Latest news with #Malek
See - Sada Elbalad
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Rami Malek's "Amateur" Sets Digital and Blu-ray Release Dates
Yara Sameh Egyptian-American Rami Malek's 20th Century thriller movie "Amateur," one of the year's best action thrillers, is all set to land on digital release later this month. Based on the 1981 novel of the same name by Robert Littell, it was adapted by Ken Nolan. British novelist and popular historian James Hawes is directing the movie from a script by Gary Spinelli. Hutch Parker and Dan Wilson are producing, with Malek executive producing. "Amateur" follows a CIA cryptographer who, after his wife is tragically killed in a London terrorist attack, demands his bosses go after them. When it becomes clear they won't act due to conflicting internal priorities, he blackmails the agency into training him and letting him go after them himself. The movie's official synopsis reads: 'Charlie Heller (Rami Malek) is a brilliant, but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible, his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge.' The movie has generated plenty of buzz during the fall festival season. Bleecker Street has acquired U.S. rights. "The Amateur" boasts an all-star cast that includes Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, Danny Sapani, and Laurence Fishburne. Release back in April, the movie racked up solid numbers at the box office. Particularly in this modern era of franchises and comic book movies. Against a budget of around $60 million, Malek's action outing grossed $95.8 million worldwide, making the movie a financial success. "The Amateur" is set to get a digital release next week on June 10, with the action thriller then landing on 4K UHD and Blu-ray a little later on July 8. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New funding for private school vouchers will ‘set precedent' for future Missouri budgets
Gov. Mike Kehoe announces a plan to give state funding to the MOScholars program during his State of the State speech Jan. 28 in the Missouri House chamber (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). Gov. Mike Kehoe's first budget proposal launched a tug of war between public-school advocates and those hoping to use state funds for private education. Both sides ultimately came away with what they wanted — but neither expects this to be the final showdown. State Treasurer Vivek Malek, who oversees the state's tax-credit scholarship program, told The Independent in an interview last week that he expects to more than double the number of scholarships administered by MOScholars in the upcoming school year. Those students would have a 'reasonable expectation,' he said, to be funded through graduation. And if donor funds continue to come up short, state funds would be required to support them. In January, Kehoe laid out a budget that did not fully fund public education while giving state funds for private-school scholarships. His request cut back $300 for the formula that determines state aid for public schools, contrary to the state education department's recommendation. But he added a $50 million appropriation to the State Treasurer's budget to help fund private-school scholarships through the MOScholars program. This windfall was not part of the treasurer's initial request. 'The governor made a policy or a budgetary decision to invest in one form of education and not fully invest in the other,' said state Rep. Betsy Fogle, a Democrat from Springfield and ranking minority member of the House Budget Committee. The House kept the governor's recommendations, and the Senate flipped the two priorities: restoring full funding to public schools but axing the $50 million for MOScholars. In May, state lawmakers reached an agreement to fund both and are awaiting the governor's signature. But the infusion of funds to MOScholars is likely to create more need in the program. Malek said he expects to use the $50 million to offer more scholarships than the current pot of donations could provide. There are 6,000 students ready to participate in the upcoming year, and he expects more to sign up. This past year, 2,700 students received scholarships. Malek hopes to make MOScholars self-sufficient, with enough donations to meet demand. But until then, he will request funds to, at a minimum, sustain aid for students already enrolled. 'I'll be working through the years to make sure the tax credits are still utilized and nobody is depending on a direct appropriation from (general revenue),' he said. Fogle told The Independent that the $50 million did not appear to be a one-time request. 'The $50 million that was put in general revenue was done, in part, because the tax credit program wasn't very popular, and donors weren't giving to that,' she contends. 'And the governor wanted to figure out another solution to privatizing education.' MOScholars currently operates through taxpayer-directed spending, where state funds are given to scholarship organizations through donations that receive a 100% tax credit. The program has faced issues funding scholarships each fall with the majority of donations coming at the end of the year. An additional $50 million — more than double the amount of donations received last year — would solve the funding lag, Malek said. 