The cause of death for Peter Greene, a character actor known for playing villains in movies including “Pulp Fiction” and “The Mask,” has been revealed by New York City’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner.
Police found Greene, 60, dead in his apartment Dec. 12. They didn’t suspect foul play.
His death was ruled an accident, the M.E.’s office said via email. Greene died from a “gunshot wound of left axilla with injury of brachial artery,” the office said. In everyday English, that means he shot himself in his left underarm and injured a significant artery that starts in the shoulder and runs down to the elbow crease.
Police found the character actor in his Lower East Side apartment, Deadline reported, after neighbors heard Christmas music playing for days and one of them called authorities and the landlord for a wellness check.
Greene had a history of addiction, per the New York Post, and attempted suicide in the 1990s. He was scheduled to go in for a procedure to remove a benign tumor near his lung on the day he was found, the outlet said. His manager had talked to him two days before he was found.
“He sounded OK … It was just a totally normal conversation. He was a little nervous about the operation going in, but he said it wasn’t super serious,” manager Gregg Edwards told the Post in December. “He was talking about that and hoping that I was going to be OK and wishing me well as I was wishing him well. We’re good friends. I love the guy.”
Greene’s best-known role was the villain Zed, who was brought in to torture Bruce Willis and Ving Rhames’ characters in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 classic “Pulp Fiction.” In “The Mask,” also released in 1994, he played mobster Dorian Tyrell, antagonist to Jim Carrey’s Stanley Ipkiss, a.k.a. the Mask.
Those roles came only a couple of years into Greene’s career, which per IMDb included nearly 100 TV and film credits from 1990 to 2026. His TV credits included episodes of “Chicago P.D.,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Law & Order,” “Justified” and more.
He started out with parts in a couple of TV shows in the early 1990s before landing the lead role in “Laws of Gravity.” In 1995, Times movie critic Kenneth Turan called the 1992 film “independent American filmmaking at its best” and described Jimmy (Greene) as “a small-time street outlaw who, though horrified at the thought of actual work, is stable by local standards” in Brooklyn’s then crime-ridden Greenpoint neighborhood.
The New Jersey native, born Oct. 8, 1965, studied Method acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York City when he was in his 20s. He told Premiere magazine in 1996 that he ran away from home at age 15 and lived on the streets, using and dealing drugs and hiding from other dealers in theaters, where he got into acting. His drug use overlapped with his early success on screen.
After a 1996 suicide attempt, the actor said, he got treatment for addiction and sobered up.
Known for producing first-round draft picks as pitchers, Harvard-Westlake has assembled a group of hitters this season that look capable of producing lots of offense after a 15-1 season-opening five-inning win over Southlake (Texas) Carroll on Thursday at O’Malley Family Field.
Just look at the first five hitters in the lineup: Shortstop James Tronstein is headed to Vanderbilt; outfielder Ethan Price is committed to Santa Clara; center fielder Ira Rootman is a Texas commit; freshman third baseman Louis Lappe is the Little League star from El Segundo; designated hitter Jake Kim is a UCLA commit.
Freshman Louis Lappe of Harvard-Westlake got an RBI double in his first high school at-bat on a 3-and-2 count.
(Craig Weston)
Kim led the Mission League in home runs as a sophomore with seven and hit his first home run of 2026 to right field with a little help from the wind on Thursday. Rootman hit a ball so far over the left-field fence for a three-run home that it might have gone out of a big-league stadium. Lappe, in his first high school at-bat, delivered an RBI double.
“It was cool,” Lappe said. “A lot of pressure came off. I got that weight off my shoulders.”
The Wolverines have been focused on getting stronger in the weight room and no one has benefited more than Rootman, a junior who added 10 pounds and can’t wait to see how his improved strength is going make him a better hitter.
As for first impressions of Lappe, Rootman said, “I think he’s a very special kid and has so much talent it’s unbelievable.”
Justin Kirchner struck out nine in four innings. He’s a junior committed to Yale.
Boys soccer
El Camino Real 1, Palisades 0: Defending champion El Camino Real advanced to the City Section Open Division championship game with a victory in overtime. Jayden de la Cruz scored the overtime goal. El Camino Real will face the winner of Friday’s semifinal between South East and Marquez.
Yoon Min-ho, spokesperson for South Korea’s Unification Ministry, speaks during a briefing at the Government Complex Seoul in Seoul on Feb. 2. Photo by Asia Today
Feb. 19 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s Unification Ministry said Thursday it is taking note of a swift statement by Kim Yo Jong, a senior North Korean ruling party official, after Seoul expressed regret over recent drone incidents and announced steps to prevent a recurrence.
A ministry official told reporters the government “takes note” that North Korea quickly responded to Seoul’s expression of regret and its preventive measures. The official said the steps announced by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young are intended to protect the safety and peace of both Koreas and that the government will “responsibly” implement them.
The remarks came after Kim said earlier Thursday that North Korea “highly appreciates” Chung’s comments acknowledging what Pyongyang called a South Korean drone provocation, expressing regret again and stating an intention to prevent further incidents.
On Wednesday, Chung said Seoul expressed “deep regret” to the North over drone infiltration incidents during the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration and additional incidents carried out at the civilian level after President Lee Jae-myung took office. Chung also announced measures aimed at preventing a recurrence, including banning drone infiltration into North Korea and strengthening penalties.
An upcoming adaptation of a bestselling rom-com has landed a major Bridgerton star for the leading role
Bridgerton star lands role in ‘perfect’ rom-com fans have read ‘over and over’
Bridgerton sensation Phoebe Dynevor has secured the leading role in Beach Read, the forthcoming film adaptation of Emily Henry’s chart-topping romantic novel.
First released in 2020, the story centres on two authors and former university competitors who cross paths again unexpectedly, embarking on a literary duel whilst vowing to resist any romantic entanglement.
Dynevor, celebrated for her portrayal of Daphne Bridgerton in Netflix’s smash-hit Regency drama’s debut season, will take on the part of romance writer January Andrews.
Within the narrative, January faces off against and ultimately develops feelings for Gus Everett, whose casting remains unannounced.
Devotees of Henry’s work have grounds for enthusiasm regarding the upcoming adaptation, as Yulin Kuang is at the helm. Kuang co-authored Netflix’s recent take on People We Meet on Vacation, featuring Emily Bader and Tom Blyth, reports the Express.
Kuang is also crafting the screenplay, with 20th Century Studios backing the project, ensuring audiences can expect a cinema release.
The complete film synopsis from Deadline states: “Beach Read is a romantic comedy following January Andrews, a successful romance novelist who struggles with grief and writer’s block after her father’s death and the discovery of secrets he’s long kept hidden.”
