If you’re into tiny movies and TV shows, here’s some news for you: Quibi‘s app now have Chromecast support. Yep, on both iOS and Android.
This comes hot on the heels of an update that allowed Apple users to stream videos to AirPlay devices too.
Sure we designed Quibi for on-the-go, but these days visiting the family room is like a day trip… so AirPlay support is live for iOS in Quibi 1.3. Working hard on Chromecast too which will be available in June.
Quibi is a “mobile-first†video streaming service. It creates shows and movies designed to be watched on your phone — meaning they’re designed for a small horizontal or vertical stream.
This has allowed the company to work with an incredible roster of stars, including Kevin Hart, Jennifer Lopez, LeBron James, Idris Elba, and Steven Spielberg — just to name a few. If you’d like more info on the financial workings of this, I suggest you go and check out this piece we did around the time of its launch.
Now, the reason the Quibi iOS and Android apps getting Chromecast and AirPlay support is interesting is simple: it launched without them.
On one hand, it’s understandable. The goal is to be mobile-first, right? But that logic was flawed. Mobile-first doesn’t mean mobile-only. And at least this update of the Quibi iOS and Android apps has rectified that problem.
Another issue with Quibi‘s app is there’s no easy way to share images, videos, or GIFs from its content. Anyone who’s been on social media recently can see the huge impact this has on building a show’s reputation.
The company is planning on adding this feature, but the question is if it’s already too late.
Will enough people ever actually use Quibi’s app for it be successful?
This is the real question. And things aren’t going well for the company currently.
In an interview with the New York Times, Quibi‘s founder — Jeffrey Katzenberg — says that the coronavirus pandemic has hit the company hard.
And it’s understandable. The company wanted to build a user base consisting of people watching short, high-quality videos on-the-go. And people aren’t really on-the-go currently.
This has been reflected in some pretty dire numbers. It’s reported that Quibi has been downloaded 3.5 million times (2.9 million according to Sensor Tower), but only has 1.3 million active users.
Of course, this isn’t the fairest comparison. Netflix has been around for 23 (I know!) years and popularized video streaming as we know it. Quibi‘s app is still brand new. And it has a lot of potential.
Yes, the pandemic has stopped Quibi attracting people, but it will eventually end. And the world’s a really fucking big place.
There’ll be an estimated 3.8 billion smartphone users globally in 2021. A shit ton of those people don’t have access to TVs or computers, so if something like Quibi is done right, it could become the de facto platform for finding high-quality, narrative content designed specifically for those devices.
But that’s a big if for the company.
It needs to get in front of those people, convince them of the benefits of this sort of content, and have a selection of shows and movies good enough for people to subscribe.
Currently, Quibi‘s app is not in a state to do much of that. But it’s only a matter of time until the world is truly ready for mobile-first narrative content.
The question is whether the platform to achieve this is Quibi itself, or a competitor we haven’t heard of.
For more gear, gadget, and hardware news and reviews, follow Plugged on Twitter and Flipboard.
Asked to pick a country where people are passionate about Indian cinema, few might choose the North African Kingdom of Morocco. Bollywood came to the country in the 1950s, where it was embraced for its glamour, dance, romance and pure escapism.Â
There is no obvious explanation for the connection, although it may have started when Ibrahim al-Sayeh began dubbing films – including Indian cinema – into the local Arabic dialect, Darija.
Now, the most devoted fans have decorated their homes with Bollywood paraphernalia and perform Hindi songs at themed events – and there is sometimes an Indian section at the annual Marrakech International Film Festival attended by well-known actors and directors.
Others have gone even further, like Imane Karouach who left Morocco for India when she was 16. She has worked hard to become a jobbing Bollywood actress and, although not a mega-star, she has had several high-profile roles; she also runs a pizzeria in Mumbai.
This quirky documentary, filled with a wide variety of characters, voices and movie clips, is a fascinating snapshot of a world few outside Morocco knew existed. It also includes a contribution from legendary Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor who passed away in April 2020.
FILE PHOTO: Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter and fin-tech firm Square, sits for a portrait during an interview with Reuters in London, Britain, June 11, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville
(Reuters) – Jack Dorsey, the chief executive of Square Inc and Twitter Inc, said June 19, popularly known as ‘Juneteenth’, would be a permanent company-wide holiday in the United States to show support for racial diversity.
June 19 commemorates the U.S. abolition of slavery by President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which was belatedly announced in the state of Texas on June 19, 1865, after the end of the Civil War.
