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H/T - Twitter
UK actor
Keira Knightley recalled filming the iconic cue card scene from the 2003 Christmas rom-com Love Actually was kinda "creepy."
The Richard Curtis-directed film featured a mostly British who's who of famous actors and young up-and-comers playing characters in various stages of relationships featured in separate storylines that eventually interconnect.
One of the storylines follows the wedding of Juliet and Peter, played by Keira Knightley and Chiwetel Ejiofor respectively, and Andrew Lincoln's videographer character, Mark who is cold towards Juliet but is secretly in love with her.
The repressed desire and tension culminate in the famous scene in which Mark visits Juliet and professes his love for her via cue cards while Peter is home upstairs watching telly.
For a quick refresh, here's the scene.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
While audiences at the time thought it was a sweet and romantic gesture, the scene has now sparked debate given Juliet and Mark's 12-year-age gap.
‘It is quite creepy’: Keira Knightley flagged ‘stalkerish’ aspects while shooting Love Actually
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— The Guardian ( @theguardian.com) December 9, 2024 at 6:25 AM
Since it's Love Actually Season, TIL, Kiera Knightly was only 17!! Which makes the scene even more creepy.
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— AskAubry 🦝 ( @askaubry.com) December 6, 2024 at 8:05 PM
While promoting her new Netflix series Black Doves with the Los Angeles Times, Knightley, 39, touched on Love Actually when the interviewer joked they were required to ask about the holiday cult classic given the Christmas season.
When asked to weigh in about the now controversial cue card scene, Knightley recalled:
"The slightly stalkerish aspect of it—I do remember that. My memory is of [director] Richard [Curtis], who is now a very dear friend, of me doing the scene, and him going, 'No, you’re looking at [Lincoln] like he’s creepy.' "
"And I’m like [in a dramatic whisper], 'But it is quite creepy.' And then having to redo it to fix my face to make him seem not creepy."
"I mean, there was a creep factor at the time, right?"
She added, "Also, I knew I was 17. It only seems like a few years ago that everybody else realized I was 17.
Redditors responded to a thread about the age gap, saying they had no idea.
@themanfromvulcan/Reddit
@buffysmanycoats/Reddit
@jadelikethestone/Reddit
Some moviegoers claimed ignorance was bliss.
Others, however, knew something about the scene was way off while fans were swept up in the romanticism of it all.
Knightley told the newspaper that she only saw Love Actually only one time, which is a common practice for her in the movies she's done.
"It's nothing against Love Actually," she said, adding:
"It’s lovely because it didn’t do as well as everyone thought it was going to when it came out. Suddenly, like three or four years later, it sort of took on a life of its own."
"It’s the only film I’ve had that found this life afterward. The problem is, I was on it for about five days. I was 17, so I don’t actually have any memory whatsoever of it."
In Black Doves, Knightley plays Helen Webb, the wife of the Secretary of State for Defence. She leads a double life as a "Black Dove," a spy who has been feeding information to a mercenary organization.
The spy thriller series was created by Joe Barton. The show, also starring Ben Whishaw and Sarah Lancashire, was renewed for a second season.
South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace is not happy after video from 2016 of her "baby birding" a shot of alcohol into another woman's mouth resurfaced.
The video, resurfaced by The Daily Mail, shows Mace in a kitchen pouring a shot of alcohol into her mouth, then spitting it into another woman’s mouth. The second woman, wearing a “TRUMP” t-shirt, passed the shot to a man, who in turn spit it into a fourth person’s mouth before vomiting on the floor.
The footage dates back to 2016 or 2017, after her unsuccessful 2014 Senate bid against Senator Lindsey Graham but before her 2018 run for the South Carolina House of Representatives, which she won.
You can see the video below.
Mace did not deny the video’s authenticity when approached for comment, only saying:
“This is why good people don’t run for office."
The resurfaced video has drawn criticism, highlighting a perceived hypocrisy given Mace’s staunch opposition to transgender rights and her poor legislative record on LGBTQ+ issues.
In Congress, she has scored just 14 and 15 out of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional Scorecard. She also voted against the Equality Act, which seeks to ban discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals, and opposed reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act because it included protections for transgender inmates.
Mace later criticized The Daily Mail's reporting and while making yet another transphobic remark blamed "the Left" for the story even though the publication is historically right-wing:
"Living rent-free in the Left's mind is the luxury I didn’t know I needed—thanks for the upgrade! A gross act is a man watching a woman undress in our locker room. Your attacks won’t stop me. Keep trying though."
You can see her post below.
She was swiftly called out.
The video originally came to light in 2018 during her run for South Carolina state house against Democrat Cindy Boatwright, who said after learning of the video that Mace is “totally unfit” for public office.
Boatwright said:
“She is the worst sort of politician, an opportunist who is solely interested in her fame. She wants to be known as National Nancy.”
Mace's recent stance against transgender rights—attacks that largely concern Representative-elect Sarah McBride, the first transgender woman elected to Congress—have also been called out for showboating.