“While spending the summer in his Michigan beach house to prepare it for sale, she unexpectedly reconnects with Gus Everett, an author who was once her rival in college.
“Both creatively stuck, they agree to a writing challenge over the summer, swapping literary genres while promising that there will be no romance between them. Of course, you know what they say about the best-laid plans.”
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‘Dearest gentle reader’, as the fourth season of Bridgerton follows second son Benedict love story, there’s a way to watch this fairytale-like season for less.
Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan. This lets customers watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes the new season of Bridgerton.
Fans will no doubt be thrilled to witness January and Gus’s swoon-worthy romance translated to screen, as Henry’s original novel has garnered glowing reviews from both critics and readers alike over the years.
One five-star Amazon review gushed: “I’ve read this book at least six times now, and somehow, I love it more with each reread.”
They continued: “Everything about this story is perfect. It’s heartwarming, smart, and emotionally rich, but still manages to have me giggling, kicking my feet, and fully rooting for these two. This is such a comforting read I keep the audiobook on standby for whenever I have the chance to replay it.”
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Another reader enthused: “Together Gus and January have managed to chip away a piece of my heart to call their own. No romance book has had me screaming, crying, smiling and laughing as much as Beach Read.”
A final admirer declared: “Oh my word, I loved this book so much. I can’t stop recommending it to people, even my guy friends. I’m not sure how anyone can consider this anything but a masterpiece.”
Eager to be captivated by another brilliant Emily Henry adaptation? Stay tuned for further updates.
Beach Read does not currently have a release date.
The Lakers had just completed practice Thursday with a full and healthy squad when Luka Doncic strolled over to speak with the media.
Doncic had played only five minutes Sunday for Team World in the All-Star Game because of a lingering left hamstring strain. He had missed the previous four Lakers games.
With the Lakers scheduled to start the post-All-Star break against the Clippers on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena, Doncic was asked if he was playing in that game.
“Probably,” he said. “We’ll see. I got to talk to people.”
Since Doncic did practice, he was asked how he was doing and how his hamstring felt.
“I’m good,” he said. “Feeling good.”
But, Doncic was told, he did play in the All-Star Game, even if it was limited time.
“Five minutes. I was on minutes restriction,” Doncic joked.
Lakers coach JJ Redick was the first to speak to the media after practice, his time away from the game leaving him fresh and ready to go.
He was asked if Austin Reaves, who had been on a restriction of about 25 minutes after returning from a 19-game because of a left calf strain, would still be on a minutes restriction and if Doncic would be available for the game against the Clippers.
“Austin won’t have a minutes restriction,” Redick said, “and as of 35 to 45 seconds ago, we’ll have everybody available tomorrow.”
Injuries have been a common thread for the Lakers this season.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves sits on the scorer’s table before entering a game against the Mavericks earlier this month. His minutes restriction since returning from a calf injury has been lifted.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
It started at the beginning of the season, when LeBron James missed 14 games because of sciatica. He has recently dealt with left foot arthritis that kept him out of a game.
Center Deandre Ayton missed the last two games with right knee soreness.
“Well, there’s only so much you can control. I mean, you know, as a coach, you have zero control in that. As a player, you know what you do to prepare, and what you do to recover can give you some level of control, but ultimately, the basketball Gods in the game are going to dictate health,” Redick said. “It’s funny, we were talking before the season about building continuity with those three guys, and we’ve had them available together for 10 games. So it’s just the situation we’re in.
“Not the only team that has had a bunch of health issues throughout the season and had to manage that. But I think … my messaging this morning to the players was this is going to be a sprint, these last 28 games. It’s another segment of the season where, starting tomorrow, we won’t have more than a day between games until the end of March. So, we’ve got an opportunity to, I think, play our best basketball after the All-Star break. We’ve got a number of indicators on both sides of the ball that we’re doing some things that are trending in the right direction. And I think it’s coming at a good time, as we’re getting fully healthy.”
Doncic, James and Reaves have played just 10 games together because of health issues.
As a trio, they have combined to average 80.2 points per game, led by Doncic’s NBA-best 32.8 points per game. Reaves is averaging 25.4 points and James 22.0.
Reaves said it is “very important” that the three of them get reps together.
“You have those games from last year, but obviously you still have a learning curve of how to play alongside one another and that’s with everybody else on the team as well,” Reaves said. “Continuing to build that continuity and confidence in every single position. We’re locked in with the five guys on the court. So, very excited.
“I think you can tell throughout the season, even with the unfortunate injuries and stuff, we’ve done a good job of maintaining it. We’re fifth in the West, on pace for a good record and just getting healthy is going to continue to help that. So it’ll be fun to see what that looks like and get to work.”
The Lakers
play four games next week, all against opponents with winning records that are jockeying for position in the playoff race.
So, Thursday’s practice was a good start for the Lakers to get back in gear.
“We only got one practice in so we’re not going to get a lot out of one practice,” Doncic said. “But we definitely like to get up and down a little bit after one week off. So, it was good.”
Malaya’s independence began after the signing of the Malayan Independence Treaty signed by Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj on 8 February 1956 at Lancaster House, London to represent the Malayan government with Alan Lennox-Boyd, Secretary of the British Colonies on behalf of the British government.
The delegation, known as the Merdeka Entourage, was joined by four representatives of the ruling government and four representatives of the Malay Rulers who managed to obtain British approval to formally grant independence to Malaya on 31 August 1957 after three weeks of negotiations.
After achieving the country’s independence through negotiations, the Merdeka entourage returned to Malaya from London on 16 February 1956 and arrived in Singapore at midnight on 19 February 1956.
Tunku Abdul Rahman had decided not to return to Kuala Lumpur the next day, instead deciding to stop by Malacca first to announce the date of independence of Malaya.
On the next day on February 20th 1956, history was created in Melaka when the Merdeka group left for Melaka and arrived at Batu Berendam Airport by boarding a Malayan Airways plane and was greeted with great fanfare by various levels of society.
The Merdeka entourage was paraded by a group of youths on motorbikes along with dozens of cars accompanying Tunku Abdul Rahman’s entourage and Tunku stopped by to rest at Tan Cheng Lock’s house in Klebang before continuing on to Padang Banda Hilir (now Dataran Pahlawan).
The much-anticipated historic moment of the people who flooded Padang Banda Hilir finally arrived when Tunku Abdul Rahman announced according to the agreement reached in London which decided that the Federation of Malaya would officially achieve independence on 31 August 1957.
Upon finishing the speech, Tunku chanted “Merdeka” three times and simultaneously with the announcement, shouts and chants of independence thundered in the sky of Padang Banda Hilir, Melaka with joy and gratitude.
