Author: CNN

CNN
 — 

Former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is likely to decide within the next two weeks whether he will run for Senate, a person close to Daniels said – a campaign that would position the state’s 2024 GOP primary as a test of the lasting influence of Trumpism in a deep-red state.

Rep. Jim Banks, a Donald Trump-aligned conservative from northeastern Indiana, has already entered the race. And the Club for Growth launched a preemptive ad attacking the 73-year-old Daniels, labeling him an “old guard Republican” who is “all out of fight.”

Daniels, from his home in Naples, Florida, spoke on the phone with Banks less than two weeks ago. He did not dissuade Banks from running for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Mike Braun, a Republican who is instead running for governor – which Banks has touted in phone calls since then, two people familiar with their conversation said.

The person close to Daniels said the primary would pit Daniels-style conservatives focused on winning elections and achieving policy goals against Trump-style “grifters” who are “making a fortune in the business of howling at the moon” and setting Republicans back in the process.

“What they’ve created is a situation in which Mitch Daniels is going to be orders of magnitude more powerful and influential coming into the United States Senate than if they just left him alone,” the person said. “We had no intention of running a campaign against Donald Trump or the MAGA world, but they’ve launched this attack now and none of us are shrinking violets and this is not our first rodeo. If they want a fist fight, let’s go.”

The person said the former governor and Purdue University president is likely to make a decision soon in part because he doesn’t want to leave Indiana Republicans who are loyal to him waiting with attacks already underway.

Daniels has been considering a Senate run for several months, the person said. He spoke by phone last fall with former Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, who left the Senate for a role in academia, taking over as president of the University of Florida – the reverse of the move Daniels, who recently departed Purdue, is considering.

Daniels is set to visit Washington in the coming days for meetings with several Republican senators, the person said.

Daniels, a former President George W. Bush Office of Management and Budget director and top Eli Lilly and Co. executive who was elected governor in 2004 and 2008, was the dominant figure in Indiana politics at that time – presiding over a rapid period of Republican government and education reforms, budget cuts and curtailing of labor union power.

He was widely seen as a potential 2012 Republican presidential candidate, but opted against running, citing family concerns.

Instead, as Daniels left office, he was appointed president of Purdue University – a position he held for 10 years before leaving at the end of last year. During that time, he largely avoided commenting on political issues.

Still, Daniels cast a long shadow over Indiana politics. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who was elected Indiana governor after Daniels and took a much more cautious approach to the office, struggled to gain the sort of influence Daniels had held, until Pence was tapped as Trump’s running mate in 2016. Indiana’s current governor, Republican Eric Holcomb, was Daniels’ political right-hand man during his governorship.

The attacks by the Club for Growth are in some ways unsurprising: The organization’s president, former Rep. David McIntosh, was among the Republicans pushed out of the 2004 Indiana governor’s race when Daniels launched his campaign with then-President Bush’s backing.

CNN
 — 

Like many other American cities before it, Newport News, Virginia, is this month dealing with the aftermath of a school shooting.

This time, however, the suspected shooter is just 6 years old, according to police, who said the child opened fire in a classroom at Richneck Elementary school, sending a wounded teacher to the hospital. The age of the suspected shooter has left a community and country reeling from the news that a first grader allegedly obtained a gun, brought it to school and shot his teacher.

Authorities have provided general information about the shooting. But there are numerous questions that remain unanswered – including how a 6-year-old could gain possession of a weapon and what the potential legal repercussions for the student or his parents might be.

The family of the boy has released a statement saying the gun had been secured and the child has an acute disability that meant one of his parents was usually in class with him.

Here’s a look at what we know – and don’t know – about the January 6 shooting.

Officials have released few details about the student publicly, aside from the fact he is 6.

He was taken into police custody immediately after the shooting, police Chief Steve Drew said in a news conference at the time, adding no other students were involved. The boy was under a temporary detention order and was being evaluated at a hospital, police said January 9.

The shooting was not accidental, Drew said previously, and he told reporters the teacher was “providing class instruction when the child displayed a firearm, pointed it at her and fired one round.”

“There was no physical struggle or fight,” he said.

Police received the call that a teacher had been shot at 1:59 p.m., Drew said. When officers entered the classroom five minutes later, the boy was being restrained by a school employee, police said. He was combative and struck the employee restraining him. Officers escorted him from the building and into a police car.

