January 5, 2018 – AssociatedNews.info

Entertainment January 5, 2018

The Week in Movie News: 'Bright' Sequel Confirmed, 'Slender Man' Trailer and More

Need a quick recap on the past week in movie news? Here are the highlights:

BIG NEWS

Netflix’s Bright is getting a sequel: Netflix revealed that the new fantasy action movie, Bright, starring Will Smith and Joel Edgerton, is their most popular original feature ever and confirmed a sequel is in the works with returning director David Ayer. Read more here.

GREAT NEWS

Women and black directors had an amazing year: Women filmmakers and protagonists did very well at the box office in 2017, with the top three highest-grossing movies being led by female characters, while black directors also made progress with a number of hits. Meanwhile, one of those directors had the best-reviewed wide release of the year Read more here and here.

SURPRISING NEWS

John Williams is working on the Solo: A Star Wars Story score: Movie score icon John Williams has composed the music for every Star Wars episode except the standalone spin-off Rogue One and he wasn’t expected to work on Solo: A Star Wars Story. But now he is involved with the upcoming installment. Read more here and learn about how Christian Bale surprisingly considered a role in the movie here.

COOL CULTURE

Dunkirk mash-ups: Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk has inspired a number of fun videos lately, including the expected mash-up with Darkest Hour below. See more involving historical footage, Top Gun music and more here and here.

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EXCLUSIVE MOVIE GUIDE

Every major 2018 superhero movie: Our comic book movie expert showcased all the superhero movies to look forward to this year, from Black Panther to Aquaman. Read the comprehensive guide here.

MUST-WATCH TRAILERS

Slender Man adapts a meme into a movie: One of this year’s hottest horror movies is Slender Man, which is based on a myth about a tall, thin man who terrifies teens. Watch its first trailer here:

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Mom and Dad offers Nic Cage at his most furious: The first trailer for Mom and Dad sees Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair as parents who suddenly turn on their children, violently. Watch it here:

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Fifty Shades Freed teases twists and turns: The latest trailer for the third, final installment of the Fifty Shades trilogy promises some surprises for the new movie. Check it out here:

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Health January 5, 2018

CHIP Funding Could Run Out On Jan. 19 For Some States

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The CHIP program provides health coverage to 9 million children from lower-income households that make too much money to qualify for Medicaid. The $2.85 billion Congress allocated in December was supposed to fund CHIP programs in all states through March 31. But federal health officials say it won’t stretch that far.

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Some states are facing a mid-January loss of funding for their Children’s Health Insurance Program despite spending approved by Congress in late December that was expected to keep the program running for three months, federal health officials said Friday.

The $2.85 billion was supposed to fund states’ CHIP programs through March 31. But some states will start running out of money after Jan. 19, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CMS did not say which states are likely to be affected first.

The latest estimates for when federal funding runs out could cause states to soon freeze enrollment and alert parents that the program could soon shut down.

The CHIP program provides health coverage to 9 million children from lower-income households that make too much money to qualify for Medicaid. Its federal authorization ended Oct. 1, and states were then forced to use unspent funds to carry them over, while the House and Senate try to agree on a way to continue funding.

Congress extended funding on Dec. 21 — and said the temporary patch would give states enough money to continue the program while Congress works on a long-term funding solution. But a CMS official says it can only guarantee that appropriation will be enough to fund all states through Jan. 19.

CMS says the agency is in discussions with states to help deal with the funding shortfall.

“The funding … should carry all the states through January 19,based upon best estimates of state expenditures to date,” says CMS spokesman Johnathan Monroe. “However, due to a number of variables relating to state expenditure rates and reporting, we are unable to say with certainty whether there is enough funding for every state to continue its CHIPprogram through March 31, 2018.”

“States need to know whether they will need to find additional funding for children covered under the Medicaid CHIP program at a much lower federal matching rate; send letters to families and reprogram their eligibility systems,” says Lisa Dubay, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute. “Of course, the implications for families with CHIP-eligible children cannot be understated: Parents are worried that their children will lose coverage. And they should be.”

Although the program enjoys bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, the Republican-controlled House and Senate have for months been unable to agree on how to continue funding CHIP, which began in 1997.

The House plan includes a controversial funding provision — opposed by Democrats — that takes millions of dollars from the Affordable Care Act’s Prevention and Public Health Fund and increases Medicare premiums for some higher-earning beneficiaries.

The Senate Finance Committee reached an agreement to extend the program for five years but did not unite around a plan on funding.

Before the CHIP funding extension on Dec. 21, Alabama said it would freeze enrollment Jan. 1 and shut down the program Jan. 31. Colorado, Connecticut and Virginia sent letters to CHIP families warning that the program could soon end.

After the funding extension, Alabama put a hold on shutting down CHIP.

“Some states will begin exhausting all available funding earlier than others,” a CMS official says. “But the exact timing of when states will exhaust their funding is a moving target.”

Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus, a child advocacy group, says Congress should have known its short-term funding plan was not enough.

“The math never worked on the patch, as it only bought a few weeks,” he says. “Congress must get this finalized before Jan. 19.”

