U.S.-China Trade Truce Risks Falling Apart Over Rare-Earth Exports
A trade truce between the U.S. and China is at risk of falling apart, as China's slow-walking on rare-earth exports fuels U.S. recriminations that China is reneging on the deal.
Getting the pact together in Geneva earlier this month hinged on Beijing's concession on the critical minerals, according to people familiar with the matter.
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Forbes
12 minutes ago
- Forbes
‘Sinners' Won't Get A Sequel And That's Exactly Why It Works
Despite speculation and wishes from fans of Ryan Coogler's recent project, Sinners, the Oakland filmmaker, confirmed that this film wasn't going to have any sequels or spinoffs. While some may find this decision surprising, especially after the film's historic box office run, which grossed $341 million, many saw this decision as a welcome change in an industry that champions cinematic universes, reboots, and spin-offs. Coogler understands that, sometimes, the creative process on its own is enough, and, with much of his career involving him breathing life into several different serialized franchises, his decision comes across as bold and earned. 'I've been in a space of making franchise films for a bit, so I wanted to get away from that,' Coogler told Ebony. 'I wanted the movie to feel like a full meal: your appetizers, starters, entrees and desserts, I wanted all of it there.' Now, especially with a rep from Warner Bros. Discovery recently dismissing claims that a sequel was in the works, Coogler's vision for an original standalone film serves as a stark contrast to the state of the diminishing returns found in other Hollywood franchises and films. Sinners, some might argue, achieved its success because it was something new and because that fresh unfamiliarity gave viewers something that they couldn't expect or easily predict. Franchise Burnout Everywhere, you can see fans of different films, TV shows, etc., experiencing burnout for sequels and franchises that, at one point in time, started as original ideas that inevitably became serialized because of their overwhelming initial success. There's been a shift in how people are consuming the films they watch, where previously reliable IPs were guaranteed to be a success, some have begun underperforming in reviews and at the box office, or even lost their goodwill amongst critics and fans alike. For example: The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is currently in its fifth phase. While it's one of the most discussed IPs on the planet and has shown its success through films like Avengers: Endgame (2019) where it earned its #2 spot on the highest-grossing films of all time, bringing in $2.79 billion and a certified fresh at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, since then, many fans feel like the introduction of TV shows on Disney+ in addition to the films of their fourth and fifth phase has made keeping up with the story feel like homework instead of entertainment, coining the term 'superhero fatigue.' By 2023, The Marvels had earned the MCU its lowest box office amount and Rotten Tomatoes score, at $210 million and 62% respectively, a stark decline. Star Wars, one of the most popular and iconic franchises in our cultural zeitgeist, has also suffered from fatigue. The Rise of Skywalker (2019) earned half of what The Force Awakens made, earning $1.077 billion and a certified rotten score of 51% in comparison to $2 billion and a certified fresh score of 93%. Since then, Disney has elected to focus on creating new Star Wars content through shows on Disney+, with several of their shows finding success and some, like The Acolyte, being cancelled after one season. Harry Potter, while the franchise is still going strong with a reboot currently in the works, its spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them earned $814 million and a certified fresh score of 74%. Still, the film, which was originally standalone, turned into a trilogy and by its end Fantastic Beast: The Secrets of Dumbledore earned nearly half of the first films' profits at $405 million and even getting a rotten score of 46%, something previously unprecedented for a franchise that help build and inspire the imaginations of an entire generation. The Fast & Furious franchise, probably the most well-known for its sequels on this list of examples, is still profitable, with its latest installment, Fast X, earning $710 million in 2023. Still, critics and fans alike wonder where else the franchise can go, since the cast has literally taken their cars into outer space at his point in the series. Some critics have even described the IP as 'running on high octane fumes.' The Beauty In Telling A Complete Story Having the restraint to end something, the strength to say 'enough,' when that something has the potential to become an IP with sequels that bring in large amount of cash, but also the potential for those sequels to become stretched thin or 'trapped' following a specific formula to guarantee success, is proof that Coogler not only respects his characters and the story he wanted to and did tell, but also serves as proof that he respects his audience. I've seen Sinners six times. I fell in love with the characters, with the music, with the cinematography. I even ran to see it in IMAX 70mm to get the full experience, even though I had already seen it five times before that. I completely understand the desire for more that a story like this invokes, but I also understand the beauty and strength in telling a finished story. We're so used to watching films and shows that we know we will get a sequel or inevitably be renewed, but for Sinners, a film that's so complete in what it wants to share with it's audience, we can understand that a story doesn't need speculation or expansion. Sinners stands out by telling us that a singular story with a clear beginning, middle, and end is enough to leave us content and satisfied, viewer and director alike.