The gun – which was legally purchased by the 6-year-old’s mother – was taken by the child from his home, Drew said. The child brought it to school in his backpack. It is unclear how the child accessed the weapon.

Officials identified the victim as Abigail Zwerner, a 25-year-old teacher who has been praised for her actions after being shot – including ensuring her students were safe.

“When I met with Abigail’s family on Saturday and they took me up to her room, she asked me, first question, ‘Do you know how my students are?’” Drew said. “She was worried about them.”

Her injuries were initially described as life-threatening, but she was released “earlier this week,” Riverside Regional Medical Center spokesperson Angela Arcieri said in a Thursday email.

“She continues her recovery as an outpatient with the support of family, friends, and health professionals. The Zwerner family respectfully asks for privacy during this time,” Arcieri wrote.

Zwerner – who is described as a first-grade teacher in Richneck Elementary’s online staff directory – was shot in the chest after the bullet passed through one of her hands, the chief said. “But she was still able to get all of her students out of that classroom,” Drew said, noting surveillance footage showed students running into the classroom across the hall.

A GoFundMe page organized by Zwerner’s twin sister has raised more than $225,000 since it was created.

A 6-year-old shot a teacher in class. Hear from an 8-year-old student who was down the hall

On Thursday, the family of the 6-year-old released a statement through their attorney, saying they grieve for the people impacted by the shooting and regret not being at school with their child.

“Our son suffers from an acute disability and was under a care plan at the school that included his mother or father attending school with him and accompanying him to Class every day,” the family said.

But the week of the shooting was the first when they weren’t in class with him.

“We will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives,” they said.

The gun allegedly used in the shooting was secured before the incident, they said. “Our family has always been committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children.”

Attorney James Ellenson would not comment when asked about how the gun was secured and how the child had access to it the day of the shooting.

The family praised Zwerner’s work, calling her diligent and compassionate in her teaching of their son. The statement thanked her for her courage, grace and sacrifice.

“We grieve alongside all of the other teachers, families and administrators for how this horrific incident has impacted them, our community, and the nation,” they said.

It’s unclear what legal consequences the student may or may not face.

While it’s technically possible for prosecutors to file charges against a 6-year-old in Virginia, which does not have a statutory age limit, “it is incredibly unlikely that it would lead to a successful prosecution,” said Andrew Block, an associate professor at the University of Virginia School of Law.

The main hurdle, Block said, is a defendant must be found competent to stand trial – meaning the court must find the defendant is able to both understand the nature of the legal proceedings against him and assist his lawyers in his own defense.

“It’s virtually impossible to imagine that a 6-year-old would meet either of the criteria necessary to find competency,” said Block, who is also former director of the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice.

Hypothetically, if prosecutors did file charges, the 6-year-old’s attorneys would have available to them the “infancy defense,” Block said, which essentially says anyone under the age of 7 can never be found criminally responsible.

The student is also likely too young for a detention center if he were to be found guilty, Block told CNN. “The juvenile justice system is not set up to handle kids this young,” he said.

The courts would have limited options in Virginia, where one must be 11 years old to be held in custody in a state facility, Block said. That leaves open other possibilities, such as residential treatment or “wraparound” support services for the family.

Alternatively, the student could be found to be a “child in need of services,” Block said, which would mean the child was “engaging in behavior that puts either themselves or others at serious risk of harm,” and the courts could step in to make sure the child received the needed services.

“Given the little that we know, that seems like it would be a more expedient, appropriate and hopefully productive path for people to pursue if it ends up going to court at all,” Block said.

It’s “hard to speculate” about what might happen to the parents without knowing how the 6-year-old obtained the gun, Block told CNN on January 9 – before a news conference in which the police chief confirmed the gun was taken by the child from his home.

There is a scenario where the parents could be held criminally liable if they did not keep the weapon properly locked up and safely out of the hands of their child. But in Virginia, that’s only a Class 1 misdemeanor.

“But we just don’t know right now how he came into possession of the gun, why he wanted the gun, what the context of this whole tragedy is,” Block said. “So it’s hard to know if there’s criminal liability or not, and who should have it.”

It was “certainly a possibility” the mother could face charges, Drew told “CNN This Morning” on January 10. But authorities continue to investigate, he said, noting they were checking for any possible history with Child Protective Services.

