Potential for a second ring. Then again, Manning’s body was breaking down on him and he wasn’t at the top of his game. Those Broncos ran the ball and had a great defense.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford warms up before a 34-7 win over the Buccaneers.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford warms up before a 34-7 win over the Buccaneers at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

At the moment, Stafford is playing as well as anyone who has ever played the position. He looks nothing like a 37-year-old guy who sat out training camp with back problems.

His streak of 27 touchdown passes without a pick is, according to Elias, the longest such streak by any player since play-by-play was first tracked in 1978.

“It’s hard to conceptualize the fact that you can throw — put the ball in the end zone that much,” said Rams receiver Davante Adams, who has 12 touchdown receptions this season. “Most quarterbacks can’t throw 27 passes without throwing a pick.”

Stafford’s the leading Most Valuable Player candidate, and this could be the season that secures him a bronze bust in Canton.

As for the poetry of him walking off the biggest stage the way Manning did, that’s all fantasy football now, especially with more than a quarter of the regular season remaining.

(A little more premature conjecture: It’s not inconceivable that the Rams and New England Patriots could meet in the Super Bowl for a third time.)

What is irrefutable is the Rams are continually deepening their foothold on the Los Angeles market. They set their regular-season attendance record Sunday night (75,545 tickets distributed), surpassing the mark they set a week earlier with a home game against Seattle.

This is what Rams owner Stan Kroenke was talking about when he brought the team back in 2016, and when he built SoFi Stadium with the idea of making the nearly-300-acre campus a center of gravity on the West Coast.

It’s not just home to the Rams and Chargers, but it’s the integral role the stadium will play in the World Cup, the 2028 Olympics, and in early 2027, the second Super Bowl it will host. No matter how you feel about UCLA trying to wriggle out of its Rose Bowl deal, there’s a reason the school has turned its attention to SoFi.

Kroenke always told his development team that undershooting L.A. would be a huge mistake, that the opportunity here was immeasurable.

“Sometimes when you’re a real estate developer, I think you have to be tremendously optimistic,” Kroenke told the Los Angeles Times. “You encounter so many issues. … With the NFL, you saw how difficult that whole thing was. So you had to be the optimist.

“Then you get a night like tonight, and it’s just awesome.”

Rams defensive end Kobie Turner reacts during player introductions before facing the Buccaneers.

Rams defensive end Kobie Turner reacts during player introductions before facing the Buccaneers on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

The stadium was loud and overwhelmingly blue, with only a sprinkling of Tampa Bay fans. That’s progress.

The peril for the Rams now is letting down their guard. They travel across the country next weekend to play at Carolina, a team that won four of five not so long ago, including an upset of Green Bay.

In his postgame news conference, cornerback Cobie Durant was asked how it feels to have the No. 1 seed in the conference.

“I didn’t know that,” he said, sounding pleasantly surprised. “I don’t keep up with that.”

Smart answer.



This story originally appeared on LA Times