Several wildfires in the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles spurred evacuations while firefighters continued battling several on Thursday. Image courtesy of UPI
Feb. 19 (UPI) — Firefighters are battling several conflagrations in the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles, the largest of which burned more than 283,000 acres in Oklahoma’s Beaver County.
The Beaver County fire is located along Ranger Road and was 15% contained late Thursday afternoon, while a nearby Morning Fire started at 10:30 a.m. CST and is situated southeast of Boyd.
Officials for the Booker Volunteer Fire Department said the Morning Fire was under control shortly after noon, but two active fires in Oklahoma’s Texas County were still active.
The Stevens Fire was 50% contained after burning more than 12,000 acres, while the Side Road Fire was 60% contained and had burned 3,680 acres as of Thursday afternoon.
Firefighters in Texas’ Oldham and Potter counties had the 18,423-acre Lavender Fire 20% contained during the afternoon hours, and an evacuation order for Valley De Oro had been lifted.
In Donley County, Texas, the 8 Ball Fire was 50% contained after burning 13,00 acres, while the Canadian Bridge Fire in Hutchinson County was 100% contained after burning 428 acres.
Fire departments in Bartlesville, Ochelata, Oglesby, Oglesby, Tulsa, Barnsdall and Washington County in Oklahoma fought several fires on Thursday, and Ochelata and southern Bartlesville residents were told to evacuate.
Livestock also have been moved out of the fire zones, and many others fled on their own accord as smoke from the fires spread nearby.
No fatalities have been reported, and there are no reports yet regarding structural damage from the many fires.
After collecting forensic evidence they questioned two men in a nearby village and discovered three sacks of meat, 16 lion claws and four teeth. These body parts would later be tested against the database, with the DNA from all matching the profile of that missing lion.
The rapper reportedly sent five tickets for the men’s snowboard halfpipe final to the owners of a local restaurant who covered his dinner after there were some troubles with the credit card payment. Sofia Valmadre, whose parents own Cronox in Livigno, Italy, said Snoop had placed an order for a cheeseburger, chicken wings, chicken nuggets and French fries at her family’s eatery. Unfortunately, the credit card the mogul’s staffer tried to use was declined for an unknown reason.
“My mother told him it was OK [to take the food] without paying,” Valmadre told Reuters. “[The next day] he sent us five tickets to see the final.”
The “Gin and Juice” rapper has become a familiar presence at the Olympics, especially since NBC made his involvement official starting with the 2024 Paris Summer Games. In addition to cheering on American athletes including curlers Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin, snowboarder Chloe Kim and speedskater Erin Jackson at their events — usually in custom apparel celebrating the sports stars — Snoop has been spending his time in Italy hanging out with bestie Martha Stewart, learning how to ski from Picabo Street and getting chummy with Olympians like “Quad God” Ilia Malinin.
For those curious about Snoop’s dining habits, Stewart recently described him as a “very fussy eater.” She even surprised him with a bowl of spaghetti with meatballs topped with cheddar cheese during a recent fine-dining outing.
Reporting from Washington — Sen. Elizabeth Warren took the first major step toward a White House run Monday, announcing a presidential exploratory committee as she attempts to redefine populism for the left in the age of Donald Trump.
“These aren’t cracks that families are falling into. They’re traps. America’s middle class is under attack,” the Massachusetts Democrat said in a 4½-minute video posted online. “Billionaires and big corporations decided they wanted more of the pie, and they enlisted politicians to cut ’em a fatter slice.”
Aside from a few images of Trump and polarizing figures in his administration, Warren’s largely biographical video steered clear of directly taking on the president. Instead, it echoed some of the complaints that brought him to power by asserting that “corruption is poisoning our democracy” and that government has “become a tool for the wealthy and well-connected.”
Warren is the biggest name to take a formal step into a race that is expected to feature a historically large primary field for a party that is eager to displace Trump in the White House.
A fundraising juggernaut who was among the first to tap into the anger of a resurgent left, Warren figures to be a major factor in the Democratic primary with a significant chance of winning the nomination.
Some detractors say Warren would have a hard time in a general election, however, both because some voters see her as too far to the left and because the former Harvard University law professor’s style can appear pedantic and lecturing to some ears. She has also been dogged by controversy over her thin claims of Native American ancestry.
But she has proved adept at capturing the frustrations and aspirations of many on the left. She’s skilled at putting core beliefs about the need for government regulation and income distribution into simple terms on videos that go viral. And she has successfully used her position on Senate committees to grill administration figures from both parties whom she has accused of going easy on big banks and other powerful players — attracting accusations of grandstanding from detractors.
“I’m in this fight all the way,” she said at a Monday afternoon news conference in Cambridge, Mass., using her favorite word, “fight,” multiple times.
The rhetoric puts her at the forefront of an intraparty debate over how best to take on the president. Warren believes in a combative approach based on a left-wing alternative to his right-wing populism.
She has long positioned herself as a fighter — years ago saying she had “thrown rocks” at those in the wrong. She relishes an image as a leader who will not back down, even in occasional battles against her own party.
“She was a pioneer of a lot of the populist themes that are coursing through the veins of Democratic primary voters, and she’s able to channel their frustration at the current administration,” said Colin Reed, a consultant who has run a campaign against Warren and later headed a Republican opposition research group.
Like Trump, Warren attempts to channel the anger in the middle class over the decline in employment in the nation’s industrial base and stagnant incomes for a large share of American workers.
Unlike Trump, she favors more government regulation and spending — including Medicare for all — to lift more people from poverty. She also opposes him on the long list of issues of cultural and ethnic diversity that have become litmus tests for both parties.
Warren, a policy wonk, is also far different from Trump in governing style and temperament.
Other potential candidates say a more uplifting message is needed to counter Trump’s grievance-filled politics. Warren, asked about her polarizing reputation on Monday, was unapologetic, saying those unhappy with her are the drug companies, big banks and others who benefit from the status quo.
In announcing on New Year’s Eve, Warren jumped ahead of several Senate colleagues who are expected to join the race soon, including Sens. Kamala Harris of California, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Cory Booker of New Jersey. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas and former Vice President Joe Biden are also among the long list of Democrats considering the race.
Warren, who is completing her first term in the Senate, is 69, younger than Trump and other potential front-runners such as Biden and Sanders, but far from the generational change some in her party are urging.
Her early entry into the 2020 primary race, on the last day of 2018 calendar year, demonstrates the eagerness of potential candidates to stake a claim on party support, fundraising and public attention.
She is entering the primaries at a time when the Democratic Party is not only grappling with its economic message; it is also trying to come to grips with its increasing diversity. Hillary Clinton’s failure to energize enough voters of color was one of many reasons she could not defeat Trump, and many Democrats believe that they must make a stronger appeal to minority voters.