Kaiser Health News is a national health policy news service that is part of the nonpartisan Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Phil Galewitz is a senior correspondent for KHN.

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Business January 5, 2018

Time To Make The Doughnuts Free Of Artificial Dyes, Dunkin' Decides

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Doughnuts for sale at a Dunkin’ Donuts in Edmond, Okla. Last year, the parent company said it would remove artificial colors from its products in the U.S. by the end of 2018. Now they say they’ve already achieved that goal for their flagship product.

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Dunkin’ Donuts has removed all artificial dyes from its doughnuts, nearly one year ahead of schedule, as the company continues to work to find replacements for synthetic coloring in its other menu items.

Rick Golden, Manager of Donut Excellence for Dunkin’ Brands, announced the news on Thursday, saying that “bright, colorful confections” are a hallmark of Dunkin’s doughnut lineup. The colors will remain, but the artificial colorings will be gone.

Last year, Dunkin’ announced it planned to drop artificial colors. The target date was the end of 2018. That’s still the goal for frozen drinks, other baked goods and breakfast sandwiches — but the doughnuts went au naturel, as it were, a little early.

“Our biggest challenge was replacing the artificial dyes in donuts with fruit juices and other extracts while balancing the flavor profile and bright colors,” Golden wrote. “It took years of research and development to get it just right.”

Some items used as toppings or decoration may still contain synthetic dyes, the company notes.

Dunkin’ is the latest in a long line of food companies to replace artificial colors with naturally derived dyes, which can be more expensive and more difficult to consistently produce. (Meanwhile, some perfectly natural colorings, like a red dye made from crushed insects, have also been known to ick out consumers.)

In 2015, General Mills announced it would be coloring Trix cereal with dyes made from the spices turmeric and annatto, as well as fruit and vegetable juices, instead of the old artificial options. Nestle re-did the recipes for 75 different candy bars to eliminate artificial flavors and colors. Panera boasted that it was dropping 150 different additives, including artificial colors.

Food dyes have been a particular target for advocates against artificial food additives, partly because they serve no health purpose, and partly because of specific concerns about their effect on children.

As NPR’s Allison Aubrey has previously explained:

“Some parents, including the sponsor of a petition aimed at getting dyes out of candies, believe that artificial colorings in food can contribute to hyperactivity in their children.

“But the evidence to back this claim is mixed. ‘I think there’s a growing body of research that shows that artificial food colorings can affect a child’s behavior,’ Andrew Adesman, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, told us. ‘On the other hand, these effects are relatively modest.’

“And, he adds, there’s no evidence that artificial dyes pose long-term safety or health risks.

“Adesman says it’s good that the food industry is giving parents more options to buy products that are free of these artificial ingredients. But he points out that eliminating artificial dyes does not turn chocolate bars into health foods.

” ‘They [can be] high in fat and in sugar,’ Adesman says — two things many of us could stand to cut back on.”

The same, alas, is true of doughnuts.

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Sports January 5, 2018

U.S. Figure Skaters Preparing For PyeongChang Winter Olympics

The best figure skaters in the United States are squaring off this week and will learn who will compete at next month’s Winter Olympics in South Korea. Already, there have been some surprises.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

Figure skating is always a fan favorite at the Olympic Games, a combination of athleticism, sequined costumes and often melodrama. U.S. figure skaters are gathered in San Jose, Calif., this week for the national championships and a chance to qualify for the Olympics, which begin next month. NPR’s Tom Goldman reports there has been drama, more real-world than soap opera.

TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE: The U.S. Figure Skating Championships in an Olympic year are a stressful event. Performances in the short program and longer free skate don’t solely determine whether a skater makes the Olympic team, but they count a lot. So the stumbles during routines are more frequent, the on-ice smiles sometimes appear strained. 2016 U.S. champion Adam Rippon was feeling it before his short program last night.

ADAM RIPPON: When I made a little mistake in the six-minute warm-up, I said, girl, you tight. So…

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GOLDMAN: But the 28-year-old veteran told himself to bend his knees, take things one at a time. And it worked.

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GOLDMAN: Rippon flowed and jumped with ease. Although he’s had success in his career, he’s battled injury and illness and never qualified for an Olympics. But last night’s second-place finish was what he calls a first step toward that elusive Olympic gold.

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GOLDMAN: And if Adam Rippon makes the trip to South Korea next month, a much bigger audience will get to know a top-notch and highly entertaining skater.

RIPPON: A few weeks ago, I was asked in an interview – and I tweeted about it – that they asked me, what was it like being a gay athlete in sports? And I said, it’s exactly like being a straight athlete, only with better eyebrows.

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GOLDMAN: Rippon came out in 2015, and he could be one of the first openly gay figure skaters to compete in an Olympic Games.

RIPPON: Growing up, I really didn’t have a lot of role models. And I said, if I was ever given the chance and the platform, I would share my story.

GOLDMAN: He says sharing that story has made him a better competitor.

RIPPON: Because I don’t really care what other people think of me. I’m able to go out there and I’m really able to be, like, unabashedly myself. And I want somebody who’s young, who’s struggling, who’s not sure if it’s OK if they are themselves to know that it’s OK.

