Latest news with #NewYork-centric
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Scarlett Johansson relished hosting Saturday Night Live
Scarlett Johansson loved hosting the final episode of 'Saturday Night Live's 50th season. The 40-year-old actress recently became the first woman to host the long-running comedy show seven times, and Scarlett has revealed that she relished the experience. Scarlett - who is married to 'Saturday Night Live' star Colin Jost - told 'Extra': "I felt really happy to be able to close out the 50th with the cast and crew at 30 Rock … There's real familial vibes and, you know, it's been an extraordinary year there with the 50th special, which was a humongous amount of work for everybody, and then a really successful season." Scarlett recently premiered 'Eleanor the Great', her directorial debut, at the Cannes Film Festival. And the Hollywood star admitted that it's been a whirlwind few weeks for her. She shared: "I think I'm still processing it, and part of still processing it is that the next day, I left for Cannes and now I'm here. So I think it'll be maybe like two months from now and then I'll be able to, like, have some perspective on the meaning of it all." Meanwhile, Scarlett recently revealed that she couldn't imagine "being with somebody who wasn't funny". The actress explained that humour is a huge part of her life, and she thinks it can help her to overcome all sorts of challenges. Scarlett - who has been married to Colin since 2020 - told Collider: "My husband's a comedy writer, and I couldn't imagine ever being with somebody who wasn't funny. "I grew up in a very funny household. My dad is Danish and has a very dry sense of humour, and my mom is Jewish, so that's culturally a big part of our identity. It's certainly a certain kind of humour, and growing up in New York, that's another layer of it, of course. So, I see the ironic humour, also, in terrible things." Scarlett also revealed that her directorial debut was inspired by "very New York-centric" films. She said: "The script did remind me a lot of movies that I love that are specific to independent films from the '90s and early aughts that are very New York-centric, whether it's 'Living Out Loud' or like 'Crossing Delancey' or some Woody Allen films. It felt like the potential for that stuff."
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Scarlett Johansson: I couldn't be with somebody who wasn't funny
Scarlett Johansson couldn't imagine "being with somebody who wasn't funny". The 40-year-old actress admits that humour is a huge part of her life, and she thinks it can help her to overcome all sorts of challenges. The Hollywood star - who is married to comedian Colin Jost - told Collider: "My husband's a comedy writer, and I couldn't imagine ever being with somebody who wasn't funny. "I grew up in a very funny household. My dad is Danish and has a very dry sense of humour, and my mom is Jewish, so that's culturally a big part of our identity. It's certainly a certain kind of humour, and growing up in New York, that's another layer of it, of course. So, I see the ironic humour, also, in terrible things." Scarlett recently made her directorial debut with 'Eleanor the Great', the new drama film starring June Squibb and Chiwetel Ejiofor, and she's admitted to being inspired by "very New York-centric" films. The actress-turned-director - who was born in the Big Apple - shared: "Some people have great references, and I've worked with people that have great references, where they say, 'This is the Bergman moment,' or this or whatever … I don't think I had, really, so many references. Not intentionally. "But the script did remind me a lot of movies that I love that are specific to independent films from the '90s and early aughts that are very New York-centric, whether it's 'Living Out Loud' or like 'Crossing Delancey' or some Woody Allen films. It felt like the potential for that stuff." Meanwhile, Scarlett recently cited 'Lost in Translation', the 2003 comedy-drama movie, as a turning point in her career. The film star - who appeared alongside Bill Murray in the acclaimed movie - told Vanity Fair magazine: "After 'Lost in Translation', every role that I was offered for years was 'the girlfriend,' 'the other woman,' a sex object - I couldn't get out of the cycle. "It sort of felt like, 'Oh, I guess this is my identity now as an actor.' There wasn't much I could do with that."
