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Los Angeles Times
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘Superman' star Isabela Merced is owning her power onscreen — and IRL
Last year, Isabela Merced was living a double life. By day, she was running around the set of 'The Last of Us' in Vancouver — dodging Infected, WLF soldiers and Seraphites alongside co-star Bella Ramsey. Then, after wrapping what was sometimes a 15-hour workday, she'd be on a flight 4,500 miles away to Atlanta — doing costume fittings and fight training to become Hawkgirl in James Gunn's 'Superman.' 'I didn't know I could do that,' she tells De Los. 'I proved to myself that I'm capable of more than I think.' The Peruvian American actress has the kind of career that any young actor would aspire to: She made her Broadway debut at 10 years old in 'Evita,' earned critical acclaim acting opposite Benicio del Toro in 'Sicario: Day of the Soldado' at 17 and starred in the live-action film adaptation of the massively successful 'Dora the Explorer' franchise when she was just 18. In the last year alone, she's grown into a certified action star, making waves in huge franchise entries like 'Alien: Romulus,' 'The Last of Us' Season 2 and 'Superman.' At 24 years old, her filmography of formidable heroines, scrappy spitfires and multifaceted young women in major blockbusters has put her on a path that's been largely inaccessible to so many of the Latino actors who came before her. It's why she also has her sights set on producing, hoping to provide more opportunities for her community in front of and behind the camera. Yet this month, she's turning her focus away from the screen and toward her other creative calling: music. In 2020 she released her debut EP, 'The Better Half of Me,' which showcased her bilingual prowess through soulful Latin pop tracks, written and produced alongside her brother, Gyovanni Moner, during quarantine. Now, she's revisiting the project in a collaboration with the Grammy Award-winning Peruvian artist Tony Succar. Their new single 'Apocalipsis,' released Friday, transforms Merced's 2020 song of the same name from a slow jam to a modernized salsa groove fit for a Miami nightclub. With 'Superman' now out on digital platforms, Merced spoke with De Los about donning Hawkgirl's helmet, working with Succar on 'Apocalipsis,' and what's coming up next. It seems like everything is kept pretty under wraps for these massive superhero movies. How much did you know going into your 'Superman' audition? Initially, I had no idea who I was auditioning for because everything had secret names. I think mine said 'Cyclone' in the script. I didn't actually find out who I was until the day of the camera test with the [Justice Gang]. Oh, wow. How did they tell you?They didn't want to make it obvious that they were about to tell me, so it was all really mysterious. I'd been doing all the fittings, and the fight training, and then I got pulled into James [Gunn's] trailer with the producers and everyone, and they were like 'Do you want to be Hawkgirl?' As soon as I found out, I was really, really excited because I was like 'Oh thank God, it's someone I know.' What was your connection to Hawkgirl before this? I grew up watching [the 'Justice League' animated series] and the character is canonically Latina, so I loved that. Her history is really complicated, and it gets even crazier when you get into the comics, but I was a huge fan of her in the show, and I drew a lot on my memories of Maria [Canals-Barrera's] version of her. I mean, they're two different characters, but they're still of the same spirit because they share memories of their past lives. What made you most excited about this version of the character? Did you connect with her at all?She's the only young woman in this group of guys, in an industry that's mostly headed up by men, and in a movie that's mostly led by men. It was a really cool opportunity to exercise a different way of being in that kind of environment. She's kind of the unfiltered and disconnected, doesn't-care-how-she's-perceived version of me, and that was really cathartic to play. Because you also have a music background, I'm curious about whether you use music as a tool to get into character?Oh, yeah, definitely. Every character I play, I make a playlist of songs that remind me of them, and I'll play them before I go to film. With Hawkgirl it was a lot of punk music that I was discovering, with all these really strong singers. Then there were songs that Bella [Ramsey] and I really loved by Adrianne Lenker that informed our experience a lot as Dina and Ellie [in 'The Last of Us']. There was some '80s music in there too, maybe