GOLDMAN: Adam Rippon isn’t the only member of the figure skating world to put a dramatic stamp on these championships. Sports federation leaders traditionally don’t wade into controversy, certainly geopolitics, but not this week. After North Korea floated the idea that its athletes might participate in the Olympics, Senator Lindsey Graham said the U.S. should boycott the games. In San Jose, U.S. Figure Skating President Sam Auxier willingly waded into the fray.

SAM AUXIER: These athletes have worked so hard to get here. I mean, their whole lives are focused on getting to the Olympics. It would be devastating if we were to pull out just for this kind of posturing.

GOLDMAN: There’s a direct connection to his sport. The only North Koreans who’ve qualified for Olympic competition are a pairs skating team. With talks now scheduled next week between North and South Korea dealing in part with the Olympics, Auxier hopes this country’s leaders can see the games as one way to help move the Korean Peninsula away from crisis.

At least, he says, the U.S. should go to the games and win medals. He’ll get no argument from Adam Rippon, Nathan Chen and Bradie Tennell, the men’s and women’s leaders after the short programs, and the rest of a bunch of hungry and slightly anxious skaters in San Jose. Tom Goldman, NPR News.

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NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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Entertainment January 5, 2018

New Three Kings Day Traditions Form In The Aftermath Of Hurricane Maria

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Puerto Ricans celebrate Three Kings Day every Jan. 6 with parades, parties and musical performances.

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On Sept. 20, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, initially wiping out electricity and cellular reception on the entire island and causing billions of dollars in structural damage. Nearly four months later, much of the island still has no power and there are debates over the official death toll. Although the island officially reopened its doors to tourism last month, locals and natives note that the Christmas holiday was understandably scaled back compared to years past.

“In my town, this Christmas has been way understated because there’s many parts that still have no electricity,” says Luis Miranda Jr., a native of Vega Alta. “So it’s difficult to even put a Christmas tree up with some lights.”

But while Christmas was subdued, morale on the island is being re-energized by this weekend’s upcoming celebration of Three Kings Day. As one of the most important dates on the Puerto Rican calendar, the Jan. 6 holiday commemorates the arrival of the biblical three kings, also known as the three wise men or the magi, and their adoration of the baby Jesus. In many Spanish-speaking countries, the holiday is marked with festivals, processions and presents for children. Miranda has memories of singing, dancing and chasing chickens for the holiday meal at his grandfather’s house in Maricao.

“It was the holiday,” Miranda explains. “There is always live music. We celebrate it with music and food — those were two important ingredients. Presents were important and we all got presents, but the celebrations’ main items were music and food.”

Usual traditions on the island include a celebration at Luis Muñoz Marín Park in San Juan and large processions in Juana Diaz, the unofficial hometown of the magi. (The tourism offices of these respective cities could not be reached to confirm if their annual events were taking place this year.) The department store chain Macy’s is still planning to hold celebrations in both their Ponce and San Juan stores this week.

“Guests will enjoy live holiday music from local group Plenativa, arts and crafts [and] special gifts,” Jacqueline King, Macy’s Inc Media Manager says. “Plus, guests will be able to snap a photo with the three kings themselves with their personal camera.”

But with the past few months being anything but usual for Puerto Ricans, new traditions are forming as well.

Luis Miranda, Jr. and with his son, the Tony Award-winning Hamilton creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda, have partnered with Toys ‘R’ Us and Telemundo, to orchestrate 40 toy drive events in the last month. The Mirandas’ “Toys 4 Puerto Rico” drive will distribute the nearly 40,000 collected toys across the island this weekend, while four events take place in the U.S. where Puerto Ricans have migrated (New York, Philadelphia, Orlando and Chicago).

Luis Miranda, Jr. is employing out-of-work musicians on the island, from plenero bands to singing theater troupes, to act as the day’s entertainment.

“They will get paid to perform when they have not been able to because of the economic situation in the island,” Miranda says.

To hire the talent, Miranda enlisted the help of R.Evolucion Latina, an arts and community outreach organization based in NYC but working extensively on the island. Luis Salgado, founder and director of the organization, says there are performances planned in every corner of the island, from San Juan to Vega Alta to Dorado, with “a big spectrum of different artists.” One of those artists is Yari Helfeld. R.Evolucion Latina has been working with Helfeld’s performance group Y No Habia Luz since the hurricane hit in September and has hired them for this weekend’s events.

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“It’s super useful to help people start opening their feelings because now people are super tense and anxious,” Helfeld says. “We don’t know how to escape, to relax the feelings the catastrophe created in us. So, through the music, we start to ‘dejando,’ let it go.”

R.Evolucion Latina and the Mirandas aim to not only unite the island with music this holiday, but set up a six-month work calendar for those still on the island — a new “normal” for Puerto Rico’s musicians, Salgado says.

“Once the parrandas season is over, a lot of those musicians are also looking for work,” he explains. “We’re trying to activate them in social ways where they continue to visit different towns and continue to uplift the moral necessities and the psychological necessities that people are going to are facing due to the circumstances.”