Trump admin to prioritize ‘patriotic Americans' for fed jobs
As President Donald Trump moves to slash the size of the federal workforce, his administration unveiled a plan to ensure that any new hires are 'patriotic Americans' who vow to advance the president's policy priorities.
The White House and the agency that serves as the government's human resources arm Thursday released directives for departments to use when recruiting employees in a memo that represents a dramatic shift in federal hiring procedures.
The administration's 'merit hiring plan' comes after Trump ordered a revamp to the federal hiring process on his first day in office. The resulting plan issued this week says it aims to ensure that 'only the most talented, capable and patriotic Americans' are hired by the government.
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The 'overly complex Federal hiring system overemphasized discriminatory 'equity' quotas and too often resulted in the hiring of unfit, unskilled bureaucrats,' says the memo authored by Vince Haley, assistant to the president for domestic policy, and Charles Ezell, the acting director of the Office of Personnel Management.
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Forbes
27 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
28 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
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gabriel Pirani, Connor Antley score in first half as D.C. United tops Cincinnati 2-1
CINCINNATI (AP) — Gabriel Pirani and defender Connor Antley scored first-half goals and Luis Barraza made them stand up for D.C. United in a 2-1 victory over FC Cincinnati on Saturday night. Pirani scored off a free kick from defender David Schnegg in the 2nd minute to give DC United the lead. It was the second goal this season for Pirani and Schnegg's assist was his fourth in his first full season in the league. Advertisement Kévin Denkey answered in the 15th minute for Cincinnati to tie it — using an assist from Evander Da Silva Ferreira — his sixth — to find the net for the 10th time in 16 career appearances. DC United regained the lead in the 19th minute on the first career goal by defender Conner Antley and took a 2-1 advantage into halftime. Pirani collected his third assist and defender Aaron Herrera snagged his third. Antley has nine starts in 13 appearances in his two seasons in the league. DC United ends a five-match winless run while extending Cincinnati's to four. DC United scored just one goal in the skid. Barraza stopped three shots in goal in the 10th start of his first season with DC United (4-7-6). Advertisement Roman Celantano finished with three saves for Cincinnati (9-5-3). Cincinnati beat D.C. United 1-0 in Washington on April 12. DC United returns home to play the Chicago Fire on Saturday. Cincinnati is idle until June 14 when it travels to play the New England Revolution. ___ AP soccer:
