Latest news with #Romer
San Francisco Chronicle
01-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay Area filmmakers scramble after Trump, Musk axe arts funding
Baseball — once proclaimed by a famous advertising jingle as American as hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet — is now apparently too woke. Or at least, a documentary about the sport by San Francisco filmmaker Yuriko Romer, whose funding got pulled because the project doesn't fit 'the president's agenda.' Her film 'Diamond Diplomacy' is among the casualties of recent federal cuts to the arts by President Donald Trump 's administration, specifically his Department of Government Efficiency. Known as DOGE and headed by Elon Musk of X, Tesla and SpaceX fame, the department drastically instituted mass firings from government entities such as the National Institute of Health, the Internal Revenue Service and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Before marking his first 100 days in office, the president and his administration also laid waste to the National Endowment for the Humanities, which supports museums, educational institutes, filmmakers and many other projects intended to illuminate American history. After reducing staff by up to 80% and a mass cancellation of grants already awarded, several Bay Area filmmakers are now scrambling for alternative ways to finish their projects. 'I have a lot of people working for me, and I currently have some licensing fees and (other project expenses) sitting on my credit card because we can't pause the production,' Romer, who has been working on the documentary for a decade, told the Chronicle. 'Diamond Diplomacy' chronicles how the United States and Japan helped foster their relationship through a shared love of baseball. A part of the film focuses on the San Francisco Giants ' first Japanese player, Masanori Murakami, who played in the 1960s alongside Willie Mays and company. Romer had been awarded a $600,000 grant for the project from the NEH, but only received about $250,000 of that before DOGE wielded the axe. Now she's working frantically to complete the film as it is scheduled to be screened at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., on May 22. 'This is money that was allocated by Congress that through both liberal and conservative governance for decades and decades and decades has continued to allocate money for this kind of stuff, but the decision to terminate these funds did not go through Congress,' said Berkeley documentarian Jason Cohn, whose own project, a profile of Japanese anime and manga pioneer Osamu Tezuka, was also victim to the sudden cuts. 'It was a very capricious move that was done by an unelected bureaucrat in the DOGE office, and it's affecting people's lives.' Romer, Cohn and Berkeley filmmaker Elivia Shaw — whose documentary 'The Invisible Valley,' about climate change and fieldworkers' health in California's Central Valley is now searching for new funding — were three of many local artists who received a 'Notice of Grant Termination' letter. 'Dear NEH Grantee,' the form letter read. 'This letter provides notice that the National Endowment for the Humanities is terminating your federal grant effective April 2, 2025. … The NEH is repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President's agenda.' 'It's not like it was going for my salary even, or even just the crew I hire to do production,' said Shaw, who had applied for a $50,000 grant. 'It's not just the producer and the director that it impacts. Obviously it impacts getting the production made, but also the people who have given their time and energy as protagonists in the film … It makes the stories harder to tell.' The NEH's website notes that since its founding in 1965, it has awarded 'over $6 billion in grants to museums, historic sites, colleges, universities, K–12 teaching, libraries, public television and radio stations, research institutions, independent scholars, and to its humanities council affiliates in each of the nation's 56 states and jurisdictions.' Those grants are really hard to get. Obtaining one is an arduous process, and can take years. The applications can be 50 to 70 pages long, and include letters of recommendations, resumes for all primary personnel, the approval of a panel of scholars who are knowledgeable on the subject and it must include a clear indication of the humanitarian themes of the project and how it will reach individual audiences. Also, the grants are not awarded to individuals directly but to overseeing organizations who then dispense the funds to individuals. For example, Romer's and Shaw's grants were distributed by the Center for Independent Documentary, based in Massachusetts, which has supported hundreds of projects since its inception in 1981. 'This is a whole ecosystem that's in the middle of really profound upheaval,' said San Francisco filmmaker Arwen Curry. Curry is a past NEH grant recipient (' Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin,' 2016) and has served on panels reviewing other filmmakers' submissions. She's also written grant proposals for other filmmakers' projects. 'Those folks have been put on leave and basically lost their jobs,' Curry said, referring to NEH employees. 'These are dedicated lifelong civil servants, really top people, so it's affecting all kinds of livelihoods, and it's taking a lot of really important work out of the pathway of American audiences.' The Trump administration, Musk and many who voted for Trump have long decried what they perceive is a liberal bias in publicly funded arts. They have called for pulling the funding for PBS, where many of these film projects are broadcast, a move that aligns with a broader conservative belief that art should not rely on government funding but instead thrive or fail based on its performance in the marketplace. 