The move, announced on Twitter here late Tuesday, comes as the death of African American George Floyd in police custody triggered widespread protests against racism and police brutality, while also reigniting the debate on diversity and inclusion among corporate companies.
Reporting by Akanksha Rana in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya Soni
The 236th Merseyside derby will take place at Goodison Park after all, after Liverpool city council’s ground safety advisory group met on Wednesday morning and approved a safety certificate for the stadium. Anfield was also given the go-ahead, which means both Liverpool and Everton can play their remaining games on their own grounds without the need for neutral venues.
Liverpool could theoretically win their first title in 30 years at Everton on 21 June, which was why the national chief of football policing recommended a switch to a venue where supporters might not be quite as tempted to congregate and celebrate in defiance of physical-distancing rules.
As recently as Tuesday Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium was still being suggested as a possible venue, though once the Merseyside police and then the Liverpool council threw their weight behind keeping the game local most objections were overcome. Liverpool’s mayor, Joe Anderson, thanked both clubs for making it clear to supporters that their presence at or near the ground would not be welcome.
Councillor Wendy Simon, deputy mayor of Liverpool and chair of the council’s safety advisory group (CSAG), said: “We are satisfied that the considerable evidence provided by the government, Everton and Liverpool football clubs, public health colleagues and Merseyside police will ensure that the outstanding fixtures for the Premier League season can be safely and securely played at both Goodison Park and Anfield.
“A lot of factors have been taken into consideration, especially the safety of the players, match officials and staff in attendance. We are confident the measures in place will allow the matches to be held behind closed doors without detrimental impact. We would advise that everyone, wherever they may be watching these fixtures, strongly adhere to the guidance on social distancing.â€
With regard to the derby, which will be broadcast free-to-air, the Merseyside assistant chief constable, Rob Carden, said: “Working together with both teams, we want to ensure that everyone enjoys the game from the safety of their own home. In relation to crime and disorder we have no objections to any of the home fixtures being played at their respective grounds, the main issue of concern was always public health.
“It is not the role of the police to make operational decisions on the basis of public health, we have been guided by experts and the government. We are still in unprecedented times and there are strong concerns in Merseyside and the wider north-west due to the fact that the R-rate here is still higher than in the rest of the country. For that reason we would urge supporters to do the right thing – stay at home and keep your family, friends and neighbours safe.â€
The supporters’ groups Blue Union and Spirit of Shankly were represented at the CSAG meeting and welcomed the decision to keep the game on Merseyside. A statement said: “Building on the magnificent community work both sets of fans have done throughout this pandemic, we are confident supporters will respect safety advice and avoid visiting stadia. We fully understand the importance of lockdown as a measure to control Covid-19 and would encourage fans to stay away.â€
Everton have confirmed that Theo Walcott will miss the restart after undergoing abdominal surgery. The 31-year-old was taken to hospital on Monday after developing symptoms on the club’s return to training and is expected to be able to resume training in around four weeks. Andre Gomes is expected to be fit to face Liverpool after recovering from a minor injury picked up in training.
Hotel and leisure giants Sun International have paid over R2 million to the National Solidarity Fund set up to help South African through the ongoing health crisis.Â
The donation comes after more than 15,000 members of Sun International’s loyalty programme pledged their leisure points to the Solidarity.
The kindness of strangers
At the outset of the national lockdown, with all its facilities closed to the general public Sun International froze all leisure and casino points accumulated by its Most Value Guests (MVGs).
Sun International’s MVGs have since been given the option to either retain the points until such time as they can use them or donate them to the Solidarity Fund.
Each of these points carries a rand value which can be redeemed at any hotel or leisure facility within the group but at least 15,000 customers have pledged their rewards to the fund.
Sun International set up their own charitable fund to which the funds would be diverted.
This donation comes against the backdrop of South Africa’s tourism sector facing massive job losses and an uncertain future.
The company’s CEO said they believed that the MVG point money would be better spent by the Soldarity Fund.
“We were considering practical ways to respond to the crisis when a number of our MVGs asked us to set up a charity fund to which they could contribute,†Sun International CEO Anthony Leeming said this week.Â
“The points represent a hard cost to us that we would have to pay over to whichever property they are redeemed at, so it made sense to divert the rand value of donated points to the Solidarity Fund instead.