Late last month, New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who derided Mace and her supporters for "endangering women ... girls of all kinds," said "they''re doing this so Nancy Mace can make a buck and send a text and fundraise off an email."
Luigi Mangione is facing charges, including second-degree murder, after the 26-year-old was accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel on December 4.
Before the suspect's arrest on Sunday at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, the public was obsessed with updates on the manhunt, especially after Mangione was named a "strong person of interest."
Many social media users following the story began fawning over old thirst trap photos of Mangione—including one of him shirtless—that were released online.
Now, social media users want American Horror Story scribe Ryan Murphy to create a true crime TV series about Mangione, and they know exactly who to cast as the attractive killer who gunned down the late U.S. insurance executive.
Fans want actor Dave Franco.
Franco, 39, is the younger brother of actor James Franco and is known for comedy movies like Neighbors and The Disaster Artist.
Dave Franco's casting as Mangione began trending online due to what fans think is an uncanny resemblance.
Fans are hoping to manifest this by putting it out there.
It's no surprise fans would enlist Murphy, a riveting storyteller, to do a serial dramatization of the assassination.
The six-time Emmy-winning writer and producer is adept at bringing shocking news stories to the small screen in his FX anthology series American Crime Story, the second installment in the American Story series following American Horror Story.
Past standalone seasons of American Crime Story were subtitled, The People v. O. J. Simpson, The Assassination of Gianni Versace, and Impeachment, which chronicled the former Democratic President Bill Clinton's scandalous affair with Monica Lewinsky.
Murphy also created the biographical crime drama anthology Monster for Netflix. The first season focused on serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, and the second tracked the murder case of the Menendez brothers. A third season was announced to feature killer Ed Gein.
Despite good reviews, some people think sensationalizing murderers is in poor taste.
In addition to second-degree murder, Mangione was charged with three counts of illegal weapons possession and forgery.
According to ABC News, a confidential assessment of the crime by the NYPD intelligence bureau described Mangione as appearing to "view the targeted killing ...as a symbolic takedown and a direct challenge to its alleged corruption and 'power games.'"
The New York Times reported that at the time of his arrest, Mangione was carrying a three-page 262-word handwritten manifesto bashing healthcare companies for prioritizing costs over patient care.
He condemned health insurance companies, saying that they "continue to abuse our country for immense profit because the American public has allowed them to get away with it."
NYPD Chief Detective Joe Kenny referred to the obtained handwritten pages in which Mangione expressed "disdain for corporate America" and his frustration with the U.S. health care system.
Mangione's note also stated, "To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn't working with anyone";' "These parasites had it coming;" and "I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done."
On December 9, Mangione was charged in Manhattan with second-degree murder, three counts of illegal weapons possession, and forgery. He was denied bail a second time on Tuesday and remains in Blair County, Pennsylvania.
President-elect Donald Trump was criticized after he openly lied about birthright citizenship and showed he doesn't understand how it works in an interview with Meet the Press on Sunday.
Birthright citizenship is a legal concept that grants citizenship automatically at birth. It exists in two forms: ancestry-based citizenship and birthplace-based citizenship. The latter, known as jus soli, a Latin term meaning "right of the soil," grants citizenship based on the location of birth.
In the United States, birthright citizenship is enshrined in the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which declares that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside."
Currently, 33 countries worldwide (along with two territories) offer unrestricted birthright citizenship. This list includes nations such as Argentina, Canada, Jamaica, and Mexico.
But after host Kristen Welker asked him if he still plans to abolish birthright citizenship "on day one" and questioned if he has the ability "to get around the Fourteenth Amendment," Trump said:
"We may have to make a change. We may have to go back to the people but we have to end it. We're the only country that has it, you know? We're the only country that has it."
“Did you know, if somebody sets a foot — just a foot, one foot, you don’t need two — on our land, congratulations, you are now a citizen of the United States of America. Yes, we’re going to end that, because it’s ridiculous."
His contention that if someone just steps foot within the United States betrays a deep ignorance of not just birthright citizenship, but of how becoming an American citizen actually works for anyone seeking to become an American citizen.
Welker did not push back against Trump’s completely inaccurate characterization of birthright citizenship or his claim that the United States is unique in recognizing it. However, she did ask whether he planned to implement his proposed change through executive action.
He replied:
“Well, if we can, through executive action. I was going to do it through executive action, but then we had to fix COVID first, to be honest with you.”
You can watch their exchange in the video below.
Welker: You promised to end birthright citizenship on day one. Is that still your plan? Trump: Yeah, absolutely.
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— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) December 8, 2024 at 11:01 AM
Trump was swiftly called out for once again not knowing what he is talking about.
He'll be the first president to claim that the Constitution is unconstitutional.
— Ted (@trom771.bsky.social) December 8, 2024 at 11:22 AM
Also, stepping one foot (or even 2) on US soil doesn’t automatically make someone a citizen like he claims. The guy just lies constantly.
— Graham (@grahamson.bsky.social) December 8, 2024 at 5:21 PM
I’ll take narcissistic presidents who don’t understand the constitution for $1000 Ken…
— Marypat 🇮🇪🇺🇸❄️💙 (@marypatschrantz.bsky.social) December 8, 2024 at 11:03 AM
He has no idea how to do it. He thinks he will just snap fingers and it will happen.