Time Out
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
A first look at the new food hall opening inside the former Lord & Taylor building
When Lord & Taylor closed up shop at its historic midtown Manhattan building at 424 Fifth Avenue in 2018, the masses mourned. Although the fashion giant is not, unfortunately, making a comeback, the landmark building will soon become the site of a massive new food fall and entertainment destination celebrating all things New York and honoring the legacy of Lord & Taylor itself. Shaver Hall, as the new 35,000-square-destination is called, is scheduled to debut by the end of the year, according to Sean Dillon, part of the strategic development team at Shaver Hall. "This project has been in the works for over three years," said Randy DeWitt, co-founder of The Food Hall Co., in an official statement. "We see Shaver Hall as a chance to reimagine the food hall experience in midtown—creating a space built for connection, community and culinary discovery, with the freedom to spotlight emerging chefs and the latest food trends." To achieve that goal, the team will be operating 11 curated food stalls, a central bar, two anchor restaurants (a steakhouse and a wine and cheese bar), a 12-seat omakase eatery and a modern bodega. "It will be a New York style bodega selling traditional items like grab-and-go snacks," Dillon tells Time Out New York. "There will also be a nice coffee program." Among the confirmed stalls are Brooklyn's F&F Pizzeria, Korean inspired chicken purveyor Chick Chick, Taqueria Al Pastor, Frankies 457 Spuntino, ZaZu, Token Ramen and Pasta Sole, known for its viral parm wheel pasta dish. Clearly, the culinary lineup is meant to honor the city it calls home. Dillon tells Time Out New York that the omakase experience will come courtesy of chef B.K. Park from Chicago, who has been awarded a Michelin star for his work at Chicago's Mako restaurant. Also on deck? A "pour-my-beer wall:" basically, a self-service tap system for all sorts of ales varieties. What will likely differentiate Shaver Hall from the many other food halls currently operating around the city, though, is the concert stage that will be built in the middle of the space. Although no official acts have yet been signed, Dillon is quick to note that the future lineup will be "dialed into the New York-centric music scene as much as possible." The team hopes to partner with locals to help out with the programming, which will potentially include non-music-related activations as well—think fashion shows, comedy nights and more. "We're going to offer a music and entertainment program seven days a week," says Dillon. The building, which also houses Amazon offices, is clearly a historical address—and so is the project's name. "Shaver Hall is named after Dorothy Shaver," explains Dillon. "She was actually the first President of Lord & Taylor and one of the first female CEO executives in the world." According to Dillon, Shaver was responsible for the very concept of department stores, shaping the destinations into what they are today.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump DOJ's move to dismiss Adams' criminal case still leaves him politically, legally vulnerable
At a first glance, Mayor Adams appeared to be out of the woods late Monday as President Trump's Department of Justice instructed federal prosecutors in Manhattan to dismiss his public corruption indictment. But the unusual dismissal order comes with strings attached that could cause continued legal headaches for Adams and put pressure on him to do more to help Trump's administration with immigration enforcement, experts, including former federal prosecutors and judges, told the Daily News on Tuesday. Hank Sheinkopf, a veteran political strategist, said the unusual nature of the order also sends a message to Adams to get onboard with, or least not stand in the way of, any of Trump's New York-centric policy priorities. Beyond his threatened immigration crackdown, Trump, amid his blizzard of early moves, has threatened to kill the city's congestion pricing plan, created uncertainty around the future of federal education funding and issued an executive order banning trans women from participating in female school sporting events. The latter runs counter to state and city policy. 'Stick with us and things will be fine. Don't stick with us, and who knows what will happen with your criminal case,' Sheinkopf, who used to work for ex-Mayor Michael Bloomberg, said, interpreting what he characterized as the subtext of the Adams case dismissal directive. 