Warren, whose base of support in Massachusetts is largely white, signaled her intent to court minority voters in her launch video, which showed clips of her marching in an LGBTQ parade in a feather boa and attacking Trump’s divisiveness while pointing to the harsher effects that economic inequality has had on people of color.
Trump has gone after her repeatedly, mocking her claims to Native American heritage with the nickname “Pocahontas.”
In a Fox interview Monday, Trump continued to belittle her, saying he would “love to run against her” and attacking her mental fitness by saying “you’d have to ask her psychiatrist” whether she could win the election.
Warren’s attempts to put the Native American controversy to rest, including a DNA test this year that showed trace genetic links to Native American peoples, have largely fallen flat, drawing criticism not only from Republicans but prominent Native Americans as well.
Several reviews of her records, including an exhaustive investigation by the Boston Globe, have found that her ethnicity claims played no role in her hiring at a series of law school jobs, including at Harvard.
“Her message is a resonant one, but in terms of the messenger there are questions that weren’t there a few months ago,” said Tracy Sefl, a Democratic consultant who has been involved in many presidential races.
Sefl called the imperative to defeat Trump in 2020 “almost beyond description” and said “Democrats will be less inclined to choose a messenger who’s been called into question.”
Warren has tried to counter another potential liability — her image as part of the coastal elite — by telling her life story, which she also highlighted in Monday’s launch video.
She grew up in Oklahoma to middle-class parents. Her mother took a job at Sears when her father was unable to work following a heart attack.
A champion high school debater, she was able to make it to college and then law school while also starting a family.
Those early struggles fit within her economic argument that middle- and working-class families are often left without a safety net in the face of healthcare emergencies and other setbacks.
As a member of the Democratic minority in the Senate, Warren can’t claim many legislative accomplishments, but has succeeded in commanding attention.
She has kept financial regulation at the center of her message, the issue that brought her to prominence as an academic and allowed her to first make her mark on national politics while serving as a special advisor in the Obama administration. In that role, she advocated for and helped establish a consumer protection agency as part of the financial services and banking overhaul passed in the aftermath of the financial collapse.
Warren, a longtime critic of Wall Street, was passed over by President Obama to lead the agency on a permanent basis after Republicans made it clear they would fight her nomination. She ran for the Senate instead, winning her first term in 2012.
Despite hostility toward her policies from the financial industry, which contributes heavily to many candidates in both parties, Warren has been an especially strong fundraiser since entering politics. In her first Senate race, she raised what were then record levels of donations in both small online contributions and larger sums from the party’s big players.
She is a large draw on the campaign trail, where she gestures emphatically as she talks about what she characterizes as the “rigged” system that favors the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of middle-class people.
Warren stayed out of the 2016 race, believing Clinton was unbeatable in the primary. Since then, other contenders for the White House, including Sanders, have captured much of the attention and energy that had been directed toward her.
Questions intensified about whether her moment had passed after signs of somewhat tepid support cropped up in her home state this year.
She easily won reelection against an unknown candidate, drawing 60% of the vote, but her vote total was lower than that of Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, and polls showed the majority of Massachusetts voters did not want her to make a presidential run. Many Democrats preferred former Gov. Deval Patrick, who recently bowed out.
The Boston Globe editorial board, one of the most liberal in the country, urged her to reconsider a bid, saying she had become a “divisive figure” on the national stage.
“There’s no shame in testing the waters and deciding to stay on the beach,” the board wrote.
“He will be in the MVP conversation this year,” Roberts said this week. “But again, I think, speaking for Mookie, his main goal is to help us win a championship. So, I think whatever falls out from there, I think that will happen. I just want him to focus on just being healthy, helping us win, and then whatever happens outside of that, will happen.”
Coming off a season that got off on the wrong foot with a stomach virus that caused him to lose 20 pounds and then saw him set career lows for batting average (.258), on-base percentage (.326) and OPS (.732), Betts is eager to move forward. And with a more typical spring training timeline this year — unlike the previous two years when season-opening games in South Korea and Japan sped up preparations — Betts can ease into his seventh season with the Dodgers.
“I haven’t had a regular spring maybe since I’ve been a Dodger,” said Betts, who also won’t be participating in the World Baseball Classic as he did in 2023. “I just know that, being 33 now, I don’t have to hurry up and get here, and be ready to play from day one. So, I can just kind of embrace that. Not everybody’s blessed to have that, so being that I am one of the ones that’s blessed with that, I’ll see what I can make of it.”
One thing that’s not in question for Betts heading into the season: his shortstop play. Despite the nearly unprecedented shift from the outfield to the infield, Betts played 148 games at short last season and was a Gold Glove Award finalist. The work he put in to learn a new position raised questions about whether that was a root cause of his hitting struggles, a point he granted some credence to late last season.
Betts did pick up the pace late in the season, batting .317 and nearly doubling his home run total from 11 to 20 over his final 47 games. But he slumped in the NLCS and World Series, batting a combined .136 and was eventually dropped from second to third in the batting order for Game 5 against the Toronto Blue Jays, then fourth for Games 6 and 7.
Roberts said this week that he intends to slot Betts third in the batting order this season, with Shohei Ohtani still in the leadoff spot. (He added that Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and newcomer Kyle Tucker are all in play for the second and fourth spots in the order.)
“I like [Betts] in the number three in the sense that there’s an on-base component, there’s a ‘get hits’ component, there’s a drive-in-runs component, and you’re more of a Swiss Army knife in the lineup,” Roberts said. “So, I’m not beholden to it, but I like him in the three-hole right now.”
And as a result, Roberts feels bullish about Betts this season.
“I think he had a great offseason,” Roberts said. “He’s in a good headspace. The body’s good, and I think for me, it’s just getting back to being who he is. I just think that last year was an outlier offensive season, and I’m not too concerned about Mookie at all.”
Yoshinobu Yamamoto to start Cactus League opener
Roberts announced Thursday that World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start the Dodgers’ first spring training game Saturday against the Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium. He did not share how many pitches or innings Yamamoto expects to throw, but he did state that it will likely be Yamamoto’s only Cactus League start before departing to play for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic.
Roberts also revealed what players may start Saturday’s Cactus League opener.
“I would expect Will Smith to be in there,” Roberts said. “I expect [Teoscar Hernández] in there, and probably Andy [Pages]. I think that’s safe, and then we’ll go from there.”
Roberts plans to hold other veteran players until next week.
“Guys like Mookie and Muncy, I’m going to start those guys a little bit later than this weekend and see where we go,” Roberts said. “Once they get going, then we’ll stagger and give them the ample time in-between. I’ve got to appreciate that it’s a longer spring. So, if they’re going to be here for six weeks, then I don’t want to kind of come in too hot, I want to pace them out a little bit.”
Freeman said Thursday that he will not play in the Dodgers’ first three spring training games.