— Jose //cat person 🐱 (@joseortega78.bsky.social) December 8, 2024 at 11:02 AM
This is beyond frustrating.. A) You can’t change our constitution. B) 30 other countries also have this guideline, we’re not the only ones. (This a basic google search) C) Ask him about his son. 🤣 We need to start fact-checking, publicly and immediately.
— Kristin_v (@kristinslc.bsky.social) December 8, 2024 at 1:05 PM
The day we don't have to watch and hear this guy ever again will be greatest day in US history.
— Marianne (@maranneb.bsky.social) December 8, 2024 at 12:50 PM
Trump: "We're the only country that has it..." Simple Fact Check: Currently, 33 nations (plus two territories) around the world have jus soli, or unrestricted, birthright citizenship. <BUZZ> <WRONG> <LIE DETECTED>
— Adam Tex Davis (@adamtexdavis.bsky.social) December 8, 2024 at 11:40 PM
Donald Trump thinks the Constitution is like the Bible: You just ignore the inconvenient parts.
— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@mrsbettybowers.bsky.social) December 8, 2024 at 2:10 PM
A constitutional amendment carries more weight than an executive order in the U.S. system of government, but Trump’s stance reflects a longstanding belief that steps should be taken to prevent the children of undocumented immigrants from claiming U.S. citizenship. Of course, he doesn't seem to have minded it when it enabled his father to claim citizenship as a result of having been born here.
CNN previously reported that Trump’s new administration might stop issuing passports to these children, potentially setting the stage for a legal battle over the issue.
Additionally, Trump’s team may increase the use of “expedited removal” for undocumented immigrants nationwide without court hearings, potentially challenging another clause of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law to every person.
Both Trump and his incoming "border czar," Tom Homan, have stated they are willing to deport the parents of U.S. citizen children.
A group of 77 Nobel laureates wrote an open letter to Senate lawmakers stressing that confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as President-elect Donald Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services "would put the public’s health in jeopardy and undermine America’s global leadership in health science."
The letter, obtained by The New York Times, represents a rare move by Nobel laureates, marking the first time in recent memory they have collectively opposed a Cabinet nominee, according to Richard Roberts, the 1993 Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine, who helped draft it.
However, the potential confirmation of Kennedy, known for his criticism of mainstream medicine and hostility toward the very scientists and agencies he would oversee, presented what the laureates saw as an avoidable threat.
The letter warned that Kennedy’s opposition to established public health measures, such as vaccines and the fluoridation of drinking water, would jeopardize the nation's well-being if he were confirmed.
The laureates—a list that includes Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, who received this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of microRNA—condemned Kennedy’s promotion of conspiracy theories, including his false claims linking vaccines to autism, his rejection of scientific evidence that H.I.V. causes AIDS, and his baseless suggestion that COVID-19 targeted and spared specific ethnic groups.
They also highlighted Kennedy’s history as a “belligerent critic” of agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health—institutions he would oversee if confirmed.
They wrote:
"We, the undersigned Nobel laureates, are writing to ask you to oppose the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)."
"The proposal to place Mr. Kennedy in charge of the federal agencies responsible for protecting the health of American citizens and conducting the medical research that benefits our country and the rest of humanity has been widely criticized on multiple grounds."
"In addition to his lack of credentials or relative experience in medicine, science, public health, or administration, has been an opponent of many health-protecting and life-saving vaccines, such as those that prevent measles and polio; a critic of the well-established positive effects of flouridation of drinking water; a promoter of conspiracy theories about remarkably successful treatments for AIDS and other diseases; and a belligerent critic of respected agencies (especially the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control, and the National Institutes of Health)."
"The leader of DHHS should continue to nurture and improve—not threaten—these important and highly respected institutions and their employees."
"In view of his record, placing Mr. Kennedy in charge of DHHS would would put the public's health in jeopardy and undermine America's global leadership in the health sciences, in both the public and commercial sectors."
"We strongly urge you to vote against the confirmation of his appointment as Secretary of DHHS."
Many joined them in sounding the alarm.
A spokeswoman for Trump's transition team dismissed these concerns, issuing the following statement:
"Americans are sick and tired of the elites telling them what to do and how to do it. Our healthcare system in this country is broken, Mr. Kennedy will enact President Trumps [sic] agenda to restore the integrity of our healthcare and Make America Healthy Again.”
DHHS plays a critical role in shaping public health policy, addressing disease prevention and treatment, funding medical research and community health initiatives, supporting child welfare programs such as adoption, foster care, and child abuse prevention, and developing strategies to counter bioterrorism. It also oversees refugee resettlement for individuals seeking asylum in the United States and much more.
If confirmed, Kennedy would take charge of a sprawling health policy apparatus that encompasses 13 agencies, manages a $2 trillion budget, and administers key federal health programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act. However, the Trump transition team has signaled that many of these programs could face deep cuts—or even elimination.
