20th Century Studios has dropped a spine-chilling bombshell for sci-fi and horror aficionados worldwide with the release of the teaser trailer and poster for “Alien: Romulus.” The upcoming cinematic spectacle, slated to hit theaters exclusively nationwide on August 16, 2024, promises to be a nerve-shredding experience for audiences.

Bringing the immensely successful “Alien” franchise back to its origins, “Alien: Romulus” plunges viewers into the depths of terror aboard a decrepit space station. Here, a group of intrepid young space colonizers stumble upon the most fearsome life form in the cosmos, triggering a pulse-pounding battle for survival.

Headlining the cast are Cailee Spaeny, known for her role in “Priscilla,” alongside David Jonsson of “Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy” fame, Archie Renaux from “Shadow and Bone,” Isabela Merced of “The Last of Us,” Spike Fearn seen in “Aftersun,” and Aileen Wu.

The directorial helm is in the capable hands of Fede Alvarez, celebrated for his work on “Evil Dead” and “Don’t Breathe,” who also co-wrote the screenplay with frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues, known for “Don’t Breathe 2.” The narrative is steeped in the rich legacy of characters crafted by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett, promising a fresh and enthralling take on the beloved franchise.

Behind the scenes, the film is shepherded by industry stalwart Ridley Scott, the visionary behind the original “Alien,” who serves as a producer alongside Michael Pruss and Walter Hill, the latter known for his contribution to the iconic “Alien” series. Executive producers include Fede Alvarez, Elizabeth Cantillon, Brent O’Connor, and Tom Moran, ensuring a powerhouse production team dedicated to delivering an unforgettable cinematic experience.

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House Democrats are slamming Republicans for efforts to strip federal funding from medical schools that offer diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and teach about white supremacy.

U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., told theGrio that this latest effort by House Republicans is “disgusting.”

“They should be ashamed of themselves,” declared Kelly. “Diversity, equity, and inclusion means everybody, but they don’t look at it like that.”

U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., told theGrio this is “the same bigoted moves and type of legislation we’ve seen the past few years.”

U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., told theGrio that House Republicans are not “interested in creating opportunities for people.” The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) chairman said, “They’re actually proposing ideas to take them away.”

Earlier this week, Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., a practicing urologist, introduced “The EDUCATE Act,” which aims to strip federal funding, including student loan programs, from medical schools offering DEI programs and scholarships for certain racial groups. 

In an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, Murphy slammed medical schools for teaching what he claimed were subjects about “intersectionality,” “colonization,” and “white supremacy.”

“The implementation of DEI programs into medical school curricula is discriminatory and threatens the integrity of the profession,” Murphy wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “We must rid our institutions of this harmful initiative.”

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, 5.7% of doctors in the U.S. are Black, 6.9% are Hispanic, 20.9% are Asian, and 63.9% are white.

Congresswoman Kelly told theGrio that if the bill is enacted into law, it would hamper efforts to diversify the medical field, which would negatively impact patients.

“We need more doctors of color, and there are reports that show you have a better experience when there’s someone who looks like you and understands the reality of your situation,” said the Democratic lawmaker. “They want to take that away. Shame on them.”

Congressman Horsford told theGrio that the CBC refuses to let House Republicans “take away our tools of opportunity.”

“Whether it be in education, business, medical schools, or in the public or private sector,” said Horsford.

Frost said the Republican-led bill is “unfortunate,” telling theGrio, “We’ve got to fight back with everything we got.”

Horsford already started pushing back against House Republican-led efforts to terminate DEI programs in education. Recently, he wrote a letter on behalf of the CBC to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, asking the nation’s top prosecutor to intervene and protect the rights of people of color.

In the letter, the caucus urged Garland “to open an investigation on state universities and college campuses that received federal funding, to ensure that they’re not violating the civil rights protections under the law.”

“We aren’t going to be silent in this moment,” said Horsford. “They’re coming after the tools of opportunity, and we’re working to defend it.”

Even if the bill were to pass in the House, it is unlikely the Democratic-majority Senate would advance it.

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On Friday, Netflix released its new film about the late civil rights icon and Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. The trailblazing legislator was not only the first Black woman in Congress but also the first woman to run in the Democratic presidential primary race. However, for California Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chisholm was more than an icon—she was a dear friend and mentor.

The Root sat down with Rep. Lee for The 411, which will be released on Monday. And she had a lot to say about her late-mentor, who passed away in 2005.

“I miss Shirley a lot,” remarks Rep. Lee, reminiscing about their shared history. “Shirley helped me when I ran for the Assembly, the State Senate, and the House of Representatives.”