“Right now, we are all focused on fighting the COVID-19 virus, but a bigger economic battle is looming. The hospitality, gaming and leisure industry has been particularly hard hit, so the economic hardships facing smaller businesses and individuals resonates deeply with us. We applaud the many MVGs who responded with compassion and generosity.â€
Solidarity Fund thank Sun International
Interim CEO of The Solidarity Fund, Nomkhita Nqweni expressed gratitude for the generosity of both Sun International and its patrons.
“It is through the collective efforts of contributors like Sun International and their 15 000 customers that enables The Solidarity Fund to support the national health response, contribute to humanitarian relief efforts and mobilise South Africans to drive a united response to the COVID-19,†said Nqweni.
“This generous donation will directly benefit those impacted by the pandemic and help The Solidarity Fund to make a real difference by providing Personal Protective Equipment to our frontline health workers, testing kits and food relief to vulnerable communities, amongst other important initiatives.â€
More than four out of five consumers say the coronavirus pandemic has changed their food habits, driving them to cook, eat, shop and think about food differently, according to the annual Food & Health Survey from the International Food Information Council.
A total of 85% said they were doing something differently, with about 60% cooking at home more, the survey results said. The other changes are more varied and not quite as universal, with about a third saying they are snacking more and washing produce more.
Aside from more snacking, the pandemic has changed what people are eating, Ali Webster, IFIC’s director of research and nutrition communications, said at a virtual press conference announcing the survey results.
“A higher percentage of people said that they were eating healthier than they usually do as a result of the pandemic. And this was compared to a lower percentage of people who said that they were eating less healthy than usual, as related to COVID-19,” Webster said. “So I think people were really taking the opportunity to be thinking more about what they were eating, perhaps. Cooking more at home tends to be a little bit more healthy than the choices that we might make when eating out.”
About one in five consumers reported making healthier choices, while about half of that said they are eating less healthy, the survey said.
IFIC, which communicates science-based information on food health, safety and nutrition, does a wide-ranging survey every year to capture consumers’ pulse on the food system, how they use food for health, and the role food and labeling information play in their choices. And while this year’s survey of 1,011 American adults looks at many of those issues, the impact of coronavirus has an unexpected central role in the results. The survey was done between April 8 and 16, after many consumers had spent several weeks at home. This gave IFIC the opportunity to take a look at consumers’ reaction to the pandemic, and how they were keeping themselves healthy.
One thing the pandemic hasn’t changed is how many consumers consider the food system safe. A total of 67% of consumers surveyed have confidence in the safety of the food system, down just one percentage point from the 68% who felt that way last year. In fact, the top food safety concern this year was not foodborne illness or chemicals, but contamination from food handling or preparation in light of the pandemic. About half of consumers said they were concerned about eating food prepared outside of their homes.
Food for health
While taste was still the top reason consumers choose food, with 88% saying it is important, three out of five said they consider how healthy items are. And compared to 10 years ago, more than half said the healthiness of food makes more of a difference to them now.
However, slightly more than half of consumers have made changes to their diets to promote healthfulness in the last six months — down from two-thirds a decade ago. This may be because many already think themselves healthy. A total of 57% respondents said they were in excellent or very good health, and nearly three in four said their diet is healthier than that of the average American.
A total of 43% said they have followed a specific diet during the last year, and those results were many and varied. Intermittent fasting, the most popular response, was only followed by 10%. Just below that were clean eating and a ketogenic or high-fat diet.
Functional and healthy ingredients are important to consumers, with about a quarter specifically seeking them out. The ingredients that consumers consider healthiest are fiber (more than 80%), whole grains (close to 80%) and plant proteins (70%). Those three ingredients are also the most sought after in products, the survey found.
More consumers say they are eating more plant-based food in general, with nearly three in 10 increasing their consumption of plant proteins in the last year. Other plant-based categories are also seeing more consumption, with almost a quarter of consumers having more plant-based dairy, and 17% eating more plant-based meat. Although these increases in consumption of plant-based alternatives are not huge, the two categories that consumers are eating much less of are red meat — with almost a third cutting consumption in the last year — and dairy — which one in five has cut back on.Â
What’s in a label?
Food labeling continues to be important to consumers. As labeling changes are on their way to foods, IFIC asked consumers about different aspects and terminologies on the new versions.
One of the more noticeable changes on the revamped Nutrition Facts label is its breakdown of the amount of sugars in products. The new label shows a product’s total sugars, as well as the amount of sugar that was added. While nearly three in four consumers said they were trying to limit sugar in their diets, four in 10 considered both naturally occurring sugars and those added to a product as equally important. A total of 37% said that added sugars have a major impact on health, while only 18% said the same about naturally occurring sugars.
When it comes to label claims, “natural” — which has no regulated definition — is the one consumers find the most important, both for items they buy at the grocery store and in foodservice. More than 40% find they are influenced by products labeled “natural” at the grocery store, while about 20% find it influential on a menu.
And the health halo of “natural” products helps them win over consumers. The survey gave consumers a hypothetical situation, where two products had the same Nutrition Facts panel, but other key differences. They were asked to choose which one would be healthier. And close to half said a product with an “all natural” claim would be healthier than one without.
As the new GMO labeling law is starting to be reflected on products, IFIC also asked questions about consumer reaction to it. The abbreviation many consumers are familiar with is not what will appear on products, which will be labeled as “Bioengineered” or “Derived from Bioengineering.” Consumers were asked if they would continue purchasing a product if they saw a “bioengineered” label on it. A third said they would continue, but 35% said they would not.
In the question that asked consumers to choose influential label claims, more than three in 10 said they would be influenced by a “non-GMO” label. Fewer than 10% said the same about a “bioengineered” label.
“The big contrast that non-GMO is a label that far more people are seeking out compared to ‘bioengineered’ or ‘contains bioengineered ingredients,’ which is the the second lowest,” Webster said.
A sliver of Martian geological history takes center stage in a striking photo of a Red Planet crater.
The image, captured by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), shows dramatically swirling layers of rock in the 87-mile-wide (140 kilometers) Holden Crater.
“Much of Mars is covered by sand and dust, but in some places stacks of sedimentary layers are visible,” NASA officials wrote Monday (June 8) in a description of the photo.Â
“In this image, exquisite layering is revealed emerging from the sand in southern Holden Crater,” they added. “Sequences like these offer a window into Mars’ complicated geologic history.”
That history includes a stretch long ago when the planet’s surface was likely capable of supporting Earth-like life. As work by robotic explorers such as MRO and NASA’s Curiosity rover has shown, ancient Mars sported rivers, lakes and, some scientists believe, a huge ocean that covered most of the planet’s northern hemisphere.
Everything changed about 4 billion years ago, when Mars lost its global magnetic field. The planet’s once-thick atmosphere was then exposed to stripping by the charged particles of the solar wind, and Mars was transformed into the cold, dry world we know today.Â
Holden Crater was once a potential landing site for Curiosity, by the way. But NASA ultimately selected the 96-mile-wide (154 km) Gale Crater for the six-wheeled robot’s rovings.
Holden Crater lies about 26 degrees south of the Martian equator, whereas Gale Crater is at just 5 degrees south.
Mike Wall is the author of “Out There” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated byKarl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter@Spacedotcom orFacebook.Â
J.K. Rowling posted a series of tweets on June 6 to her 14.5 million followers that made clear the author of the global bestselling “Harry Potter†book series does not believe that transgender women are women or transgender men are men.
“If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction,†Rowling tweeted. “If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.â€
More from Variety
The fallout — for Rowling, for her creative universe known as the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and for its spinoff movie series “Fantastic Beasts†— is already being felt by the author’s lifelong, devoted fans. For many, the anti-trans tweets she posted were a heartbreaking repudiation of the lessons steeped in the “Harry Potter†novels of empathy, egalitarianism and the power of love.
“For somebody who stood so much for equality and tolerance for so many years to actively punch down on a marginalized group — like all ‘Harry Potter’ fans who feel this way, I’m just kind of devastated,†says Melissa Anelli, founder and CEO of Mischief Management, a fan events company that runs the popular “Harry Potter†fan conventions LeakyCon. “Supporting a creator with this view is difficult.â€
Jackson Bird, a writer and YouTube creator whose memoir “Sorted†chronicles how “Harry Potter†fandom helped him come out as trans, was especially disappointed to see Rowling pick this particular time to share her views on trans people amid the global protests in support of Black Lives Matter. “For her to decide to use her incredible platform to be very critical and hateful towards a particular group of people, it just seems an irresponsible use of the platform by one of the most influential people in the world,†he says.
Rowling’s actions were also just latest and loudest evidence for many fans that the 54-year-old has aligned herself with activists that have come to be known as trans-exclusionary radical feminists, or TERFs.