“And at the end of the day, when that’s all compiled together and the facts and what the law supports, the Commonwealth’s attorney will make the decision if there are any charges forthcoming … towards the parents,” Drew said.

The family statement said they are cooperating with investigators.

CNN
 — 

Prosecutors have decided to charge actor Alec Baldwin and the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, each with two counts of involuntary manslaughter after Baldwin fatally shot a cinematographer on the set of the Western movie “Rust” in 2021.

Halyna Hutchins was struck and killed by a live round of ammunition fired from a prop gun held by Baldwin, who maintains he did not pull the gun’s trigger. The actor has also maintained he was not aware the gun he fired during a rehearsal contained a live round.

Here’s everything you need to know about the charges.

New Mexico state law classifies involuntary manslaughter as a fourth degree felony.

“Involuntary manslaughter consists of manslaughter committed in the commission of an unlawful act not amounting to felony, or in the commission of a lawful act which might produce death in an unlawful manner or without due caution and circumspection,” according to New Mexico law.

This means that the charges accuse Baldwin of committing a “negligent act that resulted in the death of another person,” Sam Winder, a former federal prosecutor who currently teaches law at the University of New Mexico, told CNN.

“The big difference between involuntary manslaughter and murder, often seen in cases involving firearms, is that there is no criminal intent,” Winder said, referring to New Mexico state law. “It’s unintentionally killing someone by being negligent.”

“There is no argument that Baldwin had the criminal intent to commit murder,” he added.

CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams says prosecutors decided to charge Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death due to negligence.

“I’m not surprised at all about these charges, and particularly if you separate Alec Baldwin the actor from Alec Baldwin the producer,” Williams said. “But he’s being charged in effect as somebody who was responsible for what happened on the set. And what this involuntary manslaughter charge comes down to is negligence.”

Williams continued: “This wasn’t just a simple accident that happened on a movie set, at least according to the prosecutor, allegedly. What this is was such a failure from the leadership on the movie set that led to an incredibly tragic death.”

Shortly after announcing the involuntary manslaughter charges, Mary Carmack-Altwies, New Mexico’s first judicial district attorney, outlined why the on-set shooting could result in criminal charges regardless of whether it was an accident.

“Just because it is an accident doesn’t mean that it’s not criminal,” Carmack-Altwies told CNN.

“Our involuntary manslaughter statute covers unintentional killings, unintentional homicides,” Carmack-Altwies said. “Unintentional means they didn’t mean to do it, they didn’t have the intent to kill, but it happened anyway – and it happened because of more than mere negligence, because they didn’t exercise due caution or circumspection, and that’s what happened here.”

Carmack-Altwies says prosecutors believed there was probable cause to charge Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed because of a number of contributing factors, including the lack of safety standards.

People on set had complained about the lax safety, according to Carmack-Altwies, and there had been accidental misfires prior to this fatal incident.

“He should have been aware that safety was an issue on set and then as an actor that day, he should have checked that gun, checked those projectiles,” she said, referring to Baldwin.

Baldwin’s attorney, Luke Nikas, called the prosecutors’ decision “a terrible miscarriage of justice.”

“This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins’ tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice. Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun – or anywhere on the movie set,” Nikas said. “He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win.”

CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig says the “Rust” fatal shooting case is not clear-cut negligence and includes factual issues.

First of all, Honig says, Carmack-Altwies told CNN that she doesn’t know – and “we might not ever know” – how live rounds got onto the set.

“That’s a major factual issue. The defense lawyer is going to stand in front of a jury someday and say, ‘They want you to convict my client and they can’t even tell you how those live rounds got there,’” Honig told CNN.

Secondly, the incident happened on a movie set, and “most normal people do not know what the norms are on a movie set,” he said.

So the expertise of prop masters are heavily relied upon, but even those experts have different views on what the obligations of actors and crew members are on set, Honig says.

“Remember, this is a criminal case. You need all 12 jurors to find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. So I’m not saying that there’s no chance here, but this is a really difficult case for the prosecution,” he said.

Besides Baldwin, “Rust” movie armorer Gutierrez-Reed will be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Hutchins on the film’s set, according to prosecutors.