some early 2000s, but in general, just really soft, sweet, romantic songs. You're releasing a salsa remix of your 2020 single, 'Apocalipsis,' with Tony Succar. How did that come about?I mean, 'remix' almost feels like an understatement because it feels like a completely different song. That's thanks to Tony, who's the first Peruvian to win a Grammy. He came to me with this opportunity four years ago, and we recorded the song, but I was signed to a label and we weren't able to release it. Now that I'm free and independent, and he won his Grammy, he wanted to put it on his EP, and I was like, 'Hell yeah, let's do it.' He gave me the freedom to do the video for it, and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I got to dance for it, and I learned all the choreography in an hour and a half. It was crazy, but I'm really excited for people to see it. How would you describe your music taste? And how does it connect to the type of music you want to make?It's hard to pin down. If I'm looking at my most recents, it's Hermanos Gutiérrez. But it's also Dick Gaughan, Big Thief, Los Mirlos, which is a Peruvian band, and the Andrew Oldham Orchestra. There's no through line there other than good music. I already have a lot going on with acting, so if music could stay something fun and light for me, and not so disciplined, I think that would be nice. Is there a musical or an idea for a musical that would get you excited about returning to Broadway?Have they done a Selena musical? No, I think I would have remembered that. But that would be cool, getting to dance on stage. It would be like a concert-slash-musical theater experience, kind of like what they did with Gloria Estefan's 'On Your Feet!' If it was made by the right people with respect to her life and her legacy, I think that could be dope. But honestly, if I were to do something on Broadway, I would love for it to be an original composition. I'm currently working on one right now. I'm producing it, and also going to be in it. Things are moving along really well, and it's another project with friends. I think we have to take more bold chances when it comes to Broadway, because everyone's trying to reach a younger audience — but I think the most efficient way of doing that is by allowing the younger audience to bring their stories forward and tell them. You've mentioned that you're getting into producing. What kind of projects do you have in the works right now?I'm producing one movie that's shooting in September called 'Psyche.' I'm really excited about it. We have Latina director, and also the project I'm supposed to do next after that is going to be directed by a Peruvian woman. So there's some really, really cool s— that I've been trying to do, where I'll have more creative control and freedom — but also a lower budget, so, you know, roughing [it] compared to what I've been doing the last few years. But I'm excited to get to the root of why I love to do this and feel it fully. Your career is so interesting because it's just getting started, and yet, it's not the kind of career that many Latino actors have historically been able to achieve so early on. How do you process that?I'm in an interesting position because I think Hollywood is really comfortable picking Latino actors who are sort of white-forward or mixed before they're willing to cast Indigenous people. And look, I'll take anything I can get, because, girl, I'm just trying to work in this economy. [Laughs] But I think being aware of that is really important because when I go off and do my own projects, and have the power, I can hire people that look more like the people that I grew up with, or that look like my family. But it doesn't always happen that way. Financing is hard to get, and when you're trying to bring people on, they want someone who's already known, and Hollywood just hasn't given many of those opportunities to people of certain skin colors. Because you've grown up in this industry, I'm curious what your experience has been like learning to speak up for and advocate for yourself?Something I've learned is that there's always a power struggle going on, whether that's on a personal level, or on a bigger level, or even socially. I think we're constantly fighting for power. And because of that, we can become very defensive. So I think the biggest challenge for me wasn't necessarily what I went through, but how I reacted to it: by choosing to keep an open heart and still love freely and trust in people because of how I was raised. I think we all have a choice to make when we're harmed, and that's to either close up and harm others, or to keep going. It sucks, but I won't let that dictate the way I move through life.
