Latest news with #AlFranken
Gulf Today
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
‘The Residence': Uzo Aduba delights in Netflix murder mystery
OK, so think 'Scandal,' but take out the sex and the spying and the occasional gruesomeness and all but one suspicious death, and add more wit, a lot of bird-watching, a dash of 'Knives Out' and a lot of behind-the-scenes-at-the-White-House-family-quarters dish, and you'll get 'The Residence,' the latest Netflix offering from Shonda Rhimes' factory of addictive TV. Starring a delightfully unimpressed Uzo Aduba as eccentric detective Cordelia Cupp, 'The Residence' is a murder mystery unfolding over eight episodes, in which Cordelia and a gaggle of hangers-on try to figure out why White House lead usher A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito, mostly turning up in flashbacks) was found dead on the Game Room floor after a state dinner. (Nonspoiler alert: Netflix didn't make the final episode available for preview, so I have no idea whatsoever whodunit — but let's just say I, like Cordelia, have my suspicions.) Though now might not be the ideal time for a screwball comedy set in the White House, rest assured that 'The Residence' is strictly apolitical and might actually provide a cheerful diversion from daily news; the residence staffers on the show emphasize that (as in real life) they work for the house, not the specific administration. The show is inspired by Kate Andersen Brower's 2015 nonfiction book 'The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House,' and fascinating tidbits from that book pop up in the show; for example, the fact that first families, often to their surprise, are billed for their own food at the White House. And Lyndon B. Johnson's legendary obsession with having the hottest, strongest shower possible appears in a late episode, as the pet cause of fictional president Perry Morgan (Paul Fitzgerald). The fun here, though, is in the performances, and in the snappy pacing that wouldn't be out of place in a rat-a-tat '30s rom-com. Series creator Paul William Davies (a 'Scandal' veteran) rapidly introduces us to a vast crowd of characters: Cordelia, a genius detective who loves tinned mackerel and would really rather be bird-watching; FBI special agent Edwin Park (Randall Park), reluctantly paired with Cordelia; would-be head usher Jasmine Haney (Susan Kelechi Watson); usher/loose cannon Sheila Cannon (Edwina Findley); Reese Witherspoon-ish social secretary Lilly Schumacher (Molly Griggs); the president's ne'er-do-well brother Tripp (Jason Lee); a rather dramatic pastry chef named Didier (Bronson Pinchot); and ... sorry, I need to catch my breath here, something the show doesn't really let you do. Anyway, there seem to be approximately 200 main characters, including a senator played by Al Franken who caused me to think for much too long that wow, that actor really looks a lot like Al Franken, and a very funny running gag involving Hugh Jackman. Things unfold in a way familiar to anyone who's read an Agatha Christie novel or watched Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc: The detective asks questions, hears multiple versions of what happened, looks for clues, gets distracted by rare birds. (OK, that last thing is a fresh twist.) It's great fun to follow the twisty cameras up and down the beautifully re-created White House hallways, to watch as the rapid-fire narrative zips from one scene to the next, to appreciate Aduba's multiple variants on Cordelia's weary resignation to being the smartest person in the room. (I loved the slightly blase tone which she sighs, upon seeing an array of men determined to weigh in on the investigation, 'That is a lot of dudes,' and the way she gets people to confess to things simply by holding her face very still.) And there are enough supporting players from 'Veep' (Park, Fitzgerald, Isiah Whitlock Jr.) to make you wonder whether Julia Louis-Dreyfus' President Selina Meyer might suddenly sashay into the room and start barking orders; a welcome thought indeed. Tribune news Service
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Al Franken on future political bid: ‘I'm ruling it out'
Former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) says he's closing the door on running for public office again. 'I don't think I'll be running again,' the 'Saturday Night Live' writer and performer-turned-lawmaker told The Hill in a recent interview focused on his role in the forthcoming Netflix series, 'The Residence.' When asked if he was ruling out a future political bid, Franken said, 'I'm not ruling it —,' before briefly pausing. 'I'm ruling it out, yeah,' he said. The 73-year-old comedian resigned in 2018 amid a pressure campaign from his Senate colleagues after allegations of sexual misconduct. Franken denied the accusations and has said in the past that he regretted resigning. In 2021, Franken said he was keeping his 'options open' as far as any future political bid. He said in 2022 that 'it would be tempting' to run for office again. Last month, Franken indicated he wasn't eyeing a return to the upper chamber after Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced she wouldn't seek reelection in 2026. 'I look forward to supporting the candidate we nominate to work on behalf of Minnesotans in Washington,' Franken said in a social media post. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hill