“I feel good, I’m ready to go, but we are going to slow-play it a little bit,” Freeman said. “I won’t play until I think Tuesday, so the fourth game, and then I’ll get going.”
The names of nine former slaves owned by George Washington appear at the President’s House in Philadelphia, where workers continued restoring a slavery exhibit on Thursday. Photo by Joseph E.B. Elliott/National Park Service
Feb. 19 (UPI) — Workers are restoring a slavery exhibit at the site of the nation’s first presidential mansion in Philadelphia ahead of a Friday deadline to do so.
U.S. District Court of Eastern Pennsylvania Judge Cynthia Rufe on Monday ordered the Interior Department to restore the exhibit, which was removed in January amid the Trump administration’s anti-DEI policy.
Rufe likened the slavery exhibit’s removal to author George Orwell‘s novel “1984” and said the exhibit supports “historic truths,” The Hill reported.
The Trump administration on Wednesday filed a motion to stay Rufe’s order to reinstate the exhibit, but workers began reinstalling it on Tuesday.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker welcomed the change and vowed to oppose efforts to remove the exhibit.
“Today, we celebrate the return of our history at this important site,” Parker said in a post on X. “We are thankful for all the supporters across the city to get us to this point.”
Parker said the legal challenges have not ended and said they will be handled with “rigor and gravity” as they arise.
The exhibit features panels depicting slavery in the United States from the time of the Revolutionary War through the Civil War and the eventual outlawing of slavery upon the ratification of the 13th Amendment.
The President’s House formerly was the official residence for Presidents George Washington and John Adams when Philadelphia was the nation’s capital and is located at the corner of 6th and Market streets.
Adams did not own slaves, which is why the panels focus on Washington’s ownership and use of slaves while living at the presidential home.
The house was demolished 32 years after the nation’s capital moved to Washington in 1800, but its foundation and footprint remain.
The site been converted into an outdoor exhibit that features the dichotomy of slavery in a nation that was founded on the principles of freedom and equality and is managed by the National Park Service.
SOUTHCOM has spearheaded the lethal strikes against small vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. (SOUTHCOM)
Caracas, February 19, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez met with US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) chief General Francis Donovan in Miraflores Palace on Wednesday.
According to the presidential press, the previously unannounced high-level talks also included Venezuela’s interior and defense ministers, Diosdado Cabello and Vladimir Padrino López, respectively.
“During the meeting, both countries agreed to work on a bilateral cooperation agenda to fight against drug trafficking in our region, as well as on terrorism and migration,” a statement released on social media read.
The Venezuelan government argued that the meeting showed that “diplomacy” is the mechanism to address “differences and issues of regional interest.”
Donovan is the latest US high-ranking official to visit Caracas and meet with Rodríguez since the January 3 US military attacks that killed over 100 people and saw special operations forces kidnap Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.
The acting president held talks with CIA Director John Ratcliffe on January 15 and hosted Energy Secretary Chris Wright last week at the presidential palace. US Chargé d’Affaires Laura Dogu has been in the country since late January, and Rodríguez has recently reported regular “respectful and courteous” communication with Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
SOUTHCOM confirmed the visit in a press release, disclosing that Donovan was accompanied by Acting Assistant Secretary of War Joseph Humire and stating that the officials expressed the US’ “commitment to a free, safe and prosperous Venezuela.”
The US military command added that discussions focused on “shared security across the Western Hemisphere,” and the Trump administration’s stated “three-phase plan” for the Caribbean nation: “stabilization, economic recovery and reconciliation, and transition.” For her part, Dogu reported Donovan’s visit on social media, calling it a “historic day” to “advance in the objective of having Venezuela aligned with the United States.”
Donovan took over the SOUTHCOM leadership in February after the resignation of Admiral Alvin Holsey over reported disagreements with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the legality of US lethal strikes against boats suspected of carrying drugs.
Since September, through “Operation Southern Spear,” SOUTHCOM has coordinated over 40 bombings of small vessels that have killed more than 130 civilians. The latest strikes, on February 16, targeted two boats in the Eastern Pacific and one in the Caribbean, killing 11 people in total. Neither Donovan nor Rodríguez mentioned the ongoing attacks in their public readouts following the meeting.
SOUTHCOM has also participated in the seizure of oil tankers accused of violating US sanctions by transporting Venezuelan crude. After seizing seven ships in the Caribbean between December and January, US forces have boarded two tankers in the Indian Ocean this month.
In the months leading up to the January 3 operation, Maduro and other Venezuelan officials consistently denounced the US’ military buildup in the Caribbean Sea and the subsequent naval blockade against oil exports.
Venezuelan authorities likewise blasted Washington’s “narcoterrorism” accusations against Caracas, pointing to specialized reports, including from the DEA, that placed Venezuela as a marginal country for global narcotics flows. Venezuelan officials also recalled the history of US agencies’ involvement in drug trafficking.
However, in the weeks after the January 3 strikes, Washington and Caracas have fast-tracked a diplomatic rapprochement with a view toward reopening embassies. President Donald Trump has publicly recognized the acting government but the official change in policy has yet to be confirmed.
The acting Rodríguez administration also prioritized economic reforms to attract foreign investment, including a pro-business overhaul of the country’s Hydrocarbon Law. National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said that the government is “adapting” legislation to attract US corporations and aiming for a “free market economy.”
THERE’S a line in Badlands, one of Mumford & Sons’ new songs, that feels like a mission statement for new record Prizefighter.
Singer Marcus Mumford says: “The lyric says, ‘Don’t look down now/I’m not done here yet’. I was listening to that song today and that’s the sentiment of Prizefighter.
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Mumford & Sons are back with their sixth album PrizefighterThe band’s Lovett, Mumford and Dwane say they feel ‘very fortunate’ to be launching another album
“We try really f***ing hard, we want to be great. And I think we’ll keep trying.”
I’m chatting to Mumford and keyboardist Ben Lovett in Bath, a few hours before they are due on stage at The Forum to celebrate the release of their new album.
“We feel very fortunate to be launching our sixth album, it’s a big deal,” says Lovett.
“It’s a marker of beyond the creativity and how we feel about the music itself. “When we started this band, it was all about longevity for us.
“And it feels great to be coming up to 20 years as a band and feel like we want to do another 20.
“That’s a big statement of success for us.”
The pair are seated together on a sofa, comfortable and clearly energised by their new record.
It’s hard to believe it’s only 11 months since fifth album Rushmere signalled their return from a seven-year hiatus.
For Prizefighter, they worked with producer Aaron Dessner from US rock band The National.
They had worked with him on 2015’s Wilder Mind, and they crossed paths again while mixing Rushmere in Electric Lady Studios in New York City.