'Our calendars were misaligned, so now we will be opening (enrollment) up for next year, starting early in the fall so that people can sign up for next year's academic school year,' he said. 'This will give us the flexibility of doing that, which was not possible before.' The program has a $75 million expandable cap thanks to a large education package passed last year. State Rep. Stephanie Hein, a Springfield Democrat, said during debate in April that she wondered why the legislature expanded the donation limit from $50 million to $75 million when there have been $23.4 million in donations in 2024. In 2023, donations totaled $16.6 million. 'Donors just are not that excited to give to this program, even at a 100% tax credit,' she said. The program is in its infancy, with just three years of scholarships completed. The increased funding could help grow MOScholars to meet outsized demand — or it could create dependency on general revenue. Hein said this problem would be exacerbated by tax cutbacks planned by Republican state lawmakers. 'We are setting a precedent,' she said. 'And if we eliminate state income taxes, tax credits go away and we are going to be on the hook with (general revenue) to cover this program.' Even if the appropriation is signed by the governor, it might face legal challenges as some question the constitutionality of using general revenue for MOScholars. The 2021 law that established MOScholars prescribes that scholarships are funded by tax-deductible donations to educational assistance organizations, which are nonprofits that apply to administer the scholarships. But 2% of donations are directed to an account dubbed the 'Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Fund' overseen by the Treasurer's Office. The fund is 'to be used by the state treasurer for marketing and administrative expenses or the costs incurred in administering the program.' Some believe the law does not authorize the program to use general revenue. Fogle expects legal 'challenges that argue that directly appropriating tax dollars to private schools is unconstitutional.' 'The direct appropriation of general revenue is a completely different foundation than the tax credit,' she said. 'There are people on both sides of the aisle, whether they're voting in favor of it or not, who have considerable doubts and concerns.' Malek did not speculate on the possibility of a lawsuit. 'We will deal with it and when that happens, we will defer that to our general counsel, the attorney general,' he said. 'I cannot predict which course it will take.' Malek says MOScholars is 'another tool' for educating children, in addition to the public school system. 'I don't see why people would be nervous. This is not taking away any funding dollars from our traditional educational institutions,' he said. As State Treasurer, Malek was not part of the governor's decision on public-education funding and considers himself a 'big proponent of public schools.' 'My focus was just for the MOScholars program,' he said. 'We need some help to strengthen this program… and I'm glad that need was listened to.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Vanguard new ex-China ETF followed push from Missouri Republicans
By Suzanne McGee and Ross Kerber (Reuters) -Investment manager Vanguard's new exchange-traded fund targeting emerging markets outside of China appears to have followed a push from the Missouri State Treasurer's office for products excluding Chinese stocks. The product highlights a new front in the decoupling of economic links between the U.S. and China as a result of the trade war U.S. President Donald Trump has begun between the world's two largest economies. Vanguard filed on May 30 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to launch the Vanguard Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF. Vivek Malek, Missouri's Treasurer, told Reuters the announcement came six weeks after a series of requests and meetings with Vanguard, a claim backed by letters and e-mails reviewed by Reuters. Malek successfully pushed for the state's pension fund to divest from publicly traded Chinese stocks in December 2023 and also pressed for a China-free fund option for the state's $4.5 billion 529 educational savings plan in an April 14 letter to the plan's program manager working with Vanguard. "I believe we moved the needle in the direction that helped them reach this decision," Malek said. Vanguard did not directly comment on Malek's statements, citing quiet period restrictions on discussing fund products still under SEC review. A Vanguard spokesman said the firm's goal is to offer investors of all kinds of lower-cost options. Had Vanguard not filed for its ex-China ETF when it did, the firm risked losing its position as the main provider of investment products in the state's 529 plan, Malek said. Next year, Missouri will be reconsidering which asset managers will be entrusted with those savings, and one