“She’s been liking transphobic tweets and supporting transphobic folks for a minute now, and she also has a track record of not listening to people when they try to call her out,†says Bayana Davis, co-host of the Potter podcast #Wizardteam and co-founder and editor-in-chief of Black Girls Create. “So when she finally said it [herself], I was just like, ‘Welp, there it is.’â€
“Studios, networks, and brands affiliated with J.K. Rowling owe it to their transgender employees and consumers to speak out against her inaccurate and hurtful comments.†GLAAD’s Anthony Ramos
Rowling’s decision to state her beliefs on trans identity brought a level of recrimination and condemnation commensurate with the size of her massive following. Even “Harry Potter†star Daniel Radcliffe felt compelled to make clear he supports trans rights, posting an impassioned essay on the site of LGBTQ crisis prevention organization the Trevor Project.
“Transgender women are women,†Radcliffe wrote. “Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either [Rowling] or I.â€
GLAAD, the LGBTQ media watchdog organization, also provided a blistering statement to Variety about Rowling’s tweets, and issued a direct challenge to any organization partnered with Rowling — like Warner Bros. — to publicly rebuke her anti-trans statements.
Warner Bros. has declined to comment on GLAAD’s statement specifically, and for this story in general.
“J.K. Rowling proactively spreads misinformation and has refused conversations with LGBTQ leaders who merely want to have a dialogue and let her know the negative impact that these tweets have,†says Anthony Ramos, GLAAD’s head of celebrity talent. “A generation raised on J.K.’s own books about embracing differences is now making their voices loud and clear and if she refuses dialogue, then companies that partner with her should tell the community where they stand. Studios, networks, and brands affiliated with J.K. Rowling owe it to their transgender employees and consumers to speak out against her inaccurate and hurtful comments.â€
Indeed, Rowling’s actions could have severe repercussions for the Wizarding World, especially for the “Fantastic Beasts†franchise.
“I hate to say it: I’m not interested in [those movies] any more,†says Anelli. “You have to understand, this is like breaking up with someone, you know? It’s so difficult to say out loud.â€
The “Fantastic Beasts†series was supposed to be a home run for Warner Bros., promising a major expansion of the “Wizarding World†well beyond the confines of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Unlike the “Harry Potter†films, Rowling herself wrote the screenplays for the first two films in the series — set in the early 20th century and centered around the magical zoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) — and many of core creative team from the “Potter†team returned as well, including director David Yates, producer David Heyman, and production designer Stuart Craig.
Instead, “Fantastic Beasts†was beleaguered with controversy before the first film in the series, 2016’s “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,†had even opened in theaters, after news broke of Johnny Depp’s surprise appearance in the movie only months after he’d settled his divorce with Amber Heard amid accusations of domestic violence.
Now, between Rowling’s anti-trans tweets, longstanding concerns about the casting of Depp as the series’ main villain, and unresolved questions about a video of actor Ezra Miller — who plays a critical role in the films — choking a woman in April, the future of “Fantastic Beasts†is as precarious as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position at Hogwarts.
When it did open, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them†was a hit, grossing $243 million domestically, and $814 million worldwide. But the decision to cast Depp in the film as the nefarious dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald struck a sour chord for many fans upset by allegations by his now ex-wife Amber Heard that the actor was physically and verbally abusive. (Depp has denied he abused Heard, and the two are locked in an ongoing legal battle over her allegations.)
Despite the fact that Grindelwald is capable of using magic to change his appearance (for most of the first film, the character is played by Colin Farrell until he transforms into Depp), the “Fantastic Beasts†creative team elected to keep Depp in the role, and Rowling even made him the title character for the follow-up, 2018’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.†The fan backlash was so enormous, however, that in December 2017, Rowling, Yates, Heyman, and Warner Bros. all issued statements defending their decision to stick with Depp.
“‘Harry Potter’ fans had legitimate questions and concerns about our choice to continue with Johnny Depp in the role,†Rowling said in her statement. “As David Yates, long-time ‘Potter’ director, has already said, we naturally considered the possibility of recasting. I understand why some have been confused and angry about why that didn’t happen.†Rowling alluded to a reported non-disparagement clause in the couple’s divorce settlement, saying it “must be respected,†and that “based on our understanding of the circumstances,†she and the filmmakers were “genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies.â€
The explanation left many fans wanting. “I never even saw the second one because I wasn’t sure how I felt about it ethically,†says Bird. “And then frankly it got such bad reviews, I just kind of forgot to see it.†He pauses. “Despite some of the bad apples amongst the cast and the crew, there are a number of actors and crew members who are part of that I admire and care deeply about it. I’m disappointed for them that the franchise has, you know, hit upon so many stumbles.â€
“The Crimes of Grindelwald†significantly underperformed from the first film, earning just $159.5 million domestically, and $654.8 million worldwide, by far the lowest grossing film in the greater Wizarding World movie franchise.