Mumford says: “Aaron showed us the beginning of an idea for Prizefighter, the song he’d written with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon.
“And we instantly started writing on it.
“Aaron’s always writing music with his mates for fun. He then played us a snippet of what became new single The Banjo Song that he’d started with Jon Bellion as a sketch.
“This was the beginning of the record, a beginning of ideas, like we do with each other all the time. It was just for fun to see where it goes.”
Mumford & Sons have continued as a trio since founding member Winston Marshall departed in 2021 after publicly expressing support for a book by right-wing American journalist Andy Ngo.
Lovett explains: “We got together in January 2023 and started making music without any agenda and I felt very free.
“That was the right thing to do. That was the right start or restart after Marcus’s solo record [2022’s Self-Titled].
“And it was the first time we’d played together in a couple of years. It felt like riding an old bike.”
Their first new music came in the form of Good People — a surprising collaboration with Pharrell Williams in 2024.
“That record was a very different experience but showed us that we have range and versatility,” says Lovett.
“So, by the time we got to the studio with Aaron, we were confidence high. We loved it and wanted to be curious creatively, from a place of positivity.
“And that’s basically how the record got in to motion.”
Mumford says stepping back was crucial to finding their confidence again.
“I am less insecure about being an artist,” Mumford tells me. “I will go off to a coffee shop and read poetry and do it unapologetically.
“I’m also more playful with my lyrics. I love Clover in particular.
“I just didn’t have the confidence to be tongue-in-cheek, surreal or even slightly ridiculous.
“Those types of lyrics would never have got on any previous albums.
Aaron, like Pharrell and Dave Cobb, who produced Rushmere, sat us down and gave us quite a serious talking to about believing in ourselves and looking back at what we’ve done with pride while also looking ahead.
“Recognising our confidence and DNA at the same time is what led to us being able to write this record.
“There’s a lot of insecurity and confidence on the record and also nostalgia and ambition and so that’s why it’s called Prizefighter.”
Lovett adds: “We feel more comfortable in our own skin, with a stronger sense of identity than we’ve had as a band for a while.
“The success of Rushmere [their third No1 album] and touring last year gave us a big confidence boost and reminded us that people still care and we are having a good time.”
Prizefighter sees Mumford at their most collaborative. Gorgeous piano ballad Badlands features Gracie Abrams, while Chris Stapleton, Hozier and Gigi Perez are also guest singers.
Finneas, Dessner, Vernon, Bellion and Brandi Carlile are credited as co-writers on the record.
“We’ve always been a bit more protective in the studio,” says Mumford. “In the early days a band needs to set out their stall and show people who you are.
“We have always had this collaborative spirit where we’ve enjoyed playing with other bands but we’ve not really recognised that on record before.
“It felt the time to do it, so we’ve opened the doors and it’s been really fulfilling. It’s one big community.”
Gracie Abrams, a long-time friend of Mumford’s, was the first to hear the band’s new songs.
“I’ve known her right from the start,” says the singer. “Gracie was the first person to hear any of these demos, like before labels or managers or anyone else.
“And we found out recently that she came to one of our shows when she was 13.
“We’ve been friends for a long time. She’s amazing.
“With Badlands we asked her to pick any song to sing on and she said yes to that song which had been written to be her voice.”
Album opener Here was written with Grammy-winning country powerhouse Chris Stapleton in mind.
Mumford says: “I’m just a fan of his and I couldn’t get the idea out of my head that he should sing the second verse on Here.
“We hadn’t met, so I called him. We had a long conversation. We really connected. Then he heard the song and said, ‘Yeah, I’ll record it next week’. And he did. It was all pretty organic.
“We didn’t have a list. It was like, ‘Let’s send this to Andrew, aka Hozier, see if he wants to f*** with it’. And he said yes.”
Lovett adds: “It’s a simple environment up at Aaron’s Long Pond studio. We record then we sit around eating soup together.
“It’s not the glossy album where you’re stuck on the other side of the glass and the red light goes on and it’s your big moment.
“Making Prizefighter felt a much more human experience.”
Conversation With My Son (Gangsters & Angels) is another highlight on Prizefighter and a song that Dessner was a huge fan of.
“Yeah, Aaron was a huge advocate for that song,” says Lovett. “It felt like there was an opportunity to explore something musically and thematically that was a bit different to the rest of the record.”
Mumford, who has two daughters and a son with actress Carey Mulligan, adds: “It has a hymnal and intentionally repetitive, melodic thing like in a Trad Irish song.
“Ben is being modest but he had this clear vision for that song.
“Then we sat down and Ben made a little demo of his chord sequence, and I fell in love with it.
“I’d been writing some words that morning and it became an essential band moment.
“We sit quietly and play along until we have an idea. Ted Dwane was on the bass, Ben was on the piano, Aaron was playing a guitar, I was writing words.
“Aaron understands being in a band very well and when we play to our strengths. It fell together like that and is a good example of the alchemy of being in a band.”
Lovett, who has a young daughter with his partner, American fashion executive Molly Howard, says: “Having kids act as a mirror to your life makes you want to be a slightly better version of yourself.
“We all take fatherhood quite seriously and it means that when we’re together, it’s cherished in a very different way.
“There was a real fun and silliness to our 20s that was inefficient — like staying out until 5am just because, why not have one more?
“I think there’s something beautiful about treating this with more care. It’s a very precious thing.
“Being in Mumford & Sons is amazing and we’re lucky we get the opportunity to do this.
“And finding out we have people all over the place who appreciate that we continue to still do this, is a charger for Chapter Two.”
Mumford adds, smiling: “I would say we’re in the phase where we take our work more seriously but take ourselves less seriously.
“Making my solo album made me fall back in love with the band. I love these lads and the sense of belonging and home we get from being this band together.
“When we got back together it was like we renewed our vows.
“It’s very silly but a privilege so we’re really trying to be present and our audience has made us more grateful and appreciative. Seeing new and younger fans getting into the songs has been amazing.
“I think we’re about at the point of our career where Radiohead were when they released Hail To The Thief — that was my way into Radiohead. It’s my favourite record of all time. And through that record I discovered the rest of their catalogue.
“They’d always felt like my brother’s band, who is older than me, but then this album came out when I passed my driving test.
“I hope that Prizefighter is that first Mumford album for some people.”
Making an album so soon after another, has been inspiring and Mumford says: “We never want to turn the tap off. The tap still feels like it’s got something in it.
“We could have released Prizefighter a week after Rushmere, but we wanted to give people space and time, but now the idea is to be accelerating that process so that we can show people.
“I hope we can start writing songs and releasing them the next day, like Bruce f***ing Springsteen!
“Our Hyde Park show in July will be a celebration for us — the centrepiece of our year.
“We are inviting guests and friends and crafting the line-up at the moment.