of the conditions any firm must meet will be offering a fund that excludes Chinese stocks, Malek said. MORE EX-CHINA PRODUCTS Ex-China ETFs have been launched with growing frequency within the last three years, according to Morningstar, and Vanguard's ETF would bring the total to 13, four of which debuted in 2024. Like other Republicans, Malek has been a critic of investments in China and made removing them from state investment portfolios a political objective. In his April 14 letter, Malek pointed to economic, legal and geopolitical risks associated with Chinese stocks, adding these are "real, accelerating and incompatible with long-term fiduciary responsibility". Malek's staff met with Vanguard executives in early May, according to e-mails reviewed by Reuters, ahead of a May 21 meeting of the board of trustees for the Missouri college savings plan, the agenda for which included discussion of other investment options excluding China. On May 30, Vanguard advised the Missouri Treasurer's office that it would be launching the ex-China ETF. At nearly the same time as the e-mail was sent, it filed with the SEC. "Typically, the product development cycle is a matter of months, not weeks, so it's quite possible that Vanguard had already been looking at this as an area to explore," said Bryan Armour, an ETF analyst at Morningstar. Malek said he sees the new ETF as an example of effective collaboration between conservative state treasurers and asset managers. Since Vanguard has responded favorably to his request, Malek plans to make sure the new ETF is a success, pointing out that he has influence with the 120 or so other smaller pension funds across Missouri. "I'll be using my bully pulpit to encourage those pension funds to utilize this particular ETF from Vanguard," he said. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Vanguard new ex-China ETF followed push from Missouri Republicans
By Suzanne McGee and Ross Kerber (Reuters) -Investment manager Vanguard's new exchange-traded fund targeting emerging markets outside of China appears to have followed a push from the Missouri State Treasurer's office for products excluding Chinese stocks. The product highlights a new front in the decoupling of economic links between the U.S. and China as a result of the trade war U.S. President Donald Trump has begun between the world's two largest economies. Vanguard filed on May 30 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to launch the Vanguard Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF. Vivek Malek, Missouri's Treasurer, told Reuters the announcement came six weeks after a series of requests and meetings with Vanguard, a claim backed by letters and e-mails reviewed by Reuters. Malek successfully pushed for the state's pension fund to divest from publicly traded Chinese stocks in December 2023 and also pressed for a China-free fund option for the state's $4.5 billion 529 educational savings plan in an April 14 letter to the plan's program manager working with Vanguard. "I believe we moved the needle in the direction that helped them reach this decision," Malek said. Vanguard did not directly comment on Malek's statements, citing quiet period restrictions on discussing fund products still under SEC review. A Vanguard spokesman said the firm's goal is to offer investors of all kinds of lower-cost options. Had Vanguard not filed for its ex-China ETF when it did, the firm risked losing its position as the main provider of investment products in the state's 529 plan, Malek said. Next year, Missouri will be reconsidering which asset managers will be entrusted with those savings, and one of the conditions any firm must meet will be offering a fund that excludes Chinese stocks, Malek said. MORE EX-CHINA PRODUCTS Ex-China ETFs have been launched with growing frequency within the last three years, according to Morningstar, and Vanguard's ETF would bring the total to 13, four of which debuted in 2024. Like other Republicans, Malek has been a critic of investments in China and made removing them from state investment portfolios a political objective. In his April 14 letter, Malek pointed to economic, legal and geopolitical risks associated with Chinese stocks, adding these are "real, accelerating and incompatible with long-term fiduciary responsibility". Malek's staff met with Vanguard executives in early May, according to e-mails reviewed by Reuters, ahead of a May 21 meeting of the board of trustees for the Missouri college savings plan, the agenda for which included discussion of other investment options excluding China. On May 30, Vanguard advised the Missouri Treasurer's office that it would be launching the ex-China ETF. At nearly the same time as the e-mail was sent, it filed with the SEC. "Typically, the product development cycle is a matter of months, not weeks, so it's quite possible that Vanguard had already been looking at this as an area to explore," said Bryan Armour, an ETF analyst at Morningstar. Malek said he sees the new ETF as an example of effective collaboration between conservative state treasurers and asset managers. Since Vanguard has responded favorably to his request, Malek plans to make sure the new ETF is a success, pointing out that he has influence with the 120 or so other smaller pension funds across Missouri. "I'll be using my bully pulpit to encourage those pension funds to utilize this particular ETF from Vanguard," he said. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Japan Today