“We were expecting the charges but they’re absolutely wrong as to Hannah – we expect that she will be found not guilty by a jury and she did not commit manslaughter,” Jason Bowles, Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney, told CNN. “She has been emotional about the tragedy but has committed no crime.”

In March 2022, Gutierrez-Reed said she was not called to inspect the gun that ultimately fired a live round and fatally wounded Hutchins. She also said she had no knowledge of what was happening inside the church set that day and Baldwin was responsible for helping maintain the safety of the crew.

“Rust” film assistant director David Halls, who handed the gun to Baldwin before the fatal shooting, signed a plea agreement “for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon,” the district attorney’s office announced Thursday. Prosecutors say the terms of that deal include six months of probation and a suspended sentence.

Charges will not be filed against film director Joel Souza, the statement said.

Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed each face two counts of involuntary manslaughter, so that a jury can decide which specific count may be more appropriate, according to the district attorney, who add that, if convicted, “they will only be sentenced to one count.”

In either case, a conviction is punishable by up to 18 months in jail and up to a $5,000 fine, prosecutors say.

However, one definition would involve a firearm enhancement, or added mandatory penalty, because a firearm was involved. In that case, the crime could be punishable by a mandatory five years in jail, prosecutors said.

Carmack-Altwies tells CNN she’ll formally file the charges “before the end of this month,” but that her office will not request an arrest of Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed. The two will be required at an initial court appearance, which they may do by video. The district attorney says she does not plan to charge anyone else involved in the production.

CNN
 — 

An Iranian man who beheaded his 17-year-old wife in February 2022 was sentenced to just eight years and two months in prison on Wednesday, according to the country’s semi-official Khabar Online website, sparking criticism over the leniency of the prison term.

Following the murder of the teenager, a video began circulating online of her husband, Sajjad Heydari, walking in the provincial capital of Ahvaz while smiling and carrying her severed head, IRNA reported.

Local authorities have confirmed that widely shared images that purport to be Heydari are from the same incident, a source with knowledge of the statements told CNN. The video, seen by​ CNN, showed Heydari holding a knife in one hand and ​the girl’s head in another.

The short sentence has been condemned by critics, with some pointing to female filmmaker Mozghan Ilanlo, who received a 10-year jail sentence for removing her headscarf.

In response to a question about the sentence, spokesman of Iran’s Judiciary Massoud Setayesh said the husband was “convicted of stewardship in intentional murder, intentional assault, and disturbing public order. A second defendant,” who is the victim’s brother-in-law, “has been convicted of being an assistant in an intentional murder.”

The judiciary spokesman said a death penalty was not issued because the family of the victim has forgiven the defendant. They “announced their forgiveness and since this part of the charge, in regard to the private aspect of this case, is qualified, it has resulted in the issuance of the suspension order, but the public aspect of the crime remains,” he said.

“Accordingly, in terms of the public aspect of the crime, the first-row defendant, in respect to stewardship of intentional murder, has been sentenced to seven and a half years imprisonment and in terms of the public aspect of the crime, to eight months in prison,” the judiciary spokesperson added.

The spokesman also stated that “the second-row defendant (the victim’s brother-in-law) was also sentenced to 45 months’ imprisonment for assisting in an intentional murder.”

When the story was published for the first time, Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) referred to the alleged murder as a so-called “honor killing.”

The victim had fled to Turkey four months before being persuaded to return to Iran by her father, according to an interview with the girl’s mother-in-law, published on Fars back in 2022.

​The girl was 12 years old at the time of her marriage to Heydari, according to IRNA.

In an interview with the girl’s father, published in Fars in 2022, he is quoted as saying that he had obtained a legal certificate allowing his daughter to be married. The minimum age of marriage in Iran is 13 for girls and 15 for boys. CNN has been unable to confirm her husband’s age.

The crime comes years after after another high profile “honor killing,” ​in which a 14-year-old was ​allegedly killed by her father with a sickle after she ran away from her family home in northern Iran’s Talesh County with a 29-year-old man.

For years, Iranian women​’s rights activists have campaigned for strengthened domestic violence laws in the country.

This comes after the country has been roiled in nationwide protests over the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young woman accused of flouting the country’s compulsory hijab laws. Iran has cracked down by executing protesters, accused of killing security forces, which critics say were the result of hasty sham trials.