Rep. Lee says she’s grateful to the filmmakers and actors who are portraying both Chisholm and herself for bringing awareness to the civil rights icon. “When I came to Congress, there wasn’t even a portrait of her in the Capitol,” she remarks. “I had to fight to get this portrait of her… no one had highlighted her in the congressional record, which I did. No one had introduced a postage stamp with her image, which I did. And so I thought, this is crazy, coming to Congress and this first Black woman who was elected to Congress never had been honored. No one knew about her.”

Rep. Lee, who is probably best known for breaking with her party to be the only vote against the war in Afghanistan, says Chisholm helped shape her into the politician that she is today.

“Christina Jackson, who’s Barbara Lee in the film. She’s like so many young people now who felt, who were smart, but not apathetic, but didn’t want to be bothered with Democrats or Republicans because young people don’t think politics matters,” said Lee. “They don’t think representatives in either party represents their issues, their needs and can do anything.”

Her connection with Chisholm changed her, she says.

“She made me register to vote. I wasn’t even registered to vote,” recalls Rep. Lee. “I was a community worker with the Black Panther Party, bagging groceries, taking care of my two little boys as a single mom on public assistance. Didn’t have money for childcare, Bringing those kids to class with me, my two boys. So you know I’ve been through it.”

She’s hopeful the film will help encourage young people who are in the same place she was at the time to engage with politics and hope for a better future. “If any lessons can learned through Shirley Chisholm, through Regina King or Barbara Lee through Christina Jackson, and if that’ll help provide hope and optimism and engagement, let’s do it,” she says! “I am really up for it.”

During a Wednesday hearing in President Joe Biden’s impeachment inquiry, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., engaged in a tense exchange with a witness, highlighting the escalating political tension surrounding the proceedings.

In a charged moment, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez questioned Tony Bobulinski, a former associate of the president’s son Hunter, pressing him to specify any crimes he witnessed President Biden commit. The congresswoman interrupted Bobulinski’s response, demanding concrete examples of alleged wrongdoing.

The exchange intensified when Bobulinski referenced the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), prompting Rep. Ocasio-Cortez to correct him, emphasizing that RICO is a legal category, not a crime itself.

Amidst the heated dialogue, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez criticized the impeachment inquiry’s foundation, asserting that House Republicans have failed to substantiate claims of “high crimes,” a prerequisite for impeachment. She questioned the committee’s persistence in pursuing what she deemed “false charges.”

The backdrop of the impeachment inquiry against President Biden comes amidst broader political dynamics, including tensions within the Democratic Party. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s stance reflects a delicate balance between moderate Democrats supporting Biden and progressive factions expressing discontent, particularly regarding Biden’s approach to the Gaza conflict

.While Rep. Ocasio-Cortez has taken steps to align with progressive voices, such as wearing a pin symbolizing solidarity with Palestine during Biden’s State of the Union address, her actions also demonstrate a nuanced approach aimed at maintaining cohesion within the Democratic Party.

The clash underscores the deepening polarization within American politics and the ongoing struggle to navigate contentious issues at the intersection of law, politics, and ideology. As the impeachment inquiry unfolds, it remains to be seen how such confrontations will shape the broader political landscape leading up to the next election cycle.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Police officers in Oregon shot and killed a 24-year-old Black man in the back and then instead of providing medical care, mocked his lifeless body, threw explosives at him and sent a dog to attack his corpse, his family alleges in an updated lawsuit filed Thursday with additional details from the 2022 shooting.

Derrick Clark Jr. didn’t pull over when an officer turned on his lights because of an alleged “wobble lane change” on June 18, 2022, the lawsuit said. Neither did he pull over when a second officer began pursuing him, or stay inside the car after police rammed it twice.

Instead, he ran away, the lawsuit said: “And yes, with a gun.”

He didn’t point the gun at officers, however, and threw it away as he kept running “like so many other Black men have tried to run away from the police in this country throughout history,” the lawsuit says, noting that 1.4% of Clackamas County’s population is Black.

Officers shot Clark eight times, and even though he lay unmoving just a few feet away, also deployed a heat sensor drone before throwing explosives at him, the suit alleges.

The officers laughed, chewed tobacco, made jokes and talked about the “boy” being dead, according to the lawsuit, which also alleges that they commanded a dog to “bite and maul him.”

Clackamas County officials didn’t respond to an email from The Associated Press on Thursday.

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The lawsuit was initially filed in December by Clark’s family. According to an amended complaint filed Thursday, the lawsuit was updated “as a courtesy and at the request of Defendants … who contended that the original complaint was vague and not sufficient in some respects.”

About two hours elapsed from the moment the eighth shot hit Clark to the time the police dog bit him and he was pronounced dead. “During that span of time, over 50 law enforcement officers at the scene either neglected, refused, or otherwise failed to render aid to Mr. Clark,” the lawsuit says. “This is a violation of the policy of Defendant officers’ respective departmental policies. Had appropriate aid been provided, Mr. Clark could have survived.”