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
The innovative ice-cream makers at Salt & Straw serve up secrets and recipes in a new cookbook
By MARK KENNEDY If you're intimidated by the idea of making ice cream at home, just think of it as making soup. That's advice from Tyler Malek of Salt & Straw, the innovative gourmet ice cream maker known for its ever-changing lick-able treats. 'Making a pint of ice cream is very similar to making a pot of soup where if you have a good stock recipe — like chicken stock, vegetable stock — then you start just adding to it until it tastes good,' he says from his kitchen in Portland, Oregon. 'If you have really good stock base recipe, you could blend strawberries into it and make strawberry ice cream. You can drizzle chocolate into it and make chocolate ice cream. You can do really anything.' That ice cream base is also at the heart of Malek's latest cookbook, ' America's Most Iconic Ice Creams: A Salt & Straw Cookbook.' Just as another summer beckons, he and co-author JJ Goode teach the fundamentals, which then can be built on to make all kinds of delicious treats. That means learning the bases for gelato, custard, sorbet, coconut and ice cream. Only down the road can you confidently turn them into awesome flavors like Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper, or Banana Parsnip Sherbet. 'My dream, at its heart, is that someone can take this book and they just pore through it and have so much fun and then it ignites this Pandora's box of imagination,' Malek says. The cookbook focuses on 10 iconic flavors: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, green tea, pistachio, cookie dough, salted caramel, cereal and rum raisin. Once you've mastered their 'core principles in flavor, in technique,' Malek says, "you can just go wild.' And wild it gets in the cookbook, with flavors like Toasted Sourdough, Chocolate and EVOO, and Lemon Earl Grey Shortbread. 'We wanted it to feel like you were imported into our R&D test kitchen and you could feel like you're writing recipes beside us and understanding why we're testing this and adding more salt or adding more sweetness,' he says. Take salted caramel, which most people think is salty and sweet. 'They're completely wrong,' Malek says, laughing. 'It's salty sweet and bitter. Once you get that flavor trinity, you start understanding that the combination of salty, sweet and bitter can completely open your eyes to different combinations. ' Malek and his cousin, Kim, became ice cream entrepreneurs in 2011 when they opened a small food cart in Portland. Since then, they've expanded to over 40 stores in seven states, becoming known for their refreshing and off-beat approach and rotating menu, with new flavors added every month. Other flavors have included Malted Potato Chip Cupcake and Black Olive Brittle and Goat Cheese. For Thanksgiving, they once offered Caramelized Turkey & Cranberry Sauce. 'I've written 2,500 recipes and maybe 20,000 fails,' says Malek. Salt & Straw leans on xanthan gum, which Malek uses to combat 'heat shock,' when ice cream melts and freezes again into bigger crystals. ("It's as innocuous as cornstarch or baking soda," he writes.) He also harnesses the power of acids, like citric, malic and tartaric, calling them 'an ice cream maker's secret weapon.' 'I think he is part scientist — maybe a mad scientist — and part artist,' says Clarkson Potter editor Francis Lam, who with Susan Roxborough helped craft the book. Lam first encountered Salt & Straw when he ate their prosciutto ice cream at an event in Portland. At another event, he had their sea urchin flavor and felt compelled to meet Malek. 'He's one of these people who doesn't shut down an idea before he runs with it for a little bit,' Lam said. Salt & Straw is part of an artisanal ice cream boom in recent years that includes companies like Van Leeuwen, Gelato Fiasco, Lick Honest Ice Creams, Morgenstern's and Wanderlust Creamery. Malek has leaned on partners for innovations; he and a doughnut maker in Florida, for instance, created a cream cheese ice cream with glazed brioche doughnut chunks and guava curd. He has interned at breweries to learn the ins and outs of beer making to incorporate it into his desserts. 'My passion is in learning and storytelling. If I weren't making ice cream, my dream job was always to be a travel writer," says Malek. 'I had no idea when we first started the company that ice cream is like the coolest medium to channel that through because it really is like writing a story through every single ice cream.' He learned that different regions of the country have their blind spots; when Salt & Straw opened in Los Angeles, few knew what rhubarb was. At the same time, he didn't know there were different types of avocados. Another tip borrowed from soup: As with soup bases, Malek says, home cooks should make big batches of different ice cream bases, separate them into containers and freeze them. 