CNN
 — 

The House Oversight Committee will hold a hearing on the Biden administration’s border policies in early February, kicking off what is expected to be a series of hearings on the issue amid widespread GOP criticism.

Kentucky Republican Rep. James Comer, who now serves as the committee’s chair, has been a fierce critic of the Biden administration’s handling of the US-Mexico border. The hearing will take place the week of February 6.

In a letter directed to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and obtained by CNN, Comer requested documents and information about the department’s policies, the costs to respond to an influx of migrants at the border, and potential national security risks.

“The American people and their elected representatives must know DHS’s role in the humanitarian and national security crisis along the U.S. southern border,” the letter states.

Among the documents requested by February 2 are: communications about how many people have been released into the US from DHS custody who crossed the border illegally on or after January 20, 2021; correspondence on any plans to secure the border; and communications related to ending the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy, among other asks.

“DHS will respond to members of Congress through official channels,” Marsha Espinosa, a DHS spokeswoman, said.

Republicans have repeatedly slammed the administration over the handling of the US-Mexico border, arguing that the historic number of arrests is evidence of President Joe Biden’s policies not working. But the administration is largely using the same protocols as the Trump administration and continues to lean on a Covid-era border restriction that allows border authorities to turn away migrants encountered at the US southern border.

The administration, however, faces unprecedented movement across the Western hemisphere that has contributed to an influx of migrants at the border, including more people from different countries, such as Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. The US is largely barred from deporting migrants to Cuba and Venezuela, presenting a unique set of challenges for DHS.

The committee invited senior Border Patrol officials who oversee certain sections of the border, including the Del Rio sector and Rio Grande Valley sector, to testify.

New York
CNN
 — 

Consumers, spooked by accelerating job cuts, looming recession fears and continuing high prices for goods and services in 2023, are trading down when they’re shopping, and that includes in secondhand stores.

Demand for secondhand goods remains red hot, with the resale market expected to reach $82 billion in sales by 2026, nearly doubling from $43 billion in 2022, according to industry data.

But, just as they are doing with their weekly groceries and purchases of new items such as clothes and shoes, consumers are looking for better value in the resale market.

“We started noticing it in late summer, early fall of last year,” said Sasha Skoda, director of merchandising with online luxury reseller The RealReal

(REAL). “Demand for higher-priced luxury brands at resale is down, which is pushing prices for brands like Chanel, Gucci and Louis Vuitton down.”

At the same time, she said, demand for previously owned lower-priced luxury brands — such as Miu Miu and Bottega Veneta — is up.

“Consumers are worried about the economy and they are not spending as much. They are no longer willing to pay the same price at resale that were willing to pay last year for brands like Hermes, Gucci and Louis Vuitton,” Skoda added.

According to The RealReal’s Annual Luxury Consignment Report 2023, which was released Thursday, handbag resale prices fell 20% for Louis Vuitton, 17% for Gucci, 10% for Hermès and 9% for Chanel over the past 90 days.

On average, the resale value of higher-end luxury bags from these brands is beginning to level out, with prices down 5% in the last six months, said Skoda.

“A potential recession, the climate crisis, and global unrest are all reasons that, going into 2023, consumers are making shopping decisions based on value,” Rati Sahi Levesque, co-CEO and president of The RealReal, said in the report.

As they embrace lower prices, resale shoppers have become less picky about the condition of the items they buy.

Demand has nearly doubled for “fair condition” items, such as those showing signs of heavy wear through worn corners and significant scratches, the report said. Fair condition merchandise sold by The RealReal is on average 33% cheaper that products being resold in good or excellent condition.

Skoda noted that Millennial and Gen Z shoppers, who are the core shoppers of secondhand merchandise, are gravitating to more affordable contemporary brands like Miu Miu, Bottega Veneta and Telfar instead of investment pieces from top-tier luxury brands.

But what’s old — or perhaps more properly, “vintage” — continues to strike the fancy of younger shoppers, said Skoda

Data from searches on The RealReal’s website show that pearl jewelry, ultra-feminine dresses, low-heeled mules, tailored suits, loafers, and brooches are emerging as 2023’s most bankable fashion trends. Also hot: Y2K fashion.

“Pearls are a value play. They’re less expensive than diamonds and timeless,” said Skoda. Oversized clothing, in suits or dresses, is popular because casual comfort remains popular with consumers.