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They say Disneyland is the Happiest Place on Earth. But for Magnolia Jackson, Disney World took the title. Ms. Jackson recently made her very first trip to Walt Disney World for a special celebration of her 106th birthday, and she had the time of her life from the looks of these photos.

Jackson, who is the oldest living graduate of Florida’s Bethune-Cookman University, decided she wanted to visit the Magic Kingdom after watching the Wildcats play in the annual Florida Classic football game in 2023. Her team lost 24-7 to the Rattlers of Florida A&M University that day. But after seeing Mickey Mouse perform on the field during the game, Ms. Jackson said she just knew she had to see him up close and personal.

The Walt Disney World staff rolled out the red carpet for Jackson and her family and friends, who got the royal treatment at the park, complete with balloons, a cake, a meet and greet with Princess Tiana, and a special “Happy Birthday” serenade from Mickey Mouse himself.

The Walt Disney World Ambassadors posted a picture of Ms. Jackson’s celebration on their Instagram account, and the photos could melt any cold heart.

“Mrs. Magnolia is the oldest living graduate of Bethune-Cookman University in Florida, and to honor the momentous day, we teamed up with cast across the resort to help throw her a party for the ages,” Walt Disney World Ambassadors captioned the post. “Now that’s what we call a magical day (and one of our favorite moments from our Ambassador term so far)!

Commenters, including some fellow Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, left plenty of happy birthday wishes for Ms. Magnolia on the post, which has received over 1,600 likes so far.

“Hail Wildcats and Blessed my fellow Wildcat the oldest graduate at that. Thanks, Disney for always supporting HBCUs!!” wrote one person.

At the end of the day, the smile on Ms. Jackson’s face proved that Disney is a magical place for people of all ages.

“I have a very good feeling,” said Ms. Jackson, in a “Good Morning America” special. And we do, too, looking at the smile on her face.

Netflix has secured an extended worldwide catalog streaming rights deal with GKIDS for Studio Ghibli’s acclaimed films, excluding the US and Japan. Among the highlights of this collaboration is the addition of the Oscar®-winning and Golden Globe®-winning film “The Boy and the Heron” to Netflix’s future lineup, marking Hayao Miyazaki’s return to feature filmmaking after a decade-long hiatus. The highly anticipated fantasy adventure, written and directed by Miyazaki himself, promises to captivate audiences with its hand-drawn animation and imaginative storytelling.

In addition to “The Boy and the Heron,” Netflix subscribers can look forward to enjoying a plethora of Studio Ghibli classics such as “Spirited Away,” “Princess Mononoke,” “Arrietty,” “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” “My Neighbor Totoro,” and “The Tale of The Princess Kaguya,” among others. These beloved films will be available for streaming across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, with subtitles offered in 28 languages and dubbed versions in up to 20 languages.

The partnership between Netflix, GKIDS, and Studio Ghibli continues to enrich the streaming platform’s diverse content offerings, providing fans worldwide with access to timeless masterpieces and introducing new audiences to the magical world of Studio Ghibli’s storytelling. While the streaming premiere date for “The Boy and the Heron” on Netflix is yet to be announced, anticipation is already building for the arrival of this eagerly awaited cinematic gem.

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The United States no longer ranks among the top 20 happiest countries.

Gallup and its partners ranked America No. 23 in the 2024 World Happiness Report, down from No. 15 last year. Wednesday’s report marks the first time the U.S. has not been in the top 20 since its initial release in 2012.

The report – which lacks international data – referenced an earlier study that found that loneliness in the U.S. peaked around age 20 and decreased with advancing age, indicating this “emerging epidemic” as one of the possible causes of the decline in happiness.

“Loneliness is almost twice as high among the Millennials than among those born before 1965,” per the report.

The survey notes that younger people in North America also reported feeling less happy than they did in past years, and they are even less pleased than older people.

“For the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, happiness has decreased in all age groups, but especially for the young, so much so that the young are now, in 2021–2023, the least happy age group,” the report stated.

According to the survey, women’s satisfaction levels decreased more than men’s, with younger individuals experiencing a decline of “about three-quarters of a point.” It went on to say that negative feelings were more common in women than in males of all ages in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, particularly in women under 30.

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In recent years, there has been a noticeable shift in life satisfaction trends among young people globally, with diverging patterns emerging across different regions. Gallup’s report indicates that while life satisfaction typically decreases from childhood through adolescence and into adulthood in most countries, young people aged 15–24 still report higher levels of life satisfaction than older adults worldwide. 

However, the gap is narrowing in Western Europe and has recently reversed in North America due to declining life satisfaction among the youth.

Gallup’s World Happiness Report typically assesses happiness levels based on factors such as perceptions of corruption, social support, life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, and economic stability.

Finland is ranked as the No. 1 happiest country, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Australia.

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