Los Angeles Times
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Bad Bunny's residency gives local artists the chance to tell Puerto Rico's real history
Hello, this is De Los reporter Carlos De Loera. I will be taking over the Latinx Files for the next couple of months while Fidel is on parental leave. I hope I do him justice! 'No me quiero ir de aquí.' It's more than just the name of Bad Bunny's months-long Puerto Rico concert residency; it's a radical declaration against colonialism and gentrification, as well as a defiant call for cultural preservation and celebration. This week the U.S. federal government exercised another overreach of power over Puerto Rico, when the Trump administration dismissed five out of seven members of Puerto Rico's federal control board that oversees the U.S. territory's finances. All of the fired board members belonged to the Democratic Party; the remaining two members are Republicans. As other parts of the Spanish-speaking world grapple with being priced out of their own communities, and a watering down of their long-standing cultures, artists in Puerto Rico are using their work to give visitors a not-so-gentle reminder: No one can kick them out of their own home. Last week, the Latinx advocacy group Mijente — alongside the art collective AgitArte — collaborated with local Puerto Rican artists and organizations to present a free art exhibition that highlights the everyday societal struggles of Boricuas. Located in the Santurce barrio of San Juan, the 'De Aquí Nadie Nos Saca' exhibit is marketing itself as a spiritual companion piece to Bad Bunny's album, 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos,' by delving into the musical joy and ongoing resistance movements of the island. The name of the exhibition itself is a play on the lyrics from Bad Bunny's track 'La Mudanza,' in which he sings, 'De aquí nadie me saca' — 'nobody can get me out of here.' But the space has more than just a thematic connection to the Grammy-winning artist. Members of AgitArte and one of its affiliated community theater collectives, Papel Machete, contributed to the 'La Mudanza' music video by providing a giant papier-mâché puppet named La Maestra Combativa. It can be seen in the last minute of the video, holding up a colorful sign that reads 'De aquí nadie me saca.' The momentum of Bad Bunny's latest album and subsequent tour met Mijente's mission at a serendipitous time that led to the creation of the new showcase. 'The socio-cultural moment and the political moment needed different kinds of things, not just the normal playbook of social work,' said Mijente communications director Enrique Cárdenas Sifre. 'We needed to experiment a little bit more.' According to Cárdenas Sifre, part of the hope for the exhibition is to combat a pervasive narrative that Latinx people are more conservative-leaning than they realize. Bad Bunny's sentiment of 'todo el mundo quiere ser latino' — and the universal praise and online utilization of 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos' — allowed for Mijente to reopen the conversation about the true values of Latinx people in Puerto Rico. 'We can use the opportunity of a mainstream event to experiment with reoccupying and reutilizing all the cultural work for our causes,' he said. 'For immigration causes, for liberation, decolonization, social, racial, gender equity and struggles ... especially in Puerto Rico. So all of that came together at the same time.' With hundreds of thousands of tourists descending upon the island to watch the 'Baile Inolvidable' singer perform, it seemed like the right time to challenge tourists to engage with some of the more difficult and harrowing experiences of Puerto Ricans. 'No seas un turista más,' or 'don't be just another tourist,' is one of the main phrases used to advertise the exhibition, which asks people to confront colonialism, gender dynamics, environmental ruin, state violence and displacement. 'If you only have a few moments to be in San Juan [for the tour], please come to the exposition and help us amplify, connect and support all the local organizations that are doing the work,' Cárdenas Sifre said. 'No seas un turista más, conoce un poco de la historia real de Puerto Rico.' Telling the 'real history' of the island are over 39 artists and organizations — with special help from AgitArte curator Dey Hernández — that make up 'a piece' of the whole movement that Mijente is pushing for. 'We always try to recognize that we need joy, we need perreo, we need our culture, we need our sazón, but at the same time, we keep fighting for the things that we want in our lives and in our future,' Cárdenas Sifre said. 'We want to go a little bit deeper for tourists to understand that it's generations of struggle. So you can come to the exposition and support by donating directly to an organization or artist that is presenting.' Open from Wednesday through Sunday, the exhibition will continue showcasing its works through early October. After its opening weekend, organizers of the event are enthused by the intergenerational crowds and the litany of responses the art has elicited. 'They see their fights, they see themselves in the exhibition,' Cárdenas Sifre said. 'Some people have to go outside to cry for a minute, because there hadn't been a place that hit on all these social battles and they recognize the years of work that went behind collecting it all. There's also joy and celebration, it's really run the gamut of every emotion.... Everyone tells us that this space was needed.' One thing that Cárdenas Sifre wanted to make clear is that the exhibit is not affiliated with any electoral political alliance, but rather a 'real new alliance of the folks doing the work on the ground every day.' 