Category: News
Gary’s Harvest Feast continues legacy for state Rep. Vernon Smith
Even though she’s been gone for 32 years, state Rep. Vernon Smith’s mother still guides his spirit during the holidays.
On Friday, Smith and a group of volunteers prepared the New Hope Church to welcome more than 100 hungry guests for the annual Harvest Feast, a free Thanksgiving meal and short church service.
State Rep. Vernon G. Smith, D-Gary, speaks with Leslie Green at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Gary, Indiana Friday November 21, 2025. Later Friday night Smith plans on hosting 125-150 people for the 32nd annual Harvest Feast in honor of his mother Rev. Julia E. Smith featuring a meal and entertainment at the church.(Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
Performers included the West Side Theatre Guild Repertoire Dance Co., the West Side Drama Club, Wings of Harmony and praise singers Nathan Mason and Stephan Henderson.
Reservations weren’t required so Smith estimated the guests based on past years, but he also wondered if attendance might increase because of the sagging economy and higher grocery costs.
“A head of lettuce was $3.49,” said Smith, who buys much of the food. “I’m grateful people gave me money. It costs $200 or more just for the fruit.”
An array of seasonal fall fruit and vegetables adorned the altar, including pumpkins, squash, pineapples, and pomegranates.
Jacqueline Bowman-Beckwith, of Schererville, speaks with State Rep. Vernon G. Smith, D-Gary, at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Gary, Indiana on Friday, November 21, 2025. Later Friday night, Smith expected to host around 150 people for the 32nd annual Harvest Feast in honor of his mother Rev. Julia E. Smith featuring a meal and entertainment at the church.(Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
Retired Gary educators Jacqueline Bowman-Beckwith and Leslie Green washed the fruit earlier in the day. Adhering to his mother Rev. Julia Smith’s tradition, each piece was blessed as an offering to God.
For decades, Smith has tirelessly led an army of volunteers who cook, set tables, and clean up after the feast.
“When God gives you a task to do, he gives you all the resources. He puts the people in place,” said Smith who joined New Hope Church 20 years ago.
The menu included roast turkey, fried chicken and baked chicken, candied yams, black eyed peas, greens, cabbage, cornbread, spaghetti and lots of pastries.
New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Gary, Indiana on Friday, November 21, 2025.(Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
Smith, one of 10 children, made the corn pudding himself and had to run back to the store when he ran out of sugar.
The Harvest Feast has continued in memory of his mother and aunt Magnolia Allen, although Smith said the work takes a toll.
“I dread it when it gets close to Thanksgiving and Christmas, but this meant so much to my mother and I didn’t want it to die.”
Smith also organizes the Spirit of Christmas Dinner in December.
State Rep. Vernon G. Smith, D-Gary, stands amongst the Thanksgiving decorations in the dinning room of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Gary, Indiana on Friday, November 21, 2025. (Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
“I really believe I have a calling for service,” said Smith who’s been an elected official for 53 years, including 35 years as a member of the House.
“I feel like I owe this community a debt and I can never pay it off,” he said.
Smith quotes a favorite passage from Matthew: … “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Bowman-Beckwith, a retired special education teacher and principal in Gary, said it’s her second year helping out.
Green invited Bowman-Beckwith because they both share a connection to Smith who was an administrator and part-time college instructor, when they started their teaching careers.
“He was my first principal,” said Green. “And I noticed how interested and committed he was to the community.”
Bowman-Beckwith said Smith was her instructor when she got her degree from Purdue University Calumet, now Purdue Northwest.
“It’s just giving back. We’ve been blessed and this is for people less fortunate. Whenever he calls, I’m here,” she said.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/23/garys-harvest-feast-continues-legacy-for-smith/
Tick, Tick , Tick: Study Shows California Losing A Taxpayer Every Minute
Tick, Tick , Tick: Study Shows California Losing A Taxpayer Every Minute
California is facing a perfect storm in finances, with a crippling deficit and a declining tax base.
Now, a study of IRS data by the National Taxpayers Union Foundation found that California is losing a taxpayer roughly every minute, as states like Florida, Texas, and North Carolina attract new residents due to lower taxes and higher standards of living.
In comparison, Florida gains a new taxpayer every 2 minutes and 9 seconds while Texas gains one every 2 minutes and 53 seconds.
The result has been a bonanza for Florida, which is now collecting $4 billion more per year for its budget.