Demand for clothing and anything from the 1990s and early 2000s is strong, in great measure because fashions aimed at Gen Z buyers are so commercialized that “they are like walking advertisements for brands,” Skoda said.

“They see buying vintage clothing at resale as a way to be different, creative and sustainable.”

Washington, DC
CNN
 — 

US home building fell in December, as the housing market continued to slow.

December housing starts, a measure of new home construction, dropped by 1.4% from November, and were down 21.8% from a year ago, according to data released Thursday by the Census Bureau.

But after mortgage rates declined modestly in December, builders have begun to feel more optimistic that conditions may improve in 2023.

Housing starts had big drops in May and July last year, when rising mortgage rates pushed many prospective home buyers to the sidelines. Starts bounced back slightly in August, but have been falling since then.

Building permits, which track the number of new housing units granted permits, also fell in December, down 1.6% from the revised November rate, and were down 29.9% from a year ago.

“The combination of slightly reduced mortgage rates and discounts and specials on for-sale pricing may bring more buyers to the market, especially after the historically slow holiday season is over — and as spring buying season approaches,” said Kelly Mangold of RCLCO Real Estate Consulting. “Inflation is also beginning to decline, and the job market remains relatively strong — so it will be interesting to track how the housing market continues to react in the early part of 2023.”

Separately, a survey released Wednesday found home builder confidence rose for the first time in a year. But while builders continue to face headwinds with the high cost of construction, supply chain disruptions and challenging affordability conditions for buyers, the data suggests the worst may be over for the market, said Jerry Konter, NAHB chairman.

“The rise in builder sentiment means that cycle lows for permits and starts are likely near, and a rebound for home building could be underway later in 2023,” he said.

CNN
 — 

Nominations for the 2023 British Academy Film Awards, or BAFTA Awards, have been announced.

There were a few surprises among the 24 categories, including a strong showing for “All Quiet on the Western Front,” leading with 14 nominations.

Edward Berger’s adaptation is the first time Erich Maria Remarque’s First World War novel has been made into a German-language film. Released by Netflix last fall with little fanfare, it has nevertheless gained significant momentum as awards season ramps up.

“The Banshees of Inisherin” follows “All Quiet” with ten nominations, including acting nods for lead Colin Farrell and supporting actors Kerry Condon, Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan. With the same tally is “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” the indie hit that became distributor A24’s first film to cross the $100 million mark at the box office.

The awards ceremony, which highlights some of the best British and international contributions in film of the year, will take place on February 19 at 7p.m. GMT, with actor Richard E. Grant on hosting duties at London’s Royal Festival Hall.

Here’s the nominations in full.

Best Film

“All Quiet on the Western Front”

“The Banshees of Inisherin”

“Elvis”

“Everything Everywhere All At Once”

“TÁR”

Oustanding British Film

“Aftersun”

“The Banshees of Inisherin”

“Brian And Charles”

“Empire of Light”

“Good Luck to You, Leo Grande”

“Living”

“Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical”

“See How They Run”

“The Swimmers”

“The Wonder”

Oustanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer

Charlotte Wells, “Aftersun”

Georgia Oakley and Hélène Sifre, “Blue Jean”

Marie Lidén, “Electric Malady”

Katy Brand, “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande”

Maia Kenworthy, “Rebellion”

Film Not in the English Language

“All Quiet on the Western Front”

“Argentina, 1985”

“Corsage”

“Decision To Leave”

“The Quiet Girl”

Documentary

“All That Breathes”

“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed”

“Fire of Love”

“Moonage Daydream”

“Navalny”

Animated Film

“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”

“Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”

“Turning Red”

Director

Edward Berger, “All Quiet on the Western Front”

Martin McDonagh, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Park Chan-wook, “Decision To Leave”

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, “Everything Everywhere All At Once”

Todd Field, “TÁR”

Gina Prince-Bythewood, “The Woman King”

Original Screenplay

Martin McDonagh, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, “Everything Everywhere All At Once”

Tony Kushner and Steven Spielberg, “The Fabelmans”

Todd Field, “TÁR”

Ruben Östlund, “Triangle of Sadness”

Adapted Screenplay

Edward Berger, Ian Stokell and Leslie Patterson, “All Quiet on the Western Front”

Kazuo Ishiguro, “Living”

