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Huntsville, Ala., Has Seen Music Job Growth of 145% Since 2018. It Wants Other Cities to Copy Its Ideas
Huntsville, Alabama’s music office has released a report showing the city’s music industry has grown substantially since 2018, when the establishment of a dedicated Huntsville Music Office and investment in venues began. The Economic Impact of Huntsville Music Report, compiled with creative economy consultancy Sound Diplomacy, aims to demonstrate to other US cities how targeted…
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How Lan Hongchun’s Teochew Film ‘Dear You’ Turned a Forgotten Postal Tradition Into China’s Unlikely Hit: ‘Dialect Is Never Going to Be a Liability as Long as You Have Great Ideas’
Chinese director Lan Hongchun’s film “Dear You,” a low-budget picture spoken almost entirely in the Teochew dialect, has become an unexpected box office phenomenon in China, grossing far beyond expectations and closing the 25th New York Asian Film Festival. Made for just RMB14 million ($2.1 million), it has become the second-highest-grossing film in China this…
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John Mulaney Announces 2027 “Mulaney Takes Manhattan” New York City Tour
John Mulaney has announced “Mulaney Takes Manhattan,” a 2027 New York City residency that will see him perform standup comedy at nine different venues across nine consecutive nights. The run, revealed on 28 July 2026, offers fans an unusual chance to see the comedian at intimate clubs as well as some of the city’s largest…
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Kamala Harris backs US Senate candidate who replaced Graham Platner: ‘I know what it is like’
Former US Vice President Kamala Harris has publicly backed Troy Jackson, the Democratic Party’s newly selected candidate for the US Senate seat in Maine. Jackson stepped in after Graham Platner withdrew from the race, prompting a scramble within the Maine Democratic Party to find a replacement candidate ahead of the election. In a fundraising email…
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US walks out on France at UN meeting to protest human rights criticism
US diplomats briefly walked out of a UN Security Council meeting while France was speaking, after France criticised the Trump administration’s human rights record. The incident highlights a sharper public dispute between two close allies and wider strains between Washington and European governments over security and multilateral institutions. The row followed the UN General Assembly’s…
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GOP senator unveils BOASBERG Act to stop ‘rogue’ judges from handpicking Trump cases
Republican Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri is introducing legislation named the Blocking Overt Attempts at Shopping By Enforcing Randomization Guidelines (BOASBERG) Act, aimed at curbing what he calls “rogue” federal judges from being able to handpick cases involving President Donald Trump’s administration. The bill is named after US District Judge James Boasberg, whom Schmitt has…
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Moment hooded thief breaks into mother’s cake shed and kicks ‘honesty box’ full of cash off wall
A mother’s cake shed was targeted by a hooded thief who broke in and kicked over an “honesty box” containing cash, in a break-in captured on camera. The incident highlights a growing frustration among small honesty-based sellers, who rely on customer trust to leave payment for goods without staff present, only to have their goodwill…
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Russia exposes NATO weapons gap as top commander warns ‘the math is not in favor of the West’
A senior NATO commander has warned that Western nations lack the industrial capacity to produce weapons at the scale needed to counter modern threats, days after alliance members pledged tens of billions of dollars towards new air and missile defence systems. French Admiral Pierre Vandier, NATO’s top transformation commander, said the war in Ukraine and…
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Beshear says McConnell should disclose health details or resign
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has called on Senator Mitch McConnell to give a direct public account of his health and ability to serve, or resign. The intervention escalates pressure over McConnell’s prolonged absence and limited public updates, raising wider questions about transparency from elected officials whose health may affect their work. Beshear, a Democrat, wrote…
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‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Review: Tom Holland Returns in a ‘Mature’ Adventure That for All Its Good Action Is Trying Too Hard
Variety’s chief film critic Owen Gleiberman reviews “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, which finds Tom Holland’s Peter Parker as an isolated, workaholic crime-fighter after the memory-wiping ending of “No Way Home.” The critic praises the film’s attempt at a more thoughtful, “mature” tone compared with its predecessor but argues it strains…