Al Franken on future political bid: ‘I'm ruling it out'
Former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) says he's closing the door on running for public office again. 'I don't think I'll be running again,' the 'Saturday Night Live' writer and performer-turned-lawmaker told The Hill in a recent interview focused on his role in the forthcoming Netflix series, 'The Residence.' When asked if he was ruling out a future political bid, Franken said, 'I'm not ruling it —,' before briefly pausing. 'I'm ruling it out, yeah,' he said. The 73-year-old comedian resigned in 2018 amid a pressure campaign from his Senate colleagues after allegations of sexual misconduct. Franken denied the accusations and has said in the past that he regretted resigning. 2024 Election Coverage In 2021, Franken said he was keeping his 'options open' as far as any future political bid. He said in 2022 that 'it would be tempting' to run for office again. Last month, Franken indicated that he wasn't eyeing a return to the upper chamber after Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced she wouldn't seek reelection in 2026. 'I look forward to supporting the candidate we nominate to work on behalf of Minnesotans in Washington,' Franken said in a social media post.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Celebrating a healthier Minnesota
By Al Franken, It has been two years since President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and even though it won't be fully implemented until 2014, millions of Americans and Minnesotans are already enjoying benefits from important provisions in the law. For example, no child in American can now be denied health insurance coverage because he or she has a pre-existing condition. Parents across Minnesota and around the country can sleep a little bit easier knowing that if their child gets sick, they'll still be able to get the health care coverage they need. And speaking of parents, young adults can now stay on their parents' health insurance policy until they're 26. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, 32,189 young adults in Minnesota are now insured on their parents' policy. The act also benefits seniors. I go to a lot of senior centers around the state. And because of the health care law, more than 57,000 seniors in Minnesota received a 50 percent discount on their coveredbrand name prescription drugs when they hit the donut hole, at an average savings of $590 dollars per person. By 2020, the law will close the donut hole entirely. I could go on and on with what we've already gained. But I want to talk a little about a provision I wrote, with the catchy name 'medical loss ratio,' which is sometimes called the 80-20 rule. Because of my medical loss ratio provision, which I based on a Minnesota state law, health insurance companies must spend 80 to 85 percent of their premiums on actual health care. Not on administrative costs, not marketing, not CEO salaries, not profits. And we've already heard that the medical loss ratio is working-plans are already lowering premiums in order to comply with the law. For example, Aetna in Connecticutlowered their premiums an average of 10 percent because of this provision inthe law. Another key provision in the law is the value index. The value index rewards doctors for the quality of the care they deliver, not the quantity of care. Minnesota is the leader in delivering high value health care at a relatively low cost. And traditionally, we have been woefully under-reimbursed for it. For example, Texas gets reimbursed about 50 percent more per Medicare patient than Minnesota, even though they often get worse results. Now this isn't about pitting Minnesota against Texas or Florida-it's about rewarding those states to become more like Minnesota. Imagine if we brought Medicare expenditures down by 30 percent around the country. It will bring enormous benefits-not just to Minnesota but across the country, because it will bring down the cost of health care delivery nationwide. And we all know that bringing down health care costs is key to getting our long-term deficits under control. The Congressional Budget Office, a non-partisan agency of Congress, has crunched the numbers and reported that the Affordable Care Act will insure 31 million more Americans and bring down our national deficit by billions of dollars in its first ten years and by approximately a trillion dollars in its second ten. I ask the American people not to fall victim to disinformation. There are no death panels. The Affordable Care Act cuts the deficit. Under this law, businesses under 50 employees don't have to provide insurance for their employees and won't suffer penalties if they don't. They won't have to pay fines or be dragged into prison. The benefits of this law are tremendous and Americans across the country are already experiencing them. Going forward, as we continue implementation, I look forward to a healthier, more secure, Minnesota.