Colm Bairéad, “The Quiet Girl”

Rebecca Lenkiewicz, “She Said”

Samuel D. Hunter, “The Whale”

Lead Actress

Ana de Armas, “Blonde”

Cate Blanchett, “TÁR”

Viola Davis, “The Woman King”

Danielle Deadwyler, “Till”

Emma Thompson, “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande”

Michelle Yeoh, “Everything Everywhere All At Once”

Lead Actor

Austin Butler, “Elvis”

Brendan Fraser, “The Whale”

Colin Farrell, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Daryl McCormack, “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande”

Paul Mescal, “Aftersun”

Bill Nighy, “Living”

Supporting Actress

Angela Bassett, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”

Hong Chau, “The Whale”

Kerry Condon, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Jamie Lee Curtis, “Everything Everywhere All At Once”

Dolly De Leon, “Triangle of Sadness”

Carey Mulligan, “She Said”

Supporting Actor

Brendan Gleeson, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Barry Keoghan, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Ke Huy Quan, “Everything Everywhere All At Once”

Eddie Redmayne, “The Good Nurse”

Albrecht Schuch, “All Quiet on the Western Front”

Michael Ward, “Empire of Light”

Original Score

Volker Bertelmann , “All Quiet on the Western Front”

Justin Hurwitz , “Babylon”

Carter Burwell, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Son Lux, “Everything Everywhere All At Once”

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”

Alexandre Desplat, “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”

Casting

Lucy Pardee, “Aftersun”

Simon Bär, “All Quiet on the Western Front”

Nikki Barrett, Denise Chamian, “Elvis”

Sarah Halley Finn, “Everything Everywhere All At Once”

Pauline Hansson, “Triangle of Sadness”

Cinematography

James Friend, “All Quiet on the Western Front”

Greig Fraser, “The Batman”

Mandy Walker, “Elvis”

Roger Deakins, “Empire of Light”

Claudio Miranda, “Top Gun: Maverick”

Editing

Sven Budelmann, “All Quiet on the Western Front”

Mikkel E.G. Nielsen, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Matt Villa, “Elvis”

Paul Rogers, “Everything Everywhere All At Once”

Eddie Hamilton, “Top Gun: Maverick”

Production Design

Christian M. Goldbreck, Ernestine Hipper, “All Quiet on the Western Front”

Florencia Martin, Anthony Carlino, “Babylon”

James Chinlund, Lee Sandales, “The Batman”

Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy, Bev Dunn, “Elvis”

Curt Enderle, Guy Davis, “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”

Costume Design

Lisy Christl, “All Quiet on the Western Front”

J.R. Hawbaker and Albert Wolsky, “Amsterdam”

Mary Zophres, “Babylon”

Catherine Martin, “Elvis”

Jenny Beavan, “Mrs Harris Goes To Paris”

Makeup and Hair

Heike Merker, “All Quiet on the Western Front”

Michael Marino and Zoe Tahir, “The Batman”

Shane Thomas, Louise Coulston, Mark Coulier and Barrie Gower, “Elvis”

Naomi Donne, Barrie Gower, Sharon Martin, “Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical”

Anne Marie Bradley, Judy Chin, Adrien Morot, “The Whale”

Sound

Lars Ginzsel, Frank Kruse, Viktor Prášil and Markus Stemler, “All Quiet on the Western Front”

Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, Julian Howarth, Gary Summers and Gwendoyln Yates Whittle, “Avatar: The Way of Water”

Michael Keller, David Lee, Andy Nelson and Wayne Pashley, “Elvis”

Deb Adair, Stephen Griffiths, Andy Shelley, Steve Single and Roland Winke, “TÁR”

Chris Burdon, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Mark Taylor and Mark Weingarten, “Top Gun: Maverick”

Special Visual Effects

Markus Frank, Kamil Jafar, Viktor Müller and Frank Petzoid, “All Quiet on the Western Front”

Richard Baneham, Daniel Barrett, Joe Letteri and Eric Saindon, “Avatar: The Way of Water”

Russell Earl, Dan Lemmon, Anders Langlands and Dominic Tuohy, “The Batman”

Benjamin Brewer, Ethan Feldbau, Jonathan Kombrinck and Zak Stoltz, “Everything Everywhere All At Once”