The states losing taxpayers at the fastest rate are California, New York, and Illinois. Here is the rate of loss:
California: every 1 minute and 44 seconds
New York: every 2 minutes and 23 seconds
Illinois: every 6 minutes and 4 seconds.
Massachusetts: every 11 minutes and 38 seconds
New Jersey: every 14 minutes and 14 seconds.
These remain high-tax states where there are even greater demands for tax increases (particularly in Illinois, California, and New York) as well as new spending demands. In Illinois, Mayor Brandon Johnson is pushing for disastrous new taxes, while in New York, incoming Zohran Mamdani is demanding new taxes to fund his free buses and other campaign promises.
In Seattle, socialist Katie Wilson won the mayoral election on the promise of new “progressive taxes” to fund an assortment of programs.
In Oregon, as Democratic politicians run on the rise in the cost of living, they just approved a gas tax hike as part of $4 billion tax and charge increases. They may be hoping that the decline in gas costs this year will make the tax less noticeable, but some citizens are pushing to place it on the ballot for voters.
In these states and cities, the assumption is that wealthy people will remain as voluntary game in a type of fiscal canned hunt as politicians discuss new wealth and other forms of taxes. They are not. They are leaving with their wealth and their tax payments.
Unions continue to push for these new taxes as high-tax-paying residents leave these states. At the same time, California and Illinois continue to push their status as sanctuary states, increasing the public burden for schools, hospitals and other programs. As they increase spending and their tax base contracts, the outcome is obvious.
Again, take California. The state experienced a $9 billion decline in taxpayer funds during 2018. That number increased to $29 billion lost in 2020.
As I discuss in my forthcoming book, Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution, there is a common myth that the top five percent of this country do not “pay their fair share.” However, putting that debate aside, the question is whether it will produce more revenue than it costs the state in the long run. As these politicians campaign on clipping the “fat cats” who are not paying their fair share, many are likely to follow the exodus to lower tax states with greater fiscal discipline.
There are many in states like Florida and Texas who worry that new residents from states like New York and California will replicate their prior voting patterns and produce the same disastrous policies in their new states. I just spoke in Boise, Idaho where many are complaining that Californians are moving to the state and adopting the same policies that produced the conditions that they just left behind. The fear is that the voters will not be willing to vote for conservatives or libertarians and simply move like a liberal diaspora from state to state as they reproduce prior tax and fiscal policies.
Time will tell. However, what is clear is that Democratic states are not showing any greater fiscal discipline as they careen toward budget meltdowns.
Tyler Durden
Sun, 11/23/2025 – 16:20
Presidente del Real Madrid busca inversores para adquirir una participación “simbólica”
Por TALES AZZONI
MADRID (AP) — El presidente del Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez, está considerando permitir que los inversores compren una participación de hasta el 10% en el club, e insistió en que la Superliga sigue siendo un “proyecto indispensable” para el futuro del fútbol.
Hablando ante los socios del club en la asamblea general del domingo, Pérez dijo que propondrá una reforma estatutaria durante una asamblea extraordinaria para permitir la posibilidad de que inversores externos tomen una participación minoritaria en el club.
“Seguiremos siendo un club de socios pero debemos crear una filial para que los 100.000 socios del Real Madrid mantengamos el control absoluto, con una participación minoritaria del 5% para que sepamos lo que vale el club. No queremos salir a bolsa”, advirtió.
Pérez expresó que esa sería la forma más clara y convincente de valorar nuestro club.
“Que alguien esté dispuesto a invertir, una cantidad simbólica, es el mejor ejemplo de poder del club. Este inversor o inversores deberán respetar al club. Y si quisieran transmitir su participación, el Madrid debería mediar. Sería un aliado. Hemos construido el mejor club del mundo y necesitamos blindarlo”, advirtió. “No podemos permitir que caiga en manos de nadie. Con este caso, someteré a una decisión libre, para seguir siendo el mejor club del mundo”.
Pérez comentó que los inversores estarían obligados a “respetar nuestros valores”, contribuir al crecimiento del club y ayudarlos a proteger sus activos de ataques externos. Dijo que el Real Madrid siempre tendría el derecho de recomprar sus activos a los inversores.
“En resumen, serán un aliado estratégico y nunca un propietario”, señaló.
Pérez reiteró varias veces que los socios —cque tendrían que votar en un referéndum— nunca perderían el control del club. Dijo que su propuesta aseguraría que los actuales 100.000 socios sean reconocidos como los verdaderos dueños del club, con el número de socios fijado para el futuro.