'I think it's good for society to ask those questions and to wrestle with the role that public money should play in the creation of culture,' said Cohn, whose award-winning NEH-funded documentaries include ' Eames: The Architect and the Painter ' (2011) and ' The First Angry Man ' (2020). 'I think if we leave our culture entirely to the market, we end up with cultural product that is designed for the broadest possible market. You can say 'We don't need ballet,' or 'We don't need documentary films in the world, they don't pay for themselves, they're too niche,' but let's have that discussion as a society.' In other words, Cohn said, the decision shouldn't be made by one person operating outside of Congress. Despite these challenges, Romer, Cohn and Shaw said that they will press on and complete the passion projects they have already spent years on. They are looking for outside funding, such as grants through foundations, private donations and even crowdfunding campaigns, and are restructuring their projects to come in at a lower budget. 'It's horrible, but we're all going to keep moving forward,' Shaw said. 'Documentary filmmaking isn't easy to start with, so this makes it harder.'
Sunday World
27-04-2025
- Sunday World
Irish woman arrested after body found gagged and wrapped in tape on Amsterdam street
Torture fears as victim found gagged and wrapped in tape AN Irish woman is one of four people remanded in custody in the Netherlands in connection with the brutal murder of a man found gagged and wrapped in tape on the street. The body of 50-year-old Jair Romer was discovered at the beginning of the year in Transvaalbuurt, Amsterdam. Police believe he had been kidnapped, held and abused for up to a week and then his body dumped. When discovered, his ankles and hands were tied with black tape and his mouth was gagged with a piece of rope. At a court sitting earlier this week, an Irish woman, identified only as Sinead C, was one of four suspects to appear before a judge as criminal case proceedings into his murder got underway. According to the judiciary, Romer was taken hostage and abused several days before his body was found. The court heard the motive, location and method of Römer's death is unclear. Details of hostile text messages sent by one of the accused to the deceased's phone were read into evidence during the hearing. 'Listen, I know what you're doing, but you're f**king up in my stuff. I'll give you time to change that address. That won't be a week's work, otherwise you'll end up in the wrong book,' read one of the messages sent to him by an accused. The court heard this showed there was a conflict between the suspects and Jaïr Römer. Body was dumped on street in Amsterdam Although the investigation does not yet show who is responsible for the man's death, according to the public prosecutor it is clear who was directly involved. The hostage-taking and the abuse must have started more than a week before the body was found at the President Steynplantsoen, the court heard. Romer was picked up on January 4 at his home in Amsterdam and taken to the squat of Mark H. (55) in Lieren in Gelderland. 'There, his phone goes off the air, he is tied up with tape and rope and violent events take place,' said the public prosecutor. 'This would be apparent, among other things, from messages from H.'s girlfriend. She writes about an intense evening and that she is 'in shock'.' The court heard the woman has made several statements to the police that the public prosecutor attaches great importance to. The lawyer of co-suspect, Nikita H., called these statements 'ridiculous' and claimed that the woman was mentally disturbed. He claimed she was heavily intoxicated during interrogations with the police and would even have drunk a glass of vodka with soft drinks in one of those conversations. According to the Public Prosecution Service, Jaïr was no longer physically free after his visit to the building in Lieren. It's alleged he left with the Irish woman Sinead C. and Alfred B. and travelled to a houseboat on the Ranonkelkade in Noord. It's alleged he likely arrived there without pants, his ankles and hands tied and wrapped in a brown blanket. A duvet with the victim's blood was later found on the houseboat, something from which the judiciary concludes that the violence against him took place on the boat or before. What happened to Römer after that remains unclear, the hearing was informed. The Public Prosecution Service stated that the man's body was later dumped in front of the home of Alfred B.'s brother. When the discovery was made, he was the one who called in the police. The public prosecutor described Romer's killing as 'a gruesome murder case in which the group of suspects knew each other and everyone had their own role.' All four suspects have claimed they had nothing to do with Romer's death. Counsel for Sinead C., Adem Çatbas, described the case against his client as a 'messy file.' 'The only thing that puts the client in this case is her location. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time,' he said. Alfred B.'s lawyer, who, according to the judiciary, put the lifeless body in front of his brother's door, stated that there is no evidence towards B. Mark H. also said he was not involved and Nikita H. says he cannot remember anything due to excessive use of ketamine. The court decided earlier this week that all four suspects will be detained longer and witnesses may be heard. The case will continue on July 10.