Seth Hill, Scott R. Fisher, Bryan Litson and Ryan Tudhope, “Top Gun: Maverick”

British Short Animation

“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse”

“Middle Watch”

“Your Mountain is Waiting”

Britsh Short Film

“The Ballad Of Olive Morris”

“Bazigaga”

“Bus Girl”

“A Drifting Up”

“An Irish Goodbye”

EE Rising Star

Aimee Lou Wood

Daryl McCormack

Emma Mackey

Naomi Ackie

Sheila Atim

Minneapolis
CNN
 — 

The number of first-time claims for unemployment insurance fell unexpectedly to 190,000 for the week ending January 14, according to Department of Labor data released Thursday.

The latest total is the lowest in 15 weeks and far below economists’ expectations of 214,000, according to consensus estimates on Refinitiv.

The steady level of initial claims, which are considered a proxy for layoffs, show that the labor market remains tight.

Continuing claims, which measure the number of people filing for ongoing unemployment benefits, totaled 1.65 million for the week ending January 7. That’s up from the previous monthly tally of 1.63 million.

Weekly jobless claims data is volatile and frequently subject to revision, especially around the holidays.

The four-week moving average of initial claims, which lessens some of that volatility, was 212,500, down from 214,250 during the last week of December. Through 2019, that four-week moving average hovered at around 218,000, Labor Department data shows.

The US labor market has remained strong despite pandemic-related ripple effects, geopolitical uncertainty, soaring inflation and the Federal Reserve’s attempts to knock down the surging prices.

“The Fed would welcome a more substantial slowing in job growth,” said Stuart Hoffman, senior economic adviser for PNC Financial Services, in a statement Thursday. “Right now, the labor market is too tight for the Fed, and job growth is too strong, with average monthly gains of 247,000 payroll jobs in the three months through December 2022.”

In recent months, job growth has slowed and layoff announcements — particularly from technology firms — have become more widespread. But that doesn’t necessarily equate to more joblessness, said Robert Frick, corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union.

“While layoffs from high-profile firms make the headlines, plenty of firms are desperate for more workers, especially tech workers. Those workers are in high demand from the auto industry to the Department of Veterans Affairs to not-for-profits,” he said.

“The labor market is still so tight that many tech workers, and workers with other skills, are snapped up well before they need to collect an unemployment check. And they are more likely to be snapped up by smaller firms, which have a much greater demand for workers than major corporations,” Frick added.

CNN
 — 

Sarah Michelle Gellar isn’t afraid to embrace the idea of a comeback, and is excited to be back playing to her strengths.

The “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star, who largely stepped away from the spotlight in 2014 to focus on her family, is starring in and executive producing the new Paramount+ series “Wolf Pack,” which is being billed as a teen-focused supernatural thriller, much like the iconic series for which she’s most known.

Except this time around, she’s happy to be respected as a leader of this pack.

“There was a time when I had a reputation of being … difficult,” Gellar, using air quotes, told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published on Wednesday. “Anyone that knows me knows it came from the fact that I always put in 100 percent. I never understood people who don’t.”

Gellar says that now, in her position as executive producer, she feels responsible for the safety of the younger stars on set – especially because she’s been in their shoes before.

“I hope that I’ve set up an infrastructure, a safety net for these actors that I didn’t have,” she said. “My generation just didn’t have that.”

Gellar starred in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” for a total of seven seasons from 1997 to 2003. She took on the role when she was just 17.

After the show, she starred in films and took on some TV roles, including a short-lived comedy TV series on CBS alongside the late Robin Williams.

She sees “Wolf Pack” as a return to her horror roots and an “homage” to what she’s known for, she told the publication.

“If I do things that speak to the fan base,” she added, “and gather some new people along the way, maybe I branch out again. It’s not a next act for me, but it’s certainly a new chapter.”

“Buffy” has enjoyed a cult following since its time on air, but recent years have brought to light stories about the show’s behind-the-scenes turmoil. Gellar herself called the set “toxic” in an interview last year with the Los Angeles Times.

Though she now says she’ll “never tell my full story,” she remains “proud” of the show’s legacy, she told THR.

“I will always be proud of what my castmates did, what I did,” she said. “Was it an ideal working situation? Absolutely not. But it’s OK to love Buffy for what we created because I think it’s pretty spectacular.”