'It's a message delivered to [Adams] to not cause any trouble, or else.' Emil Bove, Trump's ex-personal defense attorney who's now his No. 2 at the DOJ, wrote in the Monday night order to the Manhattan U.S. attorney's office that Adams' case should be dropped 'without prejudice.' If a case is tossed in that way, prosecutors can bring it again at a later time. Bove suggested Adams' case could be resurrected as early as this fall, as he wrote that the next Senate-confirmed U.S. attorney, likely to be Trump-nominated corporate lawyer Jay Clayton, should launch a 'review' for a potential re-prosecution of Adams after the city's mayoral election in November. Interim Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon hadn't as of Tuesday afternoon said how she'll act on Bove's request. If she agrees to seek a dismissal, Manhattan Federal Court Judge Dale Ho would then need to approve it. Further safeguarding the underlying case against Adams, Bove wrote that the Justice Department isn't taking a stance on 'the strength of the evidence or the legal theories' underpinning the mayor's proseuction, saying he's leaving that up to the Manhattan feds. But Bove did write the Justice Department is seeking the dismissal of Adams' prosecution because it has been preventing the mayor from cooperating as he otherwise might be able to with Trump's efforts to target undocumented immigrants in New York for deportation. 'The pending prosecution has unduly restricted Mayor Adams' ability to devote full attention and resources to the illegal immigration and violent crime that escalated under the policies of the prior administration,' Bove wrote, adding Trump's administration is 'particularly concerned about the impact of the prosecution on Mayor Adams' ability to support critical, ongoing federal efforts' to deport immigrants. Duncan Levin, an ex-federal prosecutor in Brooklyn, said he can't recall ever before hearing of Justice Department leaders seeking a dismissal of a criminal case based on a defendant's ability to help execute a president's policy agenda. 'There are instance in which high-profile prosecutions have to be signed of by the attorney general, but I can't think of a case where a new [DOJ] comes in and so blatantly injects politics into a criminal case like this,' said Levin. 'It's sad to see, it's has no place in criminal justice.' Shira Scheindlin, a retired senior Manhattan Federal Court judge appointed by ex-President Bill Clinton, agreed with Levin, calling Bove's memo a 'very strange intervention' that threatens the Manhattan U.S. attorney's office's long-standing reputation for independence. 'It's highly unusual in every way,' she said, noting Adams' indictment has nothing to do with immigration policy. Adams' indictment alleges he for years took bribes and illegal campaign cash, mostly from Turkish government operatives, in exchange for political favors. He has pleaded not guilty and was until this week expected to stand trial in April, just weeks before June's Democratic mayoral primary. In a live-streamed speech Tuesday, Adams didn't touch on the potential re-prosecution of his case, but praised Trump's DOJ for 'its honesty' and said 'it's time to move forward.' His lawyer, Alex Spiro, said in a statement late Monday that the DOJ's move amounted to an exoneration of the mayor. 'The facts of the case are clear: the mayor never used his official position for personal benefit,' Spiro said. But the Rev. Al Sharpton — who holds significant sway in city politics — said after the mayor's Tuesday speech that he is concerned about the terms of the dismissal order and that he's gathering top Black elected leaders in New York this week to 'determine a unified course of action.' 'If the mayor were to disagree with the president, does that mean they have the right to call a trial on him at any time? It certainly sounds like President Trump is holding the mayor hostage,' Sharpton said. 'That is simply not fair to the City of New York.' Gov. Hochul, who has the power to remove Adams from office, said earlier in the day she's not looking to do so, but told reporters she'll be 'monitoring' him in coming weeks to ensure he puts New Yorkers 'first above all.' Bove's memo comes after Adams has spent months developing a relationship with Trump after his November election, including meeting with him privately in Florida, heading to his inauguration last month after receiving a last-minute invite and just on Monday instructing his staff to not publicly criticize the president. Adams' approach to Trump has prompted harsh pushback from his challengers in June's mayoral primary. Brooklyn state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, one of Adams' challengers, argued Tuesday there could still be a way to ensure the continuation of the mayor's prosecution, sending a letter to Judge Ho urging him to appoint a special prosecutor to take over the case from the Manhattan U.S. attorney's office. If a special prosecutor isn't installed and Bove's dismissal terms move forward, Myrie voiced concern Adams will for the rest of his time at City Hall serve the interests of Trump. 'The DOJ's directive is a clear effort to control Mayor Adams and deny New York City its elected governance,' he wrote to Ho.