'These organizations and artists don't always have a space to come together to talk about the work that [they] are doing, talk about the struggles they are facing. [It's about] generating a little space [to] conspire the next [steps for] the movement in Puerto Rico.' Julio Salgado is a visual artist based in Long Beach. His work has been displayed at the Oakland Museum, SFMOMA, and Smithsonian American Art Museum. (@juliosalgado83) Unless otherwise noted, all stories in this section are from the L.A. Times. SoCal heat wave: When can you expect relief? Sadly, not anytime soon
Los Angeles Times
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
De Los turns 2. Here's what we did over the last year
On the night of July 9, 2023, one of the De Los editors — they shall remain nameless — accidentally flipped the site live while doing some last-minute revisions, a full 12 hours before our announced launch date. And so, after nearly a year of planning and prepping, The Times' section focusing on Latino culture and identity was born. Wednesday marked our second anniversary, and let me tell you, the last 12 months have been quite a ride. Whereas Year 1 was full of growing pains, Year 2 was all about us hitting our stride. During this period, we've extensively covered the ever-growing popularity of Latin music, profiling some of the genre's biggest stars and providing context on some of the year's most important albums — take this story, which explains how Bad Bunny's 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos' isn't just a love letter to Puerto Rico, but a history of the island as well. Curious about the current state of Latin music? We put together a roundtable of hitmakers and asked them to weigh in. The De Los team also proved to be ambitious during our sophomore year, undertaking three separate packages: a deep dive into the many ways in which música Mexicana has influenced Southern California culture; the De Los 101, a curated list of 101 businesses and organizations we felt represented the best of Latino L.A.; and a retrospective on the impact of Selena Quintanilla's legacy 30 years after her death. In addition to our culture coverage, we also supplemented The Times' great coverage of major news events by reporting on how these effected the Latino community, whether it be the L.A. wildfires or the ongoing ICE raids. We also partnered with the Cultivating Inland Empire Latino Opportunity (CIELO) Fund at the Inland Empire Community Foundation to expand our coverage into the Inland Empire, a relationship that has yielded one of my favorite De Los stories to date — a feature on Las Valentinas del Valle de Coachella, a group of middle and elementary schoolers who are keeping the traditional Mexican sport of escaramuza alive. Beyond our reporting, the last 12 months saw us be more in community with our audience. We were at South by Southwest in March for our second annual music showcase. A month later, we were at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books with two days of programming at the De Los Stage in association with L.A. Times en Español. Last summer, we co-presented a free concert with Grand Performances headlined by Daymé Arocena, and we'll be back again on Aug. 2 with Adrian Quesada and his 'Boleros Psicodélicos' — you can RSVP here. We're also planning something special for Día de Muertos, so stay tuned for more details. None of this would have been possible without your continued support. The De Los team is heartened every time one of you stops by our live events, or shares one of our stories or Instagram videos with your friends. Thank you and here's to Year 3! Julio Salgado is a visual artist based in Long Beach. His work has been displayed at the Oakland Museum, SFMOMA, and Smithsonian American Art Museum. (@juliosalgado83) Two Camp Mystic counselors from Mexico describe managing campers through the Texas floods Silvana Garza Valdez and María Paula Zárate, 19-year-old camp counselors from Mexico, recalled the events during the deadly disaster that killed more than 100 people, including 27 campers and counselors, in an interview with NMás on Saturday. Amid ongoing ICE raids, the Chicxs Rockerxs summer camp moves to protect community Based in Southeast Los Angeles, the rock 'n' roll camp has gone online this year out of safety concerns for campers and their families. Commentary: The 'Love Island USA' scandal highlights how prevalent racist language is among Latinos Contestants Yulissa Escobar and Cierra Ortega were removed from 'Love Island USA' for past use of racial slurs. 