“We’ve announced The War On Drugs, who are one of the best bands in the world and people know from working with Sam Fender.
“There’ll be more we can tell you about soon, which will be fun, we really put time and effort into those line-ups.
“Hyde Park is going to be wicked, with plenty of surprises on the day too.”
Lovett adds: “Prizefighter is important to us.
“As a band, we’ve had some fun getting here, but I think this album sets us up for a really bright future.”
Prizefighter is out today.
MUMFORD & SONS
Prizefighter
★★★★☆
Mumford & Sons’ new record Prizefighter is out nowCredit: Unknown
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, a panel made up of President Trump’s appointees, on Thursday approved his proposal to build a ballroom larger than the White House itself where the East Wing once stood.
The seven-member panel is one of two federal agencies that must approve Trump’s plans for the ballroom. The National Capital Planning Commission, which has jurisdiction over construction and major renovation to government buildings in the region, is also reviewing the project.
Members of the fine arts commission originally had been scheduled to discuss and vote on the design after a follow-up presentation by the architect, and had planned to vote on final approval at next month’s meeting. But after the 6-0 vote on the design, the panel’s chairman, Rodney Mims Cook Jr., unexpectedly made another motion to vote on final approval.
Six of the seven commissioners — all appointed by the Republican president in January — voted once more in favor. Commissioner James McCrery did not participate in the discussion or the votes because he was the initial architect on the project before Trump replaced him.
The ballroom will be built on the site of the former East Wing, which Trump had demolished in October with little public notice. That drew an outcry from lawmakers, historians and preservationists who argued that the president should not have taken that step until the two federal agencies and Congress had reviewed and approved the project, and the public had a chance to provide comment.
The 90,000-square-foot ballroom would be nearly twice the size of the White House, which is 55,000-square-feet, and would accommodate about 1,000 people, Trump has said. The East Room, currently the largest room in the White House, can fit just over 200 people at most.
Commissioners offered mostly complimentary comments before the votes.
Cook echoed one of Trump’s main arguments for adding a larger entertaining space to the White House: It would end the long-standing practice of erecting temporary structures on the South Lawn that Trump describes as tents to host visiting dignitaries for state dinners and other functions.
“Our sitting president has actually designed a very beautiful structure,” Cook said. “The United States just should not be entertaining the world in tents.”
The panel received mainly negative comments from the public
Members of the public were asked to submit written comment by a Wednesday afternoon deadline. Thomas Leubke, the panel’s secretary, said “over 99%” of the more than 2,000 messages it received in the past week from around the country were in opposition to the project.
Leubke tried to summarize the comments for the commissioners.
Some comments cited concerns about Trump’s decision to unilaterally tear down the East Wing, as well as the lack of transparency about who is paying for the ballroom or how contracts were awarded, Leubke said. Comments in support referenced concerns for the image of the United States on the world stage and the need for a larger entertaining space at the White House.
Trump has defended the ballroom in a recent series of social media posts that included drawings of the building. He said in one January post that most of the material needed to build it had been ordered “and there is no practical or reasonable way to go back. IT IS TOO LATE!”
The commission met Thursday over Zoom and heard from Shalom Baranes, the lead architect, and Rick Parisi, the landscape architect. Both described a series of images and sketches of the ballroom and the grounds as they would appear after the project is completed.
Trump has said the ballroom would cost about $400 million and be paid for with private donations. To date, the White House has only released an incomplete list of donors.
A lawsuit against the project is still pending
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued in federal court to halt construction. A ruling in the case is pending.
In comments it submitted to the commission, the privately funded group recommended that the size of the ballroom be reduced to “accommodate and respect the primary historic importance of the original Executive Residence.”
At the commission’s January meeting, some commissioners had questioned Baranes, Trump’s architect, about the “immense” design and scale of the project even as they broadly endorsed Trump’s vision. On Thursday, Baranes described changes he has since made to the design, and the commissioners said they welcomed the adjustments.
The ballroom project is scheduled for additional discussion at a March 5 meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, which is led by a top White House aide. This panel heard an initial presentation about the project in January.
Qatar has pledged $1 billion to support the Board of Peace’s mission in Gaza, with Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani backing Donald Trump’s 20-point plan and reaffirming support for Palestinian statehood and Israeli security.
The first hour of “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” convinces you that the King is the greatest entertainer who ever lived. By the end of it, he’s a god. Director Baz Luhrmann claims he made this Imax documentary so that any poor souls who never got to see the King live can worship him in action. Really, I think Luhrmann is praying that in a thousand years, some alien civilization will discover this footage and build a whole religion around the thrall Elvis’ hip thrusts had over a crowd.
If that future comes to pass, then Luhrmann himself will be elevated as a key disciple. He’s so devoted to Elvis that this is his second tribute in four years, the other being, of course, his 2022 biopic “Elvis,” starring Austin Butler, who was good in the role if not quite iconic. That more traditional film hewed to the genre’s standard rise-and-fall narrative and was dinged mostly because the King’s life represents so many things to so many people — race, class, controlling relationships — that it’s impossible to please everyone or for any actor to fill his blue suede shoes.
“EPiC” sticks to the surer footing of documentary footage: the man himself performing over two dozen tunes — including “That’s All Right,” “Burning Love” and “In the Ghetto” — plus twice that number on the background soundtrack. (I’m not into his gospel hits, but they suit the mood.) A dream concert that’s longer and larger than what fans could have seen in reality, the movie is stitched together primarily from Elvis’ Las Vegas appearances in 1970 and 1972. You can tell which year it is by the amount of rhinestones on his costumes, which become increasingly maximalist.
When Elvis retook the stage in 1969, he hadn’t performed before a live audience in nine years and he’d gotten a little uncool. Beatlemania had dinged his appeal so perilously that editor Jonathan Redmond splices its arrival with images of car crashes and missile attacks. Reporters at that comeback show noted that most of his fans were now — horrors! — over 30, with the exception of a 25-year-old who said he attended out of nostalgia.
Luhrmann quickly sets up the essential framework, then Luhrmann picks up a year after Elvis proved he was still a smash. No longer constrained by moral panic, the Army draft or the decade he spent trapped within the Hollywood industrial complex, this is the King at arguably the high point of his career, right in that sweet spot before his 1973 divorce from Priscilla Presley, after which his mood and health started to flag.
This Elvis comes across confident, breezy, comfortable and funny. In one scene, he jokes about the difficulty of lunging to the ground in a tight jumpsuit (an outfit he adopted because he was nervous of ripping his pants). Later, he switches up the lyrics to “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” to croon, “Do you gaze at your forehead and wish you had hair?”