“Les quiero decir que vamos a convocar una Asamblea de Compromisarios de carácter Extraordinario y convocaremos un referéndum para que puedan pronunciarse”, dijo. “Pero el único objetivo es blindar al club de ataques externos. Y ponerlo en valor. Llevo muchos años explicando que hay enemigos que quieren quedarse con nuestro patrimonio”.
Negó que la reforma le cueste dinero a los socios o que lo están haciendo porque necesitan el dinero.
“Somos el club más rico del mundo. Es una Junta muy unida y nos da la posibilidad de ser un club independiente. Pero tenemos que ser conscientes de las amenazas que tenemos”, dijo.
Pérez explicó que la razón de la reforma era “blindar al club de ataques externos e internos”.
Apoyo a la Superliga
Pérez manifestó que el club sigue completamente detrás de la idea de la ampliamente criticada Superliga.
“Nosotros seguimos insistiendo en que es un proyecto indispensable para el futuro del fútbol porque, sin este proyecto, la diferencia entre el fútbol inglés y el del resto de Europa sería definitivamente insalvable”, expresó.
“La Superliga ha conseguido ya, sin discusión, un gran éxito para el fútbol. Hemos derribado para siempre, y en tiempo récord, un régimen de monopolio de UEFA de más de 70 años que, de otro modo, habría acabado con nuestro futuro”.
El presidente señaló recientes fallos judiciales que favorecieron al club en la demanda contra la UEFA.
“La contundencia de las sentencias obtenidas nos permite, al margen de impulsar la organización de nuestra propia competición, reclamar a UEFA los cuantiosísimos daños millonarios que nos han causado su comportamiento ilegal, al bloquear nuestro proyecto en abuso de posición de dominio. Ya les anuncio aquí que hemos iniciado el correspondiente proceso de reclamaciones económicas contra UEFA”, dijo.
Pérez volvió a quejarse de la idea de la liga española de intentar jugar un partido de temporada regular en el extranjero. En octubre, la liga dijo que los planes para que el Barcelona jugara un partido de temporada regular contra el Villarreal fuera de Miami en diciembre habían sido cancelados, una decisión que se produjo tras una mayor oposición al partido a nivel nacional.
El presidente de la liga española, Javier Tebas, criticó a Pérez el domingo en el último enfrentamiento entre ellos.
El Madrid dijo que todos los puntos discutidos en la asamblea general fueron aprobados casi por unanimidad.
“Pueden sentirse muy orgullosos del Real Madrid”, añadió Pérez. “Sinceramente, les digo que estamos más fuertes que nunca. Somos el mejor club del mundo en lo deportivo, en lo económico y en lo institucional”.
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Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Powell y Ware lideran a Heat a su cuarta victoria consecutiva por 127-117 ante los 76ers
Associated Press
FILADELFIA (AP) — Norman Powell anotó 32 puntos, mientras que Kel’el Ware sumó 20 puntos y 16 rebotes para ayudar el domingo al Heat de Miami a ganar su cuarto partido consecutivo con una victoria de 127-117 sobre los 76ers de Filadelfia.
Jaime Jacquez Jr. anotó 22 puntos y Bam Adebayo contribuyó con 18 para el Heat.
Tyrese Maxey logró 27 puntos para liderar a Filadelfia, que jugó sin el ex MVP Joel Embiid por séptimo partido consecutivo. Embiid (lesión en la rodilla derecha) se ha perdido diez de los 16 partidos esta temporada. Maxey, quien entró segundo en la NBA en anotaciones con 33.4 puntos por partido, venía de anotar un récord personal de 54 puntos en la victoria en tiempo extra de 123-114 el jueves en Milwaukee.
Andre Drummond añadió 14 puntos y 23 rebotes para los 76ers. El novato VJ Edgecombe (tensión en la pantorrilla izquierda) también estuvo ausente para Filadelfia.
Este fue el primero de tres encuentros entre los clubes.
Los 76ers celebraron el 25 aniversario de los campeones de la Conferencia Este de 2001 vistiendo réplicas de los uniformes negros de esa época. Allen Iverson, quien fue nombrado MVP esa temporada, estuvo presente. Theo Ratliff hizo sonar la campana ceremonial de la Libertad antes del partido.