'Dora the Explorer' turns 25 this year. Her legacy transcends generations. The beloved bilingual kids show celebrates its anniversary with a new live-action film, 'Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado.' Journalist Mario Guevara is still in ICE detention despite being granted bond Journalist Mario Guevara has released a statement from an ICE detention facility. He was arrested during a 'No Kings' protest in metro Atlanta in June and has been in ICE custody since. Commentary: Pixar's 'Elio' is not a political movie, but it arrives at a political time 'It's not a stretch to think that the premise of a Latino kid alienated for who he is and who believes that he won't ever feel fully accepted in the place he calls home could speak to millions of Latino children across this country,' writes contributor Carlos Aguilar. Manuel Masalva of 'Narcos: Mexico' 'reborn' after 105 days in hospital Actor Manuel Masalva shared his first public message in an Instagram post Monday after spending 105 days at a Dubai hospital following a severe bacterial infection. Heavily armed immigration agents descend on L.A.'s MacArthur Park They came with horses and armored vehicles, carrying rifles and in tactical gear in the middle of what is the heart of immigrant Los Angeles. But there were few of their supposed targets to be found Monday — immigrants without documentation. Immigration raid at cannabis farm leads to violence in Camarillo as hundreds protest Protesters blocked the roads in and out of one of the farms, and at one point federal agents drove their vehicles through the fields. Cal State L.A. allows online classes, excused absences as students express fear amid ICE raids In a letter to faculty, the university provost said that after hearing from students 'scared to take public transit and fearful of driving to campus,' leaders reiterated policies that also allow professors to provide excused absences and alternative makeup work arrangements for concerned students. Federal arrests in L.A. approach 2,800 since raids began, DHS says Arrests continue to mount in the aggressive federal operation that began more than a month ago to track down and detain undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles, according to Homeland Security figures released Tuesday. Honduran home cook sells internet-viral burritos for the workers of L.A. The cooking videos of Maria Sanchez — also known as 'Maria la de los Burritos' — went viral, and her business selling burritos from the trunk of her car took off.
Los Angeles Times
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Thinking about America for the Fourth, plus the week's best movies in L.A.
Hello! I'm Mark Olsen. Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies. Our colleagues at De Los ran a thoughtful and provocative interview this week with Patricia Riggen, director of 'Under the Same Moon,' which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Andrea Flores spoke to Riggen about the film's legacy and how it might be different trying to make the film today. 'Under the Same Moon' traces the journey of 9-year-old Carlitos (Adrián Alonso) as he heads from Mexico to Los Angeles to find his mother Rosario (Kate del Castillo), an undocumented worker. He is aided along the way by another migrant, Enrique (Eugenio Derbez). Also featuring America Ferrera in a small role and an appearance by the band Los Tigres del Norte, the movie is currently available for rent on multiple digital platforms. At the time, the film broke box-office records for a Spanish-language film in the U.S., audiences resonating with its heartfelt emotions and focus on the bond between and mother and son. 'If I made 'Under the Same Moon' right now, I would not make it like that,' said Riggen. 'It would be dark as hell.' Riggen added, 'I wanted to make a movie that the Latino audience connected with and immigrants could watch. But the tone would be different. I would do a deep dive into the problem. I stayed away from making the movie political and concentrated more on the love story with the mother-son relationship. ... Now I feel like it's time to have more of a political angle. Half the country still believes that immigrants are criminals, but being able to feed your loved one is a human right.' Riggen said she and 'Same Moon' screenwriter Ligiah Villalobos have been working to adapt the story into a series. 'I find Hollywood, my industry, to be a little bit responsible for the hostility that Latinos and immigrants find as a community in the U.S.,' Riggen said. 'Our representation of Latinos has rarely been positive. We have to turn things around and represent the community in a positive light, not just the negative way that is prompting hostility by half of the country.' Maybe it's just me, but this year the Fourth of July is feeling extra emotional: fraught and complicated as America as a concept, an ideal and a current practical reality that feels so imperiled and fractured. It's difficult not to be in a mode of reflection rather than celebration. Local theaters are coming through with an array of films to help you meditate on the state of the nation, get away from all that or maybe a bit of both. The New Beverly Cinema will be screening 'Dazed and Confused,' Richard Linklater's 1993 ode to hanging out as a pathway to figuring yourself out, on Friday afternoon. 'The Return of the Living Dead,' Dan O'Bannon's horror-comedy, set over the Independence Day holiday, will play in the evening on Friday and Saturday. Steven Spielberg's 1981 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' still a rousing action-adventure delight, will be at Vidiots on Friday. Tim Burton's 1985 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure' will play Friday and Saturday. Vidiots will also be showing John Carpenter's painfully prescient 1988 sci-fi-action classic 'They Live' on Saturday in 35mm. The American Cinematheque will screen Robert Altman's 'Nashville,' which, with all its contradictions, might sum up America about as well as any movie can. It plays at the Egyptian on Friday. I recently spoke to one of the film's stars, Ronee Blakley, about the film's enduring impact. 