Fox News
13 minutes ago
- Fox News
George Wendt's mistaken jabs at John Boehner link 'Cheers' and Ohio politics
There was no mistake when the beloved but forlorn accountant Norm Peterson chugged his way into the fictional TV bar "Cheers." "Norm!!!" hollered the regulars in unison, ranging from mail carrier Cliff Clavin to "Mayday" Sam Malone, the former Major League pitcher-turned barkeep. If only former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, or late Rep. Buz Lukens, R-Ohio, had been as recognizable to George Wendt, the actor who played Norm on the sitcom. Wendt died last week at age 76. The portly, everyman, "Willy Loman" character Wendt created was one of the most iconic in the history of comedic television. Wendt's portrayal of Norm earned him six consecutive Emmy nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a primetime series. But during Boehner's first race for Congress in 1990, Wendt inadvertently manufactured a bizarre and permanent connection to the future Speaker of the House. In 1989, Lukens represented Ohio's 8th Congressional District. But WSYX-TV in Columbus, Ohio, secretly recorded Lukens at a McDonald's speaking with the mother of a teenage girl. Lukens talked to the woman about getting her a government job. He hoped to keep her quiet about his sexual activities with her daughter. Lukens denied any wrongdoing in public. He was charged and later convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The House Ethics Committee launched an investigation. But Lukens declined to step aside. That teed up a three-way Republican primary between Lukens, the former congressman who represented the district, the late Rep. Tom Kindness, R-Ohio, and Boehner. Boehner was a state legislator at the time. The scandal embroiling Lukens created a rare opportunity to head to Washington. As strange as it seems now, Boehner was the least-known of the three Republican candidates in what turned out to be a brutal primary. But Boehner's innate political acumen shone through – decades before he would ascend to the Speaker's suite. Despite the scandal, Lukens remained popular in the district. He had served as the congressman decades earlier and returned to the House when Kindness ran unsuccessfully for the Senate against late-Sen. John Glenn, D-Ohio, in 1986. So with the Lukens scandal, Kindness wanted his job back. And Boehner hoped to capitalize on the opportunity. Can you top a name like that? "Congressman Kindness." No wonder it was such a challenge for the upstart, future Speaker with the unpronounceable, Teutonic surname. But Boehner won. And even though he felled Lukens and Kindness, it was not a done deal that Boehner would win the general election. Boehner ran against Democrat Greg Jolivette, the mayor of Hamilton, Ohio, the biggest city in the 8th Congressional District. Jolivette was best known for changing the name of "Hamilton," to "Hamilton!" in the 1980s. He also ran Jolly's Drive-Ins in Hamilton. Imagine 1970s hamburger joints where you can order from your car, bedecked in orange. But we're talking about "Cheers" here. Not "Happy Days." Wendt was at the height of his popularity during the summer of 1990 as Boehner and Jolivette barreled toward a general election faceoff. So Wendt appeared on late-night TV on "The Arsenio Hall Show." Look him up, kids. Hall's syndicated show was never going to beat NBC's "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" in the ratings. But the program scored major headlines in 1992, when future President Bill Clinton played saxophone on the show in an effort to appeal to a younger demographic, which gravitated to Hall rather than Carson. Clinton's appearance was a seminal moment in American politics and may have helped him win the election. Certainly the most important political event on Hall's show. Wendt's appearance proved to be the second-most important. Jolivette was Wendt's brother-in-law. He periodically parachuted into Ohio's 8th District to campaign for Jolivette and against Boehner. So Hall asked him about Wendt's political involvement and Jolivette. Wendt proceeded to essentially libel Boehner on the air. Wendt never mentioned Boehner by name. But Wendt mixed up Lukens and his sex scandal with Boehner. On national TV, no less. "The guy he's running against had some problems a while back," said Wendt, referring to Jolivette's opponent, but mixing Boehner up with Lukens. "The guy from the 8th District had some convictions, some felony or a misdemeanor or something. So I think it's time for a change. One thing's for sure, I know, Greg's not going to be a criminal." Hall is an Ohio native. But he was apparently not versed in the Lukens scandal – even though it was a national story and commanded daily headlines. He didn't inquire further or correct Wendt. After all, this was a late-night comedy and variety show. Not "Meet the Press." A publicist for Hall blamed the issue entirely on Wendt, saying the host has no control over "what (guests are) going to say." Things then turned nasty when Boehner's team put out a statement. "We, like a lot of viewers, are confused about the conversation last night. We don't know if they were talking about Congressman Lukens' problems or perhaps the theft complaint filed with the Hamilton (Ohio) Police against Greg Jolivette," said the Boehner campaign. Jolivette's campaign argued this was an old allegation and it wasn't true. They then demanded that Boehner fire Barry Jackson, Boehner's campaign manager. Jackson called the episode "cheap gutter politics." Boehner himself pinned the case of mistaken identity on Wendt. He believed the actor should have been more responsible for what he said on national TV. Boehner didn't fire Jackson. Jackson worked with Boehner for years and later served as his chief of staff when he became House speaker. Wendt's gaffe was not fatal for Boehner. Even though there were nearly as many Democrats as Republicans registered in the 8th District in those days, it had elected Republicans for years. And Boehner vanquished Jolivette 61-39 percent in the general election. The rest is history for Boehner. Fast-forward to today. Boehner took to X after the actor's death. The former Speaker explained how Wendt was the brother-in-law of his opponent and "went on a late-night TV show and said some tough things." Boehner said that Wendt was "confusing me with someone else. He called later to apologize and we had a great conversation. Raising a glass tonight to the man America will always remember as Norm." Or, as they might say on the show, "Cheers."