“To be honest, I have not talked to a single person at conventions, in conversations with people who are very active in the Harry Potter fandom, that are excited about those movies to begin with,†says Robyn Jordan, co-host of the #Wizardteam podcast, and co-founder and chief community officer of Black Girls Create. “They’re not good.â€
Despite the poor reception and performance of “Crimes of Grindelwald,†and the 2019 departure of Warner Bros. chief Kevin Tsujihara — a major champion of the series at the studio — the third “Fantastic Beasts†installment began filming in Iceland in March, with Depp still aboard, and “Harry Potter†screenwriter Steve Kloves joining Rowling on screenwriting duties. But the COVID-19 pandemic promptly shut down production just as soon as it had started. Then on April 1, Miller — who was revealed at the end of “Crimes of Grindelwald†to be the long-lost brother of Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) — was filmed choking a woman and throwing her to the ground outside a popular bar in Reykjavik. When the video surfaced online five days later, it quickly went viral.
Miller and Warner Bros. have not commented on the matter, and no charges have been filed. But the incident only reinforced an uneasy feeling with some “Potter†fans that the “Fantastic Beasts†franchise — and especially Rowling herself — are out of step with what they see as the franchise’s core values.
“I’m not going to give her another dime of my money.†Robyn Jordan, co-host of the #Wizardteam podcast
“If you’re able to hold on to a trans-exclusionary ideology, it’s indicative of all the other things — oppression and misconduct — that you’re able to excuse, ignore, or accept,†says Jordan. “It is not unreasonable to believe that if [Rowling] doesn’t believe that trans people have rights and have bodily autonomy, that she wouldn’t believe that for other people as well. If she can excuse that ideology, she can excuse abuse as well.â€
Even though Rowling has said there will be five “Fantastic Beasts†movies, it is not clear at all how, or if, the author can repair the damage she’s done.
“I’m not going to give her another dime of my money,†says Jordan. “Hopefully now people can move on and don’t have to talk about her anymore. There’s so many other things going on in the world. It really felt like [the tweets] pulled focus away from a larger conversation onto herself.â€
There would never have been a good time for Rowling’s comments, but she made them at a critical moment of reckoning within the greater culture that has made plain that bigoted speech will have real-world consequences well beyond denunciation on Twitter.
“[Rowling’s] comments reinforced a troubling pattern of behavior,†says Laura Guitar, head of crisis communications and reputation management at rbb Communications. “They weren’t a slip of the tongue or a misunderstanding. Given where we are in the world, that’s a problem. The social justice protests may be focused on black lives, but they also speak to a rising sensitivity about the issues facing all minorities.â€
The specific language Rowling chose to defend her views on trans people — in one tweet, she responded to a tweet calling her a “TERF†by tweeting, “‘Feminazi’, ‘TERF’, ‘bitch’, witch’. Times change. Woman-hate is eternal†— paint her into a rhetorical corner that will be difficult to escape.
“I don’t think she sees her point of view as incorrect or out of step,†Guitar says. “That leaves her with nowhere to go. She can’t offer an apology. It won’t seem genuine. She can’t see that what she sees as her truth isn’t the same truth that many other people are experiencing.â€
The damage Rowling has inflicted on her legacy will play out over the next few months and years, but the immediate impact is already apparent.
“I thought about doing a reread a few months ago and I just — it’s hard to imagine doing that without sort of like having her snarky offensive Twitter voice in the back of my mind,†says Bird. “I hope that one day I can enjoy it again.â€
In his essay, Radcliffe directly addressed exactly this anguish, and perhaps pointed to the future of “Potter†fandom. “If you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life — then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred,†he wrote. “And in my opinion, nobody can touch that.â€
No matter what happens with “Fantastic Beasts,†the legacy of what “Harry Potter†means to these fans — and what the story inspired them to create for themselves — still endures. “The ‘Harry Potter’ brand is so institutionalized that there will be blowback, but it will survive,†says Guitar. “It puts a dent in a multi-billion enterprise, but even if Rowling wanted to burn it down, I’m not sure she could.â€
“I think a lot of people are choosing to focus on the fandom aspect of it — she can do all that stuff over there, but we’re gonna keep the ‘Potter’ series,†Davis says. “This is no longer hers. There’s lots of fan art, fan fic, tons of podcasts, tons of all these other things that have come out of that that she doesn’t own, that she didn’t create.â€
“It does nobody any good for us to just pull up stakes and just abandon the community,†Anelli adds. “You can’t really love something unless you can critique it. But if we can create a world where the Harry Potter community rises above and beyond the intolerant views of its author, then I think we can feel really proud of that.â€
For some creative fans, the future of “Harry Potter,†in other words, may not include Rowling at all.