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Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Mamdani mantiene críticas a Trump pese a reunión amistosa en la Casa Blanca
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — El alcalde electo de la ciudad de Nueva York, Zohran Mamdani, no se retractó de haber calificado de “déspota” y “fascista” al presidente Donald Trump en el pasado, en una entrevista trasmitida el domingo y después de una reunión sorprendentemente amistosa en la Casa Blanca.
El recién electo socialista democrático y el presidente republicano se han criticado ferozmente en el pasado. Trump llamó a Mamdani un “lunático comunista al 100%” en una publicación en redes sociales tras su victoria electoral, y Mamdani ha dicho que Trump ha atacado la democracia. Sin embargo, los dos antagonistas políticos emergieron sonriendo después de la reunión del viernes y hablaron de objetivos compartidos.
Presionado sobre sus críticas pasadas durante una entrevista en “Meet the Press” realizada el sábado, Mamdani expresó que sus opiniones no habían cambiado.
“Todo lo que he dicho en el pasado, lo sigo creyendo”, manifestó Mamdani. “Y eso es lo que creo que es importante en nuestra política, que no nos alejamos de donde tenemos desacuerdos, sino que entendemos qué es lo que nos lleva a esa mesa, porque no estoy entrando a la Oficina Oval para demostrar un punto o tomar una posición. Estoy entrando allí para cumplir con los neoyorquinos”.
Trump hizo a un lado las críticas de Mamdani el viernes e incluso intervino en su defensa varias veces. Cuando un reportero preguntó si Mamdani mantenía sus comentarios de que Trump era un fascista, el presidente intervino antes de que él terminara de responder.
“Está OK. Puedes simplemente decir que sí. ¿De acuerdo?”, dijo Trump. “Es más fácil. Es más fácil que explicarlo. No me importa”.
Preguntado sobre la crítica de fascista en “Meet the Press”, Mamdani dijo: “Eso es algo que he dicho en el pasado. Lo digo hoy”.
Kevin Hassett, director del Consejo Económico Nacional, comentó en el programa “State of the Union” de CNN que Trump quiere trabajar con todos los que se preocupan por el futuro del pueblo estadounidense.
“A veces estamos en desacuerdo sobre políticas”, señaló Hassett, “pero creo que el objetivo de mejorar la vida de todos es algo que muchas personas comparten en el lado demócrata y republicano”.
Aunque políticamente distantes, la reunión en la Casa Blanca ofreció beneficios políticos potenciales para ambos hombres. El alcalde entrante pudo reunirse cara a cara con el presidente, y Trump tuvo la oportunidad de hablar sobre la asequibilidad, un tema que es cada vez más importante para los votantes.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
‘Vote By Phone?” – Swalwell’s Plan To Modernize Voting Could Put Election Integrity at Risk Nationwide
‘Vote By Phone?” – Swalwell’s Plan To Modernize Voting Could Put Election Integrity at Risk Nationwide
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) launched his bid for governor of California this week, and he wasted no time floating a plan that could reshape elections far beyond the state’s borders. He told CNN’s Elex Michaelson on Saturday that he wants Californians to vote by phone, a proposal that fits neatly with the left’s push to loosen every guardrail that keeps our elections secure.
“I want to modernize the state,” Swalwell told him. “And, you know, [Newsom] wrote a book called Citizenville, which I read when I was up and coming. He laid out a lot of, you know, great ideas then, and he implemented some of them. And he, you know, was a modernizing force. He’s leaving. And so there is going to be a void. I want us to be able to vote by phone.”
“Vote by phone?” Michaelson asked, clearly surprised by the idea.
“Vote by phone, yeah,” Swalwell confirmed. “If we can do our taxes, do our, you know, our — make our health care appointments, you know, make, essentially, your — do your banking online. You should be able to vote by phone. Make it safe, make it secure. But it’s actually already happening all over the United States.”
Swalwell continued, “I want us to be a blue state that doesn’t do just a little bit better than like Georgia or Alabama when it comes to like voting access, I want us to max out democracy. Also, as it relates to democracy, if you wait in line for 30 minutes or more, if you do want to vote in person, I think you should fine every county for every minute that a person has to wait longer.”
He added, “We have to be better, not just a little bit better than the other states.”
🚨 JUST IN: California Rep. Eric Swalwell is being TORCHED for arguing, “I want us to be able to vote by PHONE.”