The camera often seems to be right under his chin, gazing as the sweat on his cheeks and lashes shimmers under the Vegas lights like diamonds. His spell over the crowd feels at once intimate and volcanic. You get the best look at his charisma when Elvis targets his energy at an unsuspecting back-up singer in the middle of “Suspicious Minds.” Slowly striding toward the girl, he hypnotizes her as skillfully as a snake charmer and then, as a punchline, lunges in her direction. She jumps and giggles.
While we become familiar with the faces of his band members, the film doesn’t bother to mention any of their names, not even in the credits. They deserve better, but the film is about how the concert felt, not how it came to fruition. Still, once you get over the contact high of Elvis’ psychedelic neon pink paisley shirt in the rehearsal studio, it’s delightful to see that he gives as much of himself when performing in a small setting as he does in a massive one. He loses himself in thrall to the beat, gyrating his pelvis so fast it resembles a machine gun.
Naturally, there’s a montage of the women in the audience overwhelmed by joy, from a sobbing little girl who won’t let go of his arm to a glamazon in a dangerously low-cut minidress who scoots under the curtain before it closes. The ladies tug on his scarves and toss bras at him, one of which he wears on his head. Surprisingly to modern eyes, when his female fans grab and kiss him, Elvis smooches them back, even after he wades into a sea of his admirers and emerges with the chains on his jumpsuit torn off. If you happen to spot your mother or grandmother in the crowd, well, good for her.
In lieu of mentioning Elvis’ off-stage reality, Luhrmann deepens a song’s effect by cutting to personal photographs that are a little out of context. As Elvis wails the line, “And I miss her,” from his cover ballad about a bad husband, we see a shot of Elvis’ dead mother, Gladys. “Always on My Mind” becomes a brisk yet moving acknowledgment of Priscilla and his infant daughter Lisa Marie. Otherwise, Lurhmann only wants to celebrate the good stuff. There’s no tragedy here. It’s ecstasy minus the agony.
If Elvis was ever cranky, that’s been stripped out. Though we hear him get hound-dogged by nosy questions from the press, the closest Elvis comes to snark is when he sits on a stool to play “Little Sister.” He sings the chorus, then cranks up the tempo a notch and suddenly starts belting the Beatles’ “Get Back,” before smoothly transitioning once more into his own song. Point made: Don’t give those Brits too much credit for revolutionizing rock ‘n’ roll.
Lurhmann’s got his own score to settle. In the Butler version of “Elvis,” he made the case that, as big an artist as Elvis was, he should have been bigger. Colonel Parker, Elvis’s manager, kept his cash cow on a leash, tethering him first to middling B-pictures, then to casinos. The Beatles invaded his country; he never played a single gig in theirs. We never got to find out who Elvis, with his magpie love for all music, might have become if he’d traveled the world and gotten to pick up an ashram sitar.
And while that argument got a little drowned out in the biopic by Tom Hanks’ double-phony put-on accent as Parker, this rapturous salute to the King’s majesty wants to make sure we don’t miss it now. Lurhmann even scores his footage of the Colonel to “The Devil in Disguise.” Hey, every religion needs a heel.
WASHINGTON — President Trump can’t seem to stop talking about Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.
He refused to invite him to a White House dinner later this week with state leaders from both parties, saying he was “not worthy” of the event. And he has castigated Moore for a sewage spill that has spoiled the Potomac River, even though the faulty pipe is part of a federally regulated utility.
There could soon be more reasons for Trump to complain about Moore, the nation’s only Black governor currently in office. Moore is trying to redraw Maryland’s congressional map to boost Democrats, part of a nationwide redistricting battle that Trump started to help Republicans in the midterm elections.
If Moore can overcome resistance from a key member of his own party in the state legislature, the tide could continue to shift in Democrats’ favor.
Moore, who is frequently floated as a potential Democratic presidential candidate, is the vice chair of the National Governors Assn., which is meeting in Washington this week for its annual conference. He sat down with the Associated Press on Wednesday at the start of his visit. Here is a transcript of the interview, edited for length and clarity.
Redistricting
Q: You met with Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries to talk about redistricting. Can you tell me what your understanding was leaving that meeting and whether there will be an up-and-down vote in the Maryland legislature?
A: All we’re asking for is a vote. And however the vote goes, however the vote goes. But that’s democracy.
Q: What do you see as your role in the party?
A: I don’t look at it as I’m doing it because I’m trying to help a party per se. I’m doing it because I think we have an unchecked executive and right now Congress does not seem interested in actually doing its job and establishing real checks and balances.
And I’m watching what Donald Trump is doing. This would not be an issue had it not been for Donald Trump saying, you know what, let me come up with every creative way I can think of to make this pain permanent. And one of the ways he did was he said, let’s just start calling states — the states I choose — to say let’s have a redistricting conversation mid-decade.
This would not even be an issue had Donald Trump not brought this up and introduced this into the ecosystem.
Trump relationship
Q: Speaking of the president, do you have thoughts on why he’s been stepping up his criticism of you on everything from not inviting you to the dinner to his criticism of the Potomac River sewage spill?
A: This one would actually be comical if it weren’t so serious. This is a Washington, D.C., pipe that exists on federal land. How this has anything to do with Maryland, I have no idea. I think he just woke up and just said, I hate Maryland so I’m just going to introduce them into a conversation. This literally has nothing to do with us, with the exception of the fact that when we first heard about what happened, that I ordered our team to assist Washington, D.C.
The short answer is I don’t know. I cannot get into the president’s psyche.
Q: Do you think it’s personal?
A: I know it’s not for me. I have no desire to have beef with the president of the United States. I didn’t run for governor like, man, I can’t wait so me and the president can go toe to toe. I have no desire on that. But the fact that he is waking up in the middle of the night and tweeting about me, I just, I pray for him and I just feel bad for him because that has just got to be a really, really hard existence.
Trump and Black History Month
Q: The White House is holding an event right now commemorating Black History Month. Could you share your thoughts on the president’s relationship with the Black community?
A: Listen, I think the president has long had a very complicated history with the Black community. We’re talking about a person who has been sued from his earliest days from his treatment of Black tenants. We’re talking about a person who is one of the originators of birtherism. We’re talking about a person who has now spent his time trying to ban books about Black history, a person who has spent his time now doing the greatest assault on unemployment of Black women in our nation’s history. You know, so, I’m not sure what anyone is going to gain from an event by Donald Trump about Black history.
2028
Q: Do you think the next presidential nominee on both sides might come from this group of governors?
A: I see the governors as in many ways the final line of defense because I think it’s never mattered more who your governor is.
Q: The country is so polarized. How do we break the fever?
A: You stay consistent with who you are. I think if you’re a polarizing person or polarizing personality, then that’s just who you are. That’s just never been me.
Cappelletti and Sloan write for the Associated Press.