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Protesters rallying against budget airline's ICE deportation flights picket outside SRQ
Local protesters against national immigration policy turned their attention to a budget airline carrying out deportation flights Saturday. Approximately 30 people gathered at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport to protest Avelo Airlines' contract with Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to carry out deportation flights. The demonstration was part of a nationwide effort opposing Avelo, which saw groups in around 30 cities where Avelo operates picket near their airports to protest the contract. The demonstration was organized by a number of local and state activist groups like the Democratic Women's Club of Sarasota County, Indivisible Manatee and the Florida Valkyries, a statewide social justice organization. Collin Piper, a member of the Valkyries, said protesters were responding to both the Avelo contract and President Donald Trump's aggressive immigration policy, which has spurred an uptick in ICE activity. 'Avelo is the issue. They are complicit,' Piper said. 'But the bigger issue is they're trying to remove the right of due process from the constitution.' Avelo signed a deal with the Department of Homeland Security worth around $150 million in April. Three Boeing 737-800 aircrafts began flying from Arizona's Mesa Gateway Airport May 12. It's unclear how many have flown since then, and it's also unknown whether any of these deportation flights have flown from SRQ. The airport did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication. Avelo flies two nonstop routes — one to New Haven, Connecticut, and one to Wilmington, Delaware — from SRQ. The airline is billed as a low-budget carrier with nonstop routes to major and mid-major cities − the kind of flights that have spurred significant growth at SRQ in recent years. Avelo has framed its contract with ICE as a financial necessity, as it brought investment bank Jeffries Group LLC to help it raise around $100 million to ease recent financial struggles. Avelo founder and CEO Andrew Levy said the contract was 'too valuable not to pursue,' Connecticut's Middletown Press reported. 'We realize this is a sensitive and complicated topic. After significant deliberations, we determined this charter flying will provide us with the stability to continue expanding our core scheduled passenger service and keep our more than 1,100 Crewmembers employed for years to come," Levy said in a statement. The Stop Avelo Coalition − a collection of activists, legislators and social justice groups piling the pressure on the airline − has called on a nationwide boycott of the airline. Saturday's string of demonstrations were the latest in a list of efforts the coalition has made to raise awareness of the contract. Protesters at SRQ lined University Parkway across from the airport, wielding signs and chanting as cars whizzed past. 'Hey hey, ho ho, Avelo Airlines got to go,' and, 'Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here,' rang out through bullhorns as the protest lingered for around two hours. Valkyries founder Bryson Holtzer said the protest was a call to ICE for more transparency amid nationwide raids, like one that occurred at a Tallahassee construction site May 29. It was one of Florida's largest since Trump announced aggressive immigration policy at the beginning of his term this year, with ICE detaining more than 100 people. 'We definitely want to reinstate due process,' Holtzer said. 'We'd like ICE to be more transparent with what they're doing, how they're collecting people, where they're sending them.' Demonstrators are hopeful public pressure will persuade Avelo to back out of its contract and stop the flights. Though the long-term goal of these protests is immigration reform at the national level, attendees of Saturday's event said getting Avelo's attention is an important step in the immediacy. Chris Kilmer, a Sarasota resident, said he hopes the nationwide displays send the message that Avelo customers oppose the flights. 'What Avelo Airlines is doing, it's wrong,' Kilmer said. 'They're deporting people without due process. For some people, it's a death sentence.' Contact Herald-Tribune Reporter Heather Bushman at hbushman@ Follow her on Twitter @hmb_1013. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Protesters rally against Avelo Airline's ICE contract outside SRQ
