Latest news with #81
Time Out
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Rupert Goold will end his tenure at London's Almeida Theatre with a monumental 18 months of programming
We've known for a while that Rupert Goold – the man who transformed the Almeida from chintzy backwater to London's most important theatre – would be stepping down to take over at the Old Vic, and that he'd be taking his chief lieutenant director Rebecca Frecknall with him. What we've had no idea of is a timeframe. Until today (May 28). The bad news is that Goold is definitely off, and that he'll direct his final production for the theatre early next year, with Frecknall bowing out in the summer. The good news is that if you've enjoyed the last 12 years of his programming then there's still quite a lot more to come: today's final announcement takes us right up to the end of next year, encompassing ten productions. Although we will presumably find out who Goold's successor is fairly soon, there's clearly no rush: their first show seems unlikely to run any sooner than January 2027. It's almost too big to call 'a season', but this final tranche of shows looks pretty mouthwatering, combining the sense of zeitgeist and event that's always dominated Goold's programming from the off with the embrace of writers and directors of colour that was learned on the way after some initial criticism of his Almeida as a white boys' club. Without further ado, then! The first show to be announced is a smaller one: 81 (Life) (Aug 21-23) is a community theatre show by playwright Rhianna Illube and 81 people from the Islington community. It's billed as part poem, part game-show and part play, and follows 60 strangers invited to a park at sunset, each grappling with something big. The first full run comes from the visionary Alice Birch, her first original play in years. The inscrutably titled Romans: A Novel (Sep 9-Oct 11) is an examination of masculinity and how male narratives have shaped the world from the nineteenth century to the present that will star Andor 's Kyle Soller in his first stage performance since the pandemic. The rather opaque description includes the lines 'He is up by 4am for weights, cardio, ice bath. He is recording a podcast. He is living as a badger'. It's directed by Sam Pritchard. Expect brilliance. Next up and massive name director Michael Grandage returns to the Almeida for the first time this century to direct Jack Holden's adaptation of Alan Hollinghurst's landmark depiction of Thatcher's Britain The Line of Beauty (Oct 21-Nov 29). Rising star playwright Sam Grabiner got his big break at Soho Theatre with his play Boys On the Verge of Tears, for which he managed to bag big name director James Macdonald. The two reunite for Grabiner's new play Christmas Day (Dec 9-Jan 10 2026), a dark comedy about a north London Christmas family gathering on… Christmas Day. Goold's final show will be a revival of his 2013 production of Duncan Sheik's musical adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's provocative yuppie satire American Psycho (Jan 24-Mar 14 2026). It's an interesting show to bring back: its original incarnation starred Matt Smith at the height of his immediate post- Doctor Who fame, but never transferred to the West End (reportedly because Smith wasn't up for it). It opened on Broadway in 2016 with a different cast and tanked fairly hard. Could Goold's hope here be to finally secure it a hit West End run? We'll probably know better when we find out who has been cast as murderous banker Patrick Bateman. The brilliant actor Romola Garai has popped up at the Almeida a couple of times during Goold's tenure, in the coruscating The Writer and recent West End smash The Years. She'll star in Ibsen's proto-feminist landmark A Doll's House (Mar 31-May 16 2026), in a new production by leftfield director Joe Hill-Gibbins, adapted by Anya Reiss. Following that, another rising star Carmen Nasr will adapt British-Iranian filmmaker Babak Anvari's acclaimed psychological horror Under the Shadow (Jun 2-Jul 4 2026) in a production by the excellent former Young Vic associate Nadia Latif. It'll star Leila Farzad. Frecknall's final show will be a revival for Sarah Kane's monumental work of love and torture Cleansed (Jul 21-Aug 22 2026), which will run ten years after Katie Mitchell's National Theatre production gained infamy for the volume of fainting audience members (though Frecknall has an altogether more conciliatory style). Actor Josh O'Connor will make his first stage appearance in 11 years to star in director Sam Yates' revival of the great US playwright Clifford Odets's Depression-era classic Golden Boy (Sep 8-Oct 31 2026) about a gifted young violinist who becomes sucked into the world of professional boxing. Still with us? Okay: the last show of the Rupert Goold era will be another American classic, a revival of Eugene O'Neill's sultry Greek tragedy rewrite Desire Under the Elms (Nov 10-Dec 19 2026), with Brit actor Zackary Momoh starring. And that's that, era over. It's obviously quite a lot of shows and many of them won't go on sale until next year. It seems likely – if not a given – that Goold's first programming at the Old Vic will be in autumn 2026 and probably not announced for some time; his successor at the Almeida is likely to be named soon, but we're probably a year away from a programming announcement. In the meantime – we've got plenty to go on! Romans: A Novel and The Line of Beauty will go on general sale June 10. 81 (Life) will go on sale in the summer, and Christmas Day and American Psycho
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Time of India
WhatsApp arrives on iPad: All you need to know
WhatsApp has released the official iPad app on Apple 's App Store, providing an optimised version of the messaging platform on the popular device family. The app syncs with the main account on the users' smartphones, similar to the desktop version of the app. WhatsApp 25.16..81 is the first version of the instant messaging app launched for the iPads, and it will work on iPadOS 15.1 or later. WhatsApp for iPad has been under development for some time now. The messaging firm had launched a beta testing programme specifically for iPad users on the Apple-owned developers' platform TestFlight. The beta programme was limited and highly focussed on collecting targeted feedback and identifying bugs from users running the app specifically on iPadOS. The move was meant to tailor the app to a screen larger than a smartphone and optimise it for tablet usage.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘I am very proud of Utah': RFK Jr. commends state officials on fluoridation ban