“I want us to MAX OUT democracy!” 🤯
This is the worst voting idea I’ve EVER heard. That would be an abject disaster.pic.twitter.com/zm7OXUwvO5
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 22, 2025
Swalwell painted his proposal as part of a broader modernization effort, citing the DMV as another area where modernization can occur.
“I don’t think Californians should have to go in person to the DMV anymore. I think we can do that virtually. I think you can have the DMV employees do it virtually, but that’s a lot of real estate.”
No one likes waiting in line at the DMV. Still, Swalwell’s vision for voting turns one of the most critical pillars of our republic into an experiment in convenience at the expense of integrity. It’s been tried before, and the vulnerabilities are well known.
The 2020 Iowa Democratic caucus exposed the risks of relying on electronic voting apps.
Technical glitches and design flaws caused delays and widespread confusion, leaving thousands of votes uncounted or misreported on caucus night, reinforcing the argument that U.S. elections are far safer and more reliable when conducted with paper ballots and in-person verification, rather than depending on untested or insecure technology.
Similarly, MIT researchers identified serious security and privacy vulnerabilities in the mobile voting app Voatz, which was used in several U.S. elections, including the 2018 West Virginia midterms. Their analysis showed that despite claims of blockchain-based security, hackers could alter or expose individual votes.
The researchers emphasized that internet voting remains insecure, stressing the importance of paper ballots and open, auditable election systems to maintain public trust.
What happens in California rarely stays in California.
If California – a state that often serves as a launchpad for progressive policies to the national level – pulls this off, other states will soon follow.
Which means Swalwell’s plan for voting by phone could pose an existential threat to election integrity nationwide.
Tyler Durden
Sun, 11/23/2025 – 15:45
Decay Devils secures thousands for Northwest Indiana project
Decay Devils is expanding its footprint in Northwest Indiana, and two grants will help get their work done.
The Gary-based nonprofit announced on Wednesday that it received two grants totaling $13,000 to help with regional preservation and public arts. The Legacy Foundation provided a $10,000 Transform Lake County grant and Indiana Humanities gave the organization a $3,000 Historic Preservation grant.
Tyrell Anderson, president of Decay Devils, said the money will be used to help create “NWI Landmarks and Arts: A Regional Guide to Northwest Indiana’s Art and Historic Landmarks.” The project will document public art and historic sites throughout the region, including in Gary, East Chicago, Hammond, Michigan City and Whiting.
“We started this during COVID,” Anderson said. “We thought it would be a great idea to bring the project back to get people outside and make some kind of activity.”
The group hasn’t yet picked which landmarks will be highlighted in the guide, Anderson said, and they’re going to meet with community partners while they prepare the guide.
“There’s a few places that are iconic, but we don’t want to go in as an outsider and just say, ‘Hey, what’s special about this area?’” Anderson said. “We’re going to look to have conversations with those interested parties in January. … We want to reach out to different entities and see who shows interest, feedback and input.”
The first Decay Devils guide focused on Gary, Anderson said, so it was important for the organization to branch out to all of Northwest Indiana this time. Anderson believes Decay Devils has momentum to continue their work regionally, and he wants to capitalize on it.
With the Legacy Foundation’s grant, Decay Devils will use the money to help create printed and digital guides, host tours and activate public art and historic sites through community engagement.
Kelly Anoe, president and CEO of the Legacy Foundation, said the organization has helped Decay Devils several times throughout the years.
Kelly Anoe (Doug Ross/for Post-Tribune)
“I’ve always really admired their commitment and dedication,” Anoe said. “The projects they create are innovative, and it brings people into what they’re doing. They engage residents, and they create opportunities for people to think about public spaces, historic preservation and the unique assets we have in Northwest Indiana.”
The Legacy Foundation has two cycles for the Transform Lake County grants, Anoe said, which help organizations create economic growth and community engagement. Grant awards vary up to $35,000, Anoe said, but the average is $10,000.
Anoe is excited to see what Decay Devils do with their upcoming guide project, especially because it’s broadening their scope beyond Gary.
“We have a lot of treasures and stories here that should be celebrated and shared,” Anoe said. “I think this project really brings attention to what people can see and do and places they can go here in Northwest Indiana.”
George Hanlin, director of grants for Indiana Humanities, said Decay Devils has received about five grants from the organization throughout the years. Hanlin is excited to see what Decay Devils does with Indiana Humanities’ grant for the guide project.
Indiana Humanities also works with Indiana Landmarks to provide grants to organizations statewide, Hanlin said.