“We are the reason why they’re even able to make a ‘Fantastic Beasts,’†says Jordan. “I’m not going to abandon or discount the work that I’ve already created, building a space for myself in this world. We, the fans, own the Wizarding World. She’s a landlord, you know? And we’re canceling rent! We’re canceling all over the place, so we’re doing it here.â€
Israel’s High Court ordered June 9 the state to cancel the controversial Regulation Law, with eight justices to one ruling that the legislation was unconstitutional. The eight justices said that the law “violates the property rights and equality of Palestinians, and gives clear priority to the interests of Israeli settlers over Palestinian residents of the West Bank.” The justices argued that while preventing the demolition of [settlement] homes might be understandable, this “does not justify such significant violation of property rights and the rights to dignity and equality that the Palestinian population [deserves].â€
The Regulation Law enables the Israeli authorities to expropriate private lands belonging to Palestinians in favor of Jewish settlements and on the condition of compensating the Palestinian owners. Its authors aimed at retroactively legalizing over 4,000 unauthorized housing units, including some, though not all, West Bank wildcat outpost.
Adopted by the Knesset three years ago, the law generated a wave of criticism by anti-occupation and human rights groups, with several petitions submitted against it over the years. European leaders sharply criticized the law, arguing it ran contrary to international law. United Nations envoy to the Middle East Nickolay Mladenov said at the time that the law “will have a drastic legal consequence for Israel and for the nature of its democracy. It crosses a very, very thick red line.”
When the first petitions were submitted against the law, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit said he could not represent the state, estimating the law was unconstitutional. In reaction, then-Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked of the pro-settler Jewish Home party hired private lawyer Harel Arnon to defend the law in court. After a series of petitions, the government agreed to suspend the implementation of the law until the High Court publishes its final ruling on the issue.
The June 9 ruling will evidently generate wide national and international implications, especially ahead of July 1, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to bring up to vote his West Bank annexation plan. On the Israeli internal political level, public radio station Kan reported that the Likud and Blue and White party, both of the ruling coalition, disputed the reaction to the ruling, with a coalition crisis looming over the issue. The Likud party said in a statement that the ruling was “unfortunate,” condemning the court’s intervention in a law “that’s important to the settlement enterprise and its future.†In contrast, the Blue and White party stated, “We respect the court’s decision and will work to ensure that it will be respected.” Several right-wing activists pledged to re-present a new version of the law for the Knesset to adopt in the near future, but a Likud source was quoted as saying that once Israeli sovereignty is implemented on West Bank settlements, the law would no longer be necessary.
U.S. President Donald Trump at his Turnberry golf course in 2016 | Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Two courses won’t have to pay any property tax this year.
Donald Trump’s golf courses in Scotland are in line to get a more than £1 million tax rebate thanks to a government bailout fund for tourism businesses hit by the coronavirus.
According to the Guardian, the U.S. president’s two golf resorts will get emergency funding from the Scottish government’s £2.3 billion business support package, which includes waiving property taxes due this year. The news site said Trump Turnberry had been due to pay £850,766 in property tax this year and Trump Aberdeenshire £121,170.
The local councils that cover the resorts are this week expected to tell the businesses they will no longer have to pay that money as they qualify for 100 percent relief as part of the bailout fund.
Both the Scottish and U.K. governments have set up emergency funds that cover funding the furlough of any staff not able to work because their businesses have closed down because of the virus.
A spokesperson for the Trump Organization, which runs the golf courses and is overseen by the president’s sons Eric and Donald Jr., told the Guardian that the resorts had used coronavirus emergency funding schemes but did not provide details on how much money had been claimed or how many staff were furloughed. The organization also asked for state support from the Irish government for its resort in Doonbeg.
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