'Then when you're ready to make ice cream, defrost it in your microwave real quick and blend in your strawberries that you got fresh from the farmer's market and make strawberry ice cream,' he says. 'That's the trick: to make ice cream within a day or literally within hours of finding a really special ingredient.' Here's a recipe from the new cookbook 'America's Most Iconic Ice Creams: A Salt & Straw Cookbook' by Tyler Malek and JJ Goode: Makes about 2½ pints 3 cups 17% Butterfat Base (see separate recipe below) 1½ teaspoons molasses (not blackstrap) 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal salt 1 cup packed Malted Cookie Dough (recipe follows), frozen ¾ cup Malted Fudge (recipe follows) In a medium bowl, combine the ice cream base, molasses, vanilla and salt, and whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and turn on the machine. Churn just until the mixture has the texture of soft serve, 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the machine. Alternate spooning layers of the ice cream and generous dollops of the cookie dough and fudge into freezer-safe containers. Freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or for up to 3 months. Makes about 3 cups ½ cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (yes, I'm easy to find!) 1 1/8 cups whole milk 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1 1/8 cups heavy cream, very cold In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, milk powder, and xanthan gum. In a medium pot, stir together the whole milk and corn syrup. Add the sugar mixture and immediately whisk vigorously until smooth. Set the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring often and reducing the heat if necessary to prevent a simmer, just until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the cold cream and stir until fully combined. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 6 hours, or for even better texture and flavor, 24 hours. Stir well before using. The base can be further stored in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw completely and stir well before using. —- Makes about 1 ½ cups 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 tablespoons granulated sugar ¼ cup lightly packed light brown sugar 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 1 teaspoon molasses (not blackstrap) 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ½ cup all-purpose flour, toasted 2 tablespoons malt powder ¼ cup finely chopped (chip-size pieces) dark chocolate In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter, both sugars, and the salt on medium high speed, scraping down the sides as necessary, until the butter takes on a lighter color, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and add the cream, corn syrup, molasses, and vanilla, then mix on medium-low speed until the mixture is just combined, about 1 minute more. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and malt powder. Add the flour mixture to the stand mixer and mix on medium speed, scraping down the bowl once, until there are no more clumps of flour (specks of malt are just fine!), about 1 minute. Add the chopped chocolate to the stand mixer and mix on low speed until it's well distributed. Pack tightly into an airtight container and store in the freezer until ready to use or for up to 2 months. —- Toasting flour note: Our cookie dough excludes eggs for some just-in-case food safety assurance, since as you've probably heard, consuming raw eggs carries a minor but real risk of salmonella. What you might not be aware of is that eating raw flour does, too. So if you're someone who avoids sunny-side-ups or carbonara, consider playing it extra safe and cooking the flour for this recipe: Spread it on a sheet pan and bake in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes. Makes about 2 cups 1/3 cup malt powder 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/3 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 teaspoons cocoa powder 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt 3/4 cup chopped (chip-size pieces) good dark chocolate In a small saucepan, combine the malt powder and 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until most of the lumps are broken up. Add the corn syrup, cream, and butter and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, add the cocoa powder, xanthan gum, and salt and continue to whisk until the cocoa powder is dissolved and the mixture looks glossy, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the chocolate pieces, and let them sit for a minute. Whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and combined. Let cool to room temperature and then use immediately or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Reprinted with permission from 'America's Most Iconic Ice Creams: A Salt & Straw Cookbook' by Tyler Malek and JJ Goode. (Clarkson Potter, 2025). © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