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — During a surprise visit to Utah, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised state officials for taking steps to ban water fluoridation in its water supply. In a press conference with state officials, Kennedy told lawmakers that they are leading the nation in 'making America healthy again' with the recent passage of the fluoridation ban, and other measures. 'I am very proud of Utah, it has emerged as the leader in making America healthy again,' Kennedy told reporters. 'If we want to be a moral nation, if we want to maintain our moral authority around the world, our chief obligation is to our children, and we are letting them down. I am very happy that Utah is taking the lead in so many ways.' PREVIOUS: Gov. Cox signs fluoridation ban into law – a nationwide first The visit comes after the Utah Legislature passed three bills during the 2025 General Session: H.B. 81 — or Fluoride Amendments — which bans fluoridation in public water systems. H.B. 402 — or Food Additives in Schools — which bans additives in school lunches. H.B. 403 — or SNAP Funds Amendments — which prohibits food stamp and other food assistances funds four buying soda. 'While other states are just talking about the solutions, Utah is actually implementing and creating the solutions,' House Speaker Mike Schultz said during the press conference. 'We are not afraid to lead on these issues.' READ MORE: Will removing fluoridation reduce your water bill? Here's what cities say During the visit, reporters also had a chance to hear from the EPA administrator, Lee Zeldin, who made an announcement that the EPA will be making fluoride 'top of the list' in the agency's agenda. 'EPA is here today to make an announcement that wouldn't be happening if not for Secretary Kennedy,' Zeldin began. 'What EPA is going to do is go back and look at these studies … and we're prepared to act on this science.' Kennedy has also indicated that he will ask the CDC to stop recommending that fluoride be added in public drinking water. Prior to the press conference, Kennedy and other officials took a tour of the public health center at the University of Utah. Several protesters gathered at the event, and multiple organizations issued statements regarding Kennedy's visit to the state. 'We welcome public discourse on health policy,' said Dr. Rodney Thornell, President of the Utah Dental Association. 'But it's important that these discussions are rooted in sound science and public health evidence. Fluoridation is one of the most studied and beneficial public health interventions of the last century.' The Utah Oral Health Coalition voiced their concerns, saying, 'Fluoride is especially critical for young children who lack regular access to dental services. Our coalitions of dentists, dieticians, medical doctors, researchers, and academics in Utah are available to all media to provide accurate information on fluoride. We call on Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Utah leadership to support science-based, community decision-making in public health policies.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gov. Cox signs fluoridation ban into law
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — It's official, Governor Spencer Cox has signed a bill banning water fluoridation in public water systems – a nationwide first. H.B. 81 — or Fluoride Amendments — is a law that will to public water systems. It would also allow pharmacists to prescribed fluoride tablets to those needing fluoride as an alternative delivery method for those wishing to take fluoride. Currently, there are two counties and several municipalities across the state that fluoride their water systems, those systems serve around 1.6 million people. With the bill being signed by the governor, public water managers will have until May 7 to cease fluoridation operations. The process of fluoridation is the addition or removal of fluoride in order to meet the recommended levels beneficial to oral health, which is 0.7 milligrams per liter, or about three drops within a 55-gallon barrel of water. As fluoride is removed from Utah's public water, the new law allows pharmacists to prescribe fluoride tablets to those who which to continue receiving fluoride. Cox allows flag ban to go into effect without signature, acts on remaining bills Unlike other bills this session, the debate around fluoridation saw support and resistance from bi-partisan lawmakers as Utah's Republicans and Democrats either voiced support or opposition to the bill in the final vote in the legislature. The bill also garnered nationwide attention, as the Beehive State is the first in the nation to mandate a statewide ban on public water fluoridation. Although water providers will be removing their fluoridation systems, don't expect your water bill to be affected much. In previous statements to water providers don't expect prices to change at all for customers. Water Pro INC said residents might see 'less than 90 cents per month' in savings as a result of the ban. Other providers said that bills might go up as they get rid of standing supplies and equipment. Dentists have issued warnings about what the ban could mean for Utahns, saying that without fluoride cavities will go up, especially among the less fortunate. 'It really only hurts the children whose families are not aware of the benefits of the program, or cannot afford to go to their dentist or physician to get fluoride supplements,' Mark Fullner, local dentist in Utah County, told 'It also puts the burden of compliance on adults in those families who care enough to follow the guidelines to administer proper doses. Chances of a mistake in those circumstances seems to be much higher than the associated risks with well monitored addition of fluoride to the water source.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill to plug ‘missing year' of Nebraska property tax relief for schools on pause for now
State Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering, center, hosts a news conference on property taxes. Behind him are, from left: State Sens. Margo Juarez of Omaha, Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, Tom Brandt of Plymouth, Jana Hughes of Seward and Glen Meyer of Pender. Jan. 9, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — The effort to plug a 'hole' left behind from Nebraska's 2024 special session on property taxes — a 'missing year' of tax relief — will likely not move forward this year. State Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering, the sponsor of Legislative Bill 81, confirmed the status of his bill this week. If passed, LB 81 seeks to extend the previous refundable income tax credit for school property taxes paid the previous year for one more year. That program ended with the passage of a bill during the special session that ended in August. 'A missing year': No income tax credits for Nebraskans to offset school property taxes paid in 2024 LB 81's goal is to capture relief for the roughly 85% of Nebraska taxpayers who pay property taxes in arrears, such as property taxes assessed in December 2023 but paid throughout 2024. Hardin said State Sen. Brad von Gillern of the Elkhorn area, chair of the Revenue Committee, has opted to keep LB 81 in committee and not 'exec' on it, the step toward voting whether to advance the bill. 'Unfortunately there's nothing we can do if they won't exec on it and send it out,' Hardin said this week. 'If they don't exec on it this year and leave it there, this will continue to be something we'll pick at into the next half of the biennium.' If the committee were to vote, von Gillern explained, the state's projected $457 million budget shortfall for the next two years, prior to any legislative action, means LB 81 'would certainly fail.' He and the former chair of the Revenue Committee, former State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, have said property tax relief is still coming each fiscal year, just at a different time. Von Gillern added that should the state's fiscal position improve by next year, and Hardin's bill remains in committee for now, 'the bill stays alive.' 'We have an opportunity to potentially move it forward at that time,' von Gillern said. 'The best thing we can do right now is leave it in committee.' LB 81 was spearheaded and later drafted by former State Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard before he was term-limited in January. Just weeks after the summer special session, as first reported by the Nebraska Examiner, he found what he blasted as a 'plain and simple retroactive property tax increase.' When lawmakers voted 40-3 in August to approve LB 34, they revamped the previous tax credit program created in 2020 to apply automatically to taxpayer statements. In December, that meant many Nebraskans who did not know or were previously unable to request the tax credits received relief for the first time, which lawmakers and the governor lauded as a major success of the 17-day session of many twists and turns over multiple months. In doing so, lawmakers eliminated the tax credit for any taxes paid in 2024. About 15% of taxpayers who paid 2023 assessed property taxes by the end of that year were able to get relief when they filed their 2024 tax returns. The Nebraska Department of Revenue estimated LB 81 would initially cost $4.5 million for technical changes and to hire nearly 100 temporary staff to handle amended returns and answer taxpayer questions about the change. The new credits that would be distributed under LB 81 would be over a three-year period because most taxpayers would need to file amended returns, the department said, estimated as follows: $102 million in credits during the current fiscal year (ending June 30). $503 million in credits during the next fiscal year (July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026). $32 million in credits during the third fiscal year (July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027). 'Given this will likely be a slow process, the majority of the refunds will take place during FY 25-26,' the fiscal note states. With a chuckle, Hardin said he was one of the ones to miss out on the tax credit. Among taxpayers who did pay early: Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen. Hardin, Erdman and their supporters say the tax relief is owed to all taxpayers. 'What is fascinating to me is that at no point have I really had anybody who has ever said, 'No, you're not owed that money.' It's just, 'We can't afford it,'' Hardin said. LB 81 did not receive a 'priority' designation this year, meaning even if advanced from the Revenue Committee, it would head to the back of the line, behind more than 100 other proposals, as well as the budget, unless it hitched a ride on one of those items. Asked whether taxpayers should expect any changes before the April 15 tax filing deadline, Hardin said bluntly: 'No.' Hardin could opt to try to 'pull' the bill from committee, which would require 25 votes, or 30 votes if the Revenue Committee in response voted to 'indefinitely postpone' or kill the bill. Hardin is not planning to file a pull motion at this time but does hope to have some productive conversations in the future. He said advancing the bill would be the most transparent approach for taxpayers who want an answer. 'We made a mistake, and we need to own that mistake,' Hardin said. 'We need to come up with that money for those people that we passed over, and that would be the right thing to do.' Before, in LB 1107 (2020) December 2019 assessed taxes. Most paid in 2020. Income tax credits in 2021. December 2020 assessed taxes. Most paid in 2021. Income tax credits in 2022. December 2021 assessed taxes. Most paid in 2022. Income tax credits in 2023. December 2022 assessed taxes. Most paid in 2023. Income tax credits in 2024. December 2023 assessed taxes. Most paid in 2024. Income tax credits in 2025. After, in LB 34 (2024) December 2023 assessed taxes. No income tax credits available (unless taxes were paid by Dec. 31, 2023). December 2024 assessed taxes. Discount automatically applied upon payment, typically in 2025. December 2025 assessed taxes. Discount automatically applied upon payment, typically in 2026. Proposed, in LB 81 (2025) December 2023 assessed taxes. Most paid in 2024. Income tax credits in 2025. December 2024 assessed taxes. Discount automatically applied upon payment, typically in 2025. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
