Latest news with #Waxman
Sky News AU
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
'Hot, horny and white': Hollywood's 'progressive snowflake era' is over, New York Times guest essay says
Hollywood's "progressive snowflake era" is over, with studios turning away from DEI and socially conscious programming, a New York Times column argued on Saturday. "Hollywood is rapidly shifting away from the socially conscious framework that for more than a decade has driven its narratives, casting and green lights," editor-in-chief for The Wrap, Sharon Waxman, wrote in a guest essay for The New York Times. Waxman pointed to the recent sale of an "anti-woke" reboot of the 1992 Paul Veerhoven film "Basic Instinct" as an example of how Hollywood is pivoting away not just from diversity, equality and inclusion in its business practices, but from a social justice-oriented outlook at the box office as well. She cited the Netflix show "The Hunting Wives" as evidence that Hollywood is no longer woke — proclaiming that everyone on the series is "hot, horny and white." Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad is further evidence of Hollywood's anti-woke shift, Waxman claimed. Upon the launch of the advertisement, both Sweeney and American Eagle received backlash, with critics claiming the ad was hinting at eugenics. However, according to Waxman, it failed to penetrate the Hollywood power centers in Burbank or Beverly Hills, and Sweeney was left unscathed from the controversy. "It's had no echo in Burbank or Beverly Hills, where not so long ago, Ms. Sweeney might have had to apologize for her insensitivity and make a donation to the A.C.L.U," she wrote. Waxman claimed that after a string of controversies that beset Hollywood — including the #OscarsSoWhite campaign and criticism of a lack of diversity among creators — the industry set out to course-correct by emphasizing diversity in its hiring practices and storytelling. Yet, the efforts to hire additional non-White directors, screenwriters and showrunners left many creatives in Hollywood feeling like they'd been pushed aside. "The new rules resulted in a strict if unspoken set of boundaries that tacitly put certain topics and categories outside the accepted circles of casting and green lights. It isn't only that conservative groups gripe that "their" stories… don't get produced," Waxman said. "But I also can't count the number of times I've heard quiet frustration from a reasonably accomplished white male screenwriter who felt cast out by the top talent agencies. In the process of "recentering" Hollywood, some people suddenly felt shunted to the side." Waxman said Hollywood's shift had been a long time coming, predating President Donald Trump's return to office. However, with the president's return to the White House, the trend has accelerated. His administration's fight against DEI has contributed to Hollywood studios abandoning the controversial policies. "At the talent agencies where Hollywood's hustlers are out selling scripts and projects, no longer are queer writers of color, for example, so much in demand. No longer are preferred pronouns expected on your email signature," Waxman said. Originally published as 'Hot, horny and white': Hollywood's 'progressive snowflake era' is over, New York Times guest essay says
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Its corruption' PA Rep. aims to block $TRUMP, other crypto deals for public officials
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — A Pennsylvania Representative is attempting to block President Donald Trump-style cryptocurrency from being used by public officials. In January 2025, days before being sworn in, Trump launched a cryptocurrency called '$TRUMP,' which is currently worth $10.74 per stock. The currency was marketed as a 'meme coin,' with no real utility and no 'regulatory oversight,' according to Representative Ben Waxman (D-Philadelphia). Waxman argued in his latest legislation that the $TRUMP currency is 'corruption, plain and simple.' $TRUMP coin is described as a cryptocurrency supporting the Trump administration and its 'conservative followers and Patriots,' according to In May, Trump held a contest for coin buyers, awarding the top 220 holders of the meme coin the opportunity to go to a dinner at Trump's Washington-area golf club. The top 25 holders also got to attend a reception as well, according to the Associated Press. Waxman argued that as the coin gains momentum, Trump then benefits financially either directly through ownership of large reserves or indirectly via related entities and promotional deals. Then, Trump pushes to roll back federal oversight of crypto markets, and in doing so, Waxman wrote that it shields Trump's own schemes from 'scrutiny.' The legislation aims to prohibit elected officials from profiting off cryptocurrency while in office. This would include launching, promoting or trading coins where they hold a personal financial interest. Waxman added that public service must 'never be a get-rich-quick scheme.' The Associated Press Contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Eater
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
An Iconic West Village Restaurant Is Opening in Brooklyn
Chef Jonathan Waxman is expanding his iconic Manhattan restaurant restaurant, Barbuto in Manhattan into Brooklyn this summer. Barbuto Brooklyn will open in Brooklyn Heights inside 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge at 60 Furman Street, near Doughty Street, aiming for a June opening. The new Barbuto will be similar to its revived West Village sibling centered on Californian Italian food. This includes that famous roast chicken with salsa verde, the garlicky kale salad, and pastas like gnocchi. The space boasts good views with big windows, an open kitchen, and general industrial decor. Expanding into Brooklyn appealed to Waxman, as he explains over email via a rep, because 'my mom was from Bed-Stuy, so Brooklyn is in my blood.' He also had already worked with luxury hospitality company 1 Hotels before. His first New York restaurant, Jams, which was centered on California cuisine, opened in 1984 on the Upper East Side, but closed in 1988. Then, nearly three decades later in 2015, he teamed with with the hotel company to reopen the restaurant as part of the 1 Hotel Central Park in Midtown. Waxman — who is from California and worked at Chez Panisse under Alice Waters in the 1970s — opened Barbuto in 2004 and built its reputation on its breezy Californian Italian menu. The restaurant closed in 2019 because the building's new owners didn't want a restaurant anymore, but Waxman was determined to relocate. The new Barbuto reopened in the same West Village neighborhood in a new address in 2020 — briefly — until it had to pause for the pandemic. It fully reopened in 2021. This isn't the only project Waxman's been working on. He just opened a new wine bar, Bar Tizio, next door to the Manhattan Barbuto in mid-May. He also runs San Francisco restaurant Park Tavern on Washington Square. The rest of the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge's dining and drinking spots include cocktail bar Harriet's Lounge, Harriet's Rooftop, and the lobby Neighbors Cafe. Sign up for our newsletter.