'It was just a bunch of talent put together by a bunch of great people,' she said. The Cinematheque will also screen the original Cannes cut of Richard Kelly's 2006 'Southland Tales' at the Los Feliz 3. With a ridiculously huge cast including Dwayne Johnson and Sarah Michelle Gellar, a convoluted conspiracy plot and a musical number with Justin Timberlake, the film captures something about 21st century America that few others manage. I spoke to Kelly about the film in 2019, ahead of when the Cannes cut played for the first time in the city. 'It was this really incredibly ambitious, sprawling film,' Kelly said. 'I was writing graphic novel prequels and it was just too much. We really didn't have the technology or the resources to finish it. It was that the ambition was just overflowing. I didn't have the discipline at the time to reign myself in. So we knew we were going into a situation where we had to just put our best foot forward. I think it was my lawyer who said at the time that getting into the competition at Cannes was the best thing and the worst thing that ever happened to 'Southland Tales.'' On Saturday at the Hollywood Bowl will be a 50th anniversary screening of Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws' with a live performance of John Williams' score by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by David Newman. The Frida Cinema will be showing Brian De Palma's 'Blow-Out,' which contains an astonishing sequence set against a fireworks display, along with a whole week of other Fourth of July-themed movies, including 'Nashville' and 'Dazed and Confused.' The American Cinematheque is launching the latest edition of its 70mm festival this week and it is (again) such a warm confirmation of why this is such a special moment for moviegoing in Los Angeles. The intersection of a specific print of a certain title at an exact time and theater leads to experiences that simply cannot be repeated. This year there are a handful of new titles and prints to the selection. Among those being promoted as playing the series for the first time are Mel Brooks' 'Spaceballs,' David Lynch's 'Dune,' Milos Forman's 'Amadeus,' Joel Schumacher's 'Flatliners,' John McTiernan's 'Die Hard,' and Ivan Reitman's 'Ghostbusters' Also among the films playing will be Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey,' David Lean's 'Lawrence of Arabia,' Alfred Hitchcock's 'North by Northwest' and 'Vertigo,' John Ford's 'The Searchers,' Sam Peckinpah's 'The Wild Bunch,' Jacques Tati's 'Playtime,' Paul Verhoeven's 'Total Recall,' James Cameron's 'Aliens,' Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise's 'West Side Story,' Spike Lee's 'Malcolm X,' Tony Scott's 'Top Gun' and Robert Altman's 'Short Cuts.' Filmmaker Willard Huyck will be present for a screening of his 'Howard the Duck.' Director Margaret Honda will be there for 70mm screenings of the experimental films 'Spectrum Reverse Spectrum' and 'Equinox.' More recent titles have also been programmed: Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Boogie Nights' and 'The Master,' Jordan Peele's 'Nope,' Alfonso Cuarón's 'Roma,' Christopher Nolan's 'Inception,' Damien Chazelle's 'Babylon' and Brady Corbet's 'The Brutalist.' 'In the Mood for Love' 25th anniversary To commemorate the film's 25th anniversary, Wong Kar-wai's 'In the Mood for Love' is back in theaters along with the rarely seen short film, 'In the Mood for Love 2001' that reunites the film's stars, Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung. In the 2022 Sight & Sound poll of the greatest films of all time, 'In the Mood for Love' was the highest-ranking film released during the 21st century. The story of two people in 1962 Hong Kong, each married to others yet feeling an intense connection, unsure of how to act on their emerging bond, the film is an overwhelming emotional experience in which every slight nuance or touch takes on cascading impact. In his original review, Kenneth Turan wrote, 'A swooningly cinematic exploration of romantic longing, both restrained and sensual, luxuriating in color, texture and sound, this film raises its fascination with enveloping atmosphere and suppressed emotion to a ravishing, almost hypnotic level.' 'Sinners' on streaming Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners' starts streaming today on Max. Whether you are just catching up to the movie or checking it out again, it's nice to have it so easily accessible. (And a 4K disc will be available next week.) The story of twin brothers Smoke and Stack, both played by Michael B. Jordan, as they return to their hometown in 1930s Mississippi to open a juke joint nightclub only to be beset by roving vampires, 'Sinners' is an astonishing horror film and a thoughtful treatise on legacy. And makes for a fine Fourth of July movie as well. In her review of the film, Amy Nicholson wrote, 'What a blood rush to exit Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners' aware that you've seen not merely a great movie but an eternal movie, one that will transcend today's box office and tomorrow's awards to live on as a forever favorite. If the cinema had a dozen more ambitious populists like Coogler, it would be in tip-top health. The young filmmaker who started his career with the 2013 Sundance indie 'Fruitvale Station' had to make three franchise hits — one 'Rocky' and two 'Black Panthers' — before getting the green-light to direct his own original spectacle. It was worth the wait. Let the next Coogler get there faster.'
Los Angeles Times
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
In Trump's new budget bill, Latinos pay a hefty price
Periodically, the Latinx Files will feature guest writers. Filling in this week is De Los reporter Andrea Flores. On Thursday, the GOP-led House approved the Senate's version of the 'Big Beautiful Bill,' the Trump administration's domestic policy measure — and the measures are as drastic as its mammoth title seems to indicate. Nearly 1,000 pages long, the legislation grants tax cuts to the top 1% of U.S. households at the cost of healthcare, food and utilities, while also expanding spending for border security, defense and energy production. A look at the possible repercussions for the 65.2 million Latinos in the United States. What is happening: The bill will provide roughly $150 billion for President Trump's border and national security agenda. This includes $46.5 billion toward the continued construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall. The budget will also allocate $45 billion for immigration detention centers — which is 62% more than the budget for the entire federal prison system — and could result in daily detention numbers of at least 116,000 noncitizens, according to the American Immigration Council. About $32 billion will go toward immigration enforcement, including for the staffing of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as $7 billion for hiring Border Patrol agents and other officers. More than $3 billion will be allocated to the Justice Department to hire more judges and support staff, addressing a backlog of nearly 4 million pending cases in immigration court. The passage of the bill was championed by one of the main architects of Trump's immigration policy. 'The BBB will increase by orders of magnitude the scope, scale and speed of removing illegal and criminal aliens from the United States,' White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller boasted on X on Thursday. 'For that reason alone, it's the most essential piece of legislation currently under consideration in the entire Western World, in generations.' How it might affect Latinos: ICE enforcement and mass sweeps are expected to ramp up under this new legislation, which could affect 1 in 3 Latinos who are at risk for deportation or family separation, according to an analysis by The bill also permits detaining families indefinitely, pending a removal decision. To help fund the increased spending, the government will also be collecting greater fees from certain noncitizens. For example, those with temporary protected status — which includes about more than 1 million individuals, a majority of whom are from Venezuela, El Salvador and Honduras — will be required to pay $500 for the application, up from $50. What is happening: To offset some of the tax cuts, the bill will make significant cuts to social services such as Medicaid and Medicare — not to mention defunding Planned Parenthood clinics for up to one year. Roughly 78 million adults and children are enrolled in Medicaid programs across the country, which benefit low-income individuals, while 24 million people rely on the Affordable Care Act for health insurance. As of June 2024, approximately 6.8 million people in California are enrolled in Medicare, which benefits individuals over the age of 65 and younger adults with disabilities. Medicaid: The megabill will take about $1 trillion from the joint federal and state program for the next 10 years, making this the largest cut to Medicaid in history. It will also require childless adults and parents of children older than 13 to work, volunteer or attend school for 80 hours a month as a condition for enrollment of Medicaid (unless they qualify for an exemption). Individuals and families will also be required to prove their eligibility twice a year (instead of once) and some states could charge up to a $35 copay for medical services. Medicare and the ACA: The bill calls for $490 billion in overall cuts to Medicare from 2027 to 2034. It will limit immigrant Medicare coverage for green-card holders and other immigrants, as well as premium tax credits. It applies additional limits for individuals using the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) marketplace, who will be required to update their income, immigration status and other information each year instead of being reenrolled automatically. How it might affect Latinos: The Kaiser Family Foundation indicated that Latinos make up 30% of Medicaid enrollees. These new rules are likely to affect most vulnerable groups, including aging foster care youth, veterans and homeless individuals. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 11.8 million more Americans will become uninsured by 2034, which includes the 1.4 million people without verified citizenship, nationality or satisfactory immigration status. What is happening: Those between ages 18 and 65 must show proof of work to qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, unless they have a child under the age of 14 (with few exceptions). The bill will also limit benefits to citizens or lawful permanent residents (with some exceptions). How it might affect Latinos: Latinos make up 23% of SNAP recipients. The CBO estimates that 3 million people will not qualify for SNAP benefits. What is happening: The Pell Grant, which is awarded only based on exceptional need, will be reduced by nearly 23% — bringing the annual maximum award from $7,395 to $5,710, starting in fall 2026. Access to student loans for grad students will be trickier; the bill establishes a cap of $100,000 in federal loans for prospective master's students, and $200,000 for doctoral students, medical and professional degrees. The bill will also limit income-driven repayment options for borrowers, which will probably mean higher monthly payments for individuals juggling other financial necessities. How it might affect Latinos: According to Excelencia in Education, almost half of all Latino students receive the Pell Grant. Of the Latino students who do take out loans, 18% have defaulted on their student loans, compared with 12% of non-Hispanic white students. Ritchie Valens died too young. His legacy will live on forever Though he died in a plane crash at 17, Ritchie Valens changed rock 'n' roll and Latin music forever. Pixar's 'Elio' reportedly stripped of queer representation after test screenings The version of 'Elio' that hit theaters June 20 is not the same movie that Adrian Molina, the film's original director, intended to put out. John Leguizamo hits the road again for Season 2 of 'Leguizamo Does America' Premiering Sunday, the travel series hosted by award-winning actor John Leguizamo will spotlight Latino communities in cities across the U.S. NPR's Felix Contreras opened minds to Latin alternative music. He's finally getting his due Known as 'Tío Felix' among friends and colleagues, Contreras will be honored at the Hispanic Heritage Awards in September. 'Under the Same Moon' director on immigration crackdown: 'It's called fascism' Filmmaker Patricia Riggen believes a remake of her 2007 film would be far too grim in today's political landscape. Adrian Quesada steps into his star power in new LP 'Boleros Psicodélicos II' 'Boleros II' finds Quesada as aurally slick as ever as he tackles the oft-covered romantic Spanish standard 'Cuatro Vidas,' plus Los Pasteles Verdes' 'Hoy Que Llueve' and brand-new tracks — all while integrating his signature three-over-two rhythms. The Grammy-winning bandleader spoke to De Los ahead of his Grand Performances concert on Aug. 2. In new indie flick 'Ponyboi,' River Gallo sheds light on an intersex experience Out June 27 in theaters nationwide, 'Ponyboi' arrives at a critical time for the queer Latine community. Almost 50% of Latinos voted for Trump in 2024. Experts have theories New data from the Pew Research Center show that 48% of Latinos voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, a 12% jump from 2020. L.A. 'under siege': Brown-skinned people targeted, tackled, taken, and it must stop, federal suit says A lawsuit filed by immigrant rights groups seeks to block the Trump administration's 'ongoing pattern and practice of flouting the Constitution and federal law' during immigration raids in the L.A. area. L.A. activist indicted after handing out face shields to anti-ICE protesters Alejandro Orellana, 29, faces charges of conspiracy and aiding civil disorder after he handed out protective face shields to people protesting against immigration raids in L.A. last month. Kidnappers or ICE agents? LAPD grapples with surge in calls from concerned citizens Some city and Police Commission leaders have called on the LAPD to do more to identify masked individuals who are taking part in immigration sweeps. Video captures ICE agents allegedly urinating on Pico Rivera school grounds in broad daylight The El Rancho Unified School District is calling for a federal investigation after video shows ICE agents apparently urinating on school grounds in public view. ICE seeks to deport Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez Jr., alleges links to Sinaloa cartel U.S. officials have arrested boxer Julio César Chávez, Jr. and are working to deport him, saying he has 'an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives.'