The Independent
10-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
British couple imprisoned by Taliban faced 29 ‘interrogations', daughter says
An elderly British couple imprisoned in Afghanistan have faced 29 'interrogations' and several court appearances – while no charges have been brought against them, their daughter has said. Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, were arrested as they travelled to their home in Bamyan province, in central Afghanistan, in February. The couple were detained alongside Faye Hall, an American friend who had rented a plane to travel with them, and a translator from the couple's Rebuild training business. Their daughter, Susie Romer, told Channel 5's 5 News on Thursday that the pair had 'absolutely no idea' why they are being imprisoned and called on the UK government to do more to secure their release. She said: 'They've been through so many investigations – I believe it's 29 interrogations that they've had to endure. 'They've been in court three or four times now, I believe, and various accusations that have been brought against them, they've been thoroughly investigated and shown up as empty accusations. 'So they've been told that there is not actually a charge against them.' Ms Romer went on to say that while the British government has been assisting the family, she is not convinced that the message that her parents should be 'immediately released' has been conveyed by the Government to the Taliban. She said the family had met Foreign Officer minister Hamish Falconer, who had told them the case was a 'priority' for him. Ms Romer continued: 'We do want the Government to make it clear to the Taliban that my parents should be immediately released and we've told them this. 'It's been 10 weeks now, and we've not been reassured that this message has been conveyed, but this is really urgent. 'Each day that they remain in prison, they're at risk, so we'll keep on asking the Government to send that message.' Ms Romer added that the conditions her parents were being held in were 'absolutely horrific', that they were receiving one meal per day and there were mice and cockroaches 'running around'. She said that hearing her parents 'weep' on the phone was 'excruciating' for her. In an interview with BBC News last week, their son, Jonathan Reynolds, said he had been 'interacting' with the US government after a video plea to President Donald Trump for help to get his parents released. The couple, who originally met at the University of Bath, married in Kabul in 1970 and have run school training programmes for 18 years. They remained in the country after the Taliban takeover in 2021. After taking power, the Taliban introduced a ban on women working and education for girls older than 12. In a statement to The Associated Press this week, the Taliban said the case 'will soon be resolved' and 'should not be a cause for concern'. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been contacted for comment.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
British couple imprisoned by Taliban faced 29 ‘interrogations', daughter says
An elderly British couple imprisoned in Afghanistan have faced 29 'interrogations' and several court appearances – while no charges have been brought against them, their daughter has said. Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, were arrested as they travelled to their home in Bamyan province, in central Afghanistan, in February. The couple were detained alongside Faye Hall, an American friend who had rented a plane to travel with them, and a translator from the couple's Rebuild training business. Their daughter, Susie Romer, told Channel 5's 5 News on Thursday that the pair had 'absolutely no idea' why they are being imprisoned and called on the UK government to do more to secure their release. The daughter of Peter and Barbie Reynolds, a British couple currently being held by the Taliban, has told 5 News in an exclusive interview that she urges the UK government to do more to secure their release. Susie Romer says her parents have lived in Afghanistan for over 18… — Channel 5 News (@5_News) April 10, 2025 She said: 'They've been through so many investigations – I believe it's 29 interrogations that they've had to endure. 'They've been in court three or four times now, I believe, and various accusations that have been brought against them, they've been thoroughly investigated and shown up as empty accusations. 'So they've been told that there is not actually a charge against them.' Ms Romer went on to say that while the British government has been assisting the family, she is not convinced that the message that her parents should be 'immediately released' has been conveyed by the Government to the Taliban. She said the family had met Foreign Officer minister Hamish Falconer, who had told them the case was a 'priority' for him. Ms Romer continued: 'We do want the Government to make it clear to the Taliban that my parents should be immediately released and we've told them this. 'It's been 10 weeks now, and we've not been reassured that this message has been conveyed, but this is really urgent. 'Each day that they remain in prison, they're at risk, so we'll keep on asking the Government to send that message.' Ms Romer added that the conditions her parents were being held in were 'absolutely horrific', that they were receiving one meal per day and there were mice and cockroaches 'running around'. She said that hearing her parents 'weep' on the phone was 'excruciating' for her. In an interview with BBC News last week, their son, Jonathan Reynolds, said he had been 'interacting' with the US government after a video plea to President Donald Trump for help to get his parents released. The couple, who originally met at the University of Bath, married in Kabul in 1970 and have run school training programmes for 18 years. They remained in the country after the Taliban takeover in 2021. After taking power, the Taliban introduced a ban on women working and education for girls older than 12. In a statement to The Associated Press this week, the Taliban said the case 'will soon be resolved' and 'should not be a cause for concern'. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been contacted for comment.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla owner traded in his car because he's ‘embarrassed to drive it' — how to manage auto disputes
After almost three years of owning a Tesla Model Y, Joe Romer is looking to trade it in because he's no longer a fan of Elon Musk. 'I'm tired of Elon Musk and all of his garbage,' Romer told CNN, sharing his reason for wanting to trade in his car. 'I'm getting rid of [my Model Y] because I'm embarrassed to drive it.' I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Americans with upside-down car loans owe more money than ever before — and drivers can't keep up. Here are 3 ways to cut your monthly costs ASAP Even though Romer admits that his Tesla was nice to drive, his frustration with Musk pushed him to test drive a different EV, which he fell in love with. Romer is not alone in breaking up with Tesla because of Musk. Reuters reports that, according to Edmunds, Tesla trade-ins are on pace to hit a record high in March 2025 compared to the year before. Romer, who spoke to CNN as he was driving past the picket line at a Tesla protest in California, says after putting over 80,000 miles on the Model Y, he was in the process of getting it repaired so he could sell it. 'I [test drove] one of the Lucid cars, and they're very nice,' he shared with CNN reporter Julia Vargas Jones. 'They are like driving a Mercedes compared to this [Model Y].' The mid-March protest Romer found himself in was part of the 'Tesla Takedown' movement, which has seen protestors gather around the world at Tesla showrooms — including 90 in the state of California the same weekend CNN caught up with Romer — to protest Musk and his efforts with the Department of Government Efficiency. About a week later, Jones followed up with Romer to see if he'd sold his vehicle. He told her he did, and it felt like someone had lifted a huge weight off of his shoulders. Although he only got about a third of what he originally paid for his car four years ago, he told Jones it made him feel like he was 'doing something.' Read more: Are you rich enough to join the top 1%? Here's the net worth you need to rank among America's wealthiest — plus 2 ways to build that first-class portfolio Romer's dispute wasn't necessarily with his Tesla dealership specifically. But U.S. drivers often experience issues with their cars, ranging from falling victim to deceptive ads or dealers to issues with car warranties or safety features. It's important to know what actions are available to you should you ever have a dispute with a car dealer. Reviewing your loan agreement is the first step if you have a problem with the loan terms. While reading your agreement, pay special attention to the loan's APR, term and loan amount. Understanding the ins and outs of your agreement could help you dispute any billing discrepancies. If you find an error, like an inaccurate APR on an auto loan statement, or have an issue, contact the dealer first to see if it can offer a solution. Make sure to provide paperwork to support your claim. Most experts recommend trying to resolve any disputes with your dealer directly, or through the dealership's official complaint process. Before taking that step, ensure you have all the relevant documentation, like contracts, ads or emails in question and photos, if possible. While working something out with the dealer is ideal, it's not always possible. You may have to escalate it to the appropriate government service. Depending on the type of issue you're facing, you may want to file a report with the Federal Trade Commission at In addition, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recommends filing a report with your state's attorney general office. Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Protect your retirement savings with these 5 essential money moves — most of which you can complete in just minutes This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Sign in to access your portfolio