CNBC
21-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Food stamps face 'biggest cut in the program's history' under GOP tax bill
As Republicans push forward with the "big, beautiful" tax bill, federal food assistance may see big cuts. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, may be cut about 30% under the terms of the bill, which would be the "biggest cut in the program's history," according to Ty Jones Cox, vice president for food assistance policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, currently provides food assistance to more than 40 million individuals including children, seniors and adults with disabilities. Yet cuts to the program proposed by the House — which would shrink the program's funding by about $300 billion through 2034 — would put those benefits at risk. "The House Republican plan would take away food assistance for millions who struggle to afford the high cost of groceries, including families with children and other vulnerable people with low incomes," Cox said during a Tuesday webinar hosted by the CBPP, a progressive think tank. The SNAP reform efforts come amid a broader effort to reduce waste and fraud in government programs. SNAP, like other government benefits, can be susceptible to improper or fraudulent payments. The "one big, beautiful bill restores integrity to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program," House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Pa., said in a May 14 statement, through "long-overdue accountability incentives to control costs and end executive and state overreach." More from Personal Finance:What the Senate's 'no tax on tips' bill means for workers Who would benefit from bigger child tax credit in House GOP billMedicaid work requirements kick hardworking people off health coverage: Senator Many Americans cite high food costs as a top economic concern, according to an April Pew Research Center survey. If new tariff policies are put into effect, that could prompt food prices to go higher. Moreover, the proposed SNAP cuts come as some experts say the U.S. is facing higher recession risks. In previous downturns, every additional dollar spent on SNAP generates about $1.54 in returns to the economy, according to Elaine Waxman, senior fellow at the Urban Institute's tax and income support division. "People spend SNAP dollars right away, and they spend them locally," Waxman said. The proposed SNAP cuts would largely happen by expanding work requirements to qualify for benefits and by cutting federal funding for food benefits and administration and leaving it up to states to make up the difference. The largest cut to SNAP would come from federal funding cuts to basic SNAP benefits ranging from 5% to 25% starting in 2028, according to CBPP. It would then be up to states to find ways to make up for that benefit shortfall, which could include making it more difficult to enroll in the program or finding other localized cuts to the program, according to CBPP. "The change in the bill that is most dramatic is asking states to share part of the benefit cost," Waxman said. "That's new; since SNAP was originated, the federal government has always paid the full cost of the benefits." Notably, it would also mark the first time in the history of SNAP that the federal government would no longer ensure children in every state have access to food benefits, according to CBPP. In addition, the proposal also seeks to make it so states pay a larger portion of the program's administrative costs. How states may react to the changes may vary. In worst-case scenarios, some states could even opt out of the program altogether, according to CBPP. However, Waxman said most states will likely try to protect benefits because they're "so critical," even though they are not legally obligated to offer the program. "The vast majority, if not all, will try to do something," Waxman said. In addition to the benefits SNAP provides to individuals and families, it also provides an "integral" part of economies, Waxman said. In lower-income rural areas, for example, rural grocery stores that rely on SNAP customers would see food spending go down. "It has all these ripples that will hurt a lot of people other than just the people who are on the program," Waxman said. Work requirements for SNAP already make it so certain individuals must work at least 80 hours per month to qualify for the program's benefits. That includes individuals ages 18 to 54 who are able to work and who have no dependents. Current policy also limits SNAP benefits for certain individuals to three months within a 36-month period unless work requirements are met. The proposed legislation would expand that those work requirements, according to the Urban Institute, by: Expanded work requirements would affect 2.7 million families and 5.4 million individuals, according to a new report from the Urban Institute. That includes 1.5 million families who would lose benefits entirely and 1.2 million families who would receive lower benefits. It also includes 1.8 million people, including 48,000 children, who would lose benefits entirely; and 3.6 million people, including 1.5 million children, who would receive lower benefits, according to the Urban Institute. Families that lose some or all their benefits would lose $254 per month on average, according to the research. Meanwhile, families with children would lose $229 per month on average, the Urban Institute found.
Evening Standard
25-04-2025
- Evening Standard
Crime victims 'have less rights than offenders in courts system', says victims' commissioner
She learned about the ULS scheme from Ms Waxman exactly 28 days after the sentencing hearing, and quickly submitted an appeal to the Attorney General's office. But it was turned down for arriving at 8.40pm – said to be too late because it was outside usual office hours.