“These projects often take a lot of money,” Hanlin said. “The money is really important. There’s a lot more funding available for traditional arts-related programming than there is for humanities. It’s really important for us to have these funds available, so people can do history projects.”
Indiana Humanities’ $3,000 grant will be used for the Michigan City portion of the project, according to Decay Devils, including additional research, interpretive content creation and storytelling.
Michigan City is the only location listed that’s outside Lake County, but Anderson said that Decay Devils might include other organizations later, including Valparaiso.
Hanlin likes that Decay Devils is expanding their program beyond Gary, he said, and he’s excited to see how the guide program brings more people to other areas of Northwest Indiana.
“Just generally speaking, this is a group that gets stuff done, and they work in some pretty challenging circumstances,” Hanlin said. “They’re doing their work to elevate the stories of these places, and I’m always impressed with their work and will take any opportunity to support their efforts.”
mwilkins@chicagotribune.com
‘Wicked: For Good’ is even more popular than the first, soaring to a $226 million global debut
Universal Pictures’ two-part “Wicked” gamble continues to defy gravity at the box office. Just a year after part one brought droves of audiences to movie theaters around the country, even more people bought opening weekend tickets to see the epic conclusion, “Wicked: For Good.” According to studio estimates on Sunday, “Wicked: For Good” earned $150 million from North American theaters in its first days in theaters and $226 million globally.
Not only is it the biggest opening ever for a Broadway musical adaptation, unseating the record set by the first film’s $112 million launch, it’s also the second biggest debut of the year behind “A Minecraft Movie’s” $162 million.
“The results are just fantastic,” said Jim Orr, who heads domestic distribution for Universal. “Some films can deliver a false positive when tickets go on sale early but these results speak for themselves.”
Universal began rolling out “Wicked: For Good” in theaters earlier this week, with previews on Monday ($6.1 million from 1,050 theaters) and Wednesday ($6.5 million from 2,300 theaters). By Friday it was playing in 4,115 North American locations and had raked in $68.6 million. IMAX showings accounted for $15.5 million, or 11%, of its domestic haul — a November record for the company.
IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond said in a statement that the strong market share shows, “our momentum carries into demos and genres beyond our traditional core, including families.”
As with the first film, women powered opening weekend, making up around 71% of ticket buyers according to PostTrak exit polls. Critics were somewhat mixed on the final chapter, but audiences weren’t: An overwhelming 83% of audiences said it was one they would “definitely recommend” to friends. As far as foot traffic is concerned, the box office tracker EntTelligence estimates that about 2 million more people came out for “Wicked: For Good’s” first weekend than for “Wicked’s.”
Jon M. Chu directed both “Wicked” films, starring Cynthia Ervio and Ariana Grande. The first film made over $758.7 million worldwide and received 10 Oscar nominations (winning two, for costume and production design). The question is how high “Wicked: For Good” can soar. Combined, the two films cost around $300 million to produce, not including marketing and promotion costs.
“The first film paved the way,” Orr said. “It’s really become a cultural event I think audiences are going to be flocking to theaters for quite some time to come.”
Two other films also opened in wide release this weekend, but further down on the charts behind a buffet of holdovers. Searchlight Pictures opened its Brendan Fraser film “Rental Family” in 1,925 theaters where it earned $3.3 million. The Finnish action film “Sisu: Road to Revenge,” a Sony release, also played in 2,222 theaters. It earned an estimated $2.6 million.
Second place went to “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” with $9.1 million in its second weekend, followed by “Predator: Badlands” with $6.3 million in weekend three. “The Running Man” followed in fourth place with $5.8 million, down 65% from its debut last weekend.
Although this weekend the box office was more of a winner takes all scenario, “Wicked: For Good’s” success is vitally important for the exhibition industry as a whole as it enters the final weeks of the year.
“It sets up a very strong final homestretch of the year,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s head of marketplace trends.
After the slow fall season, the Thanksgiving blockbusters could not arrive soon enough. Early next week, “Zootopia 2” enters the mix and is also expected to drive big crowds to the cineplex over the holiday break.
Thanksgiving is often one of the biggest moviegoing frames of the year, Dergarabedian said, and both “Wicked 2” and “Zootopia 2” will benefit. Last year “Wicked,” “Moana 2” and “Gladiator II” helped power a record five-day frame.
The running domestic box office is currently hovering around $7.5 billion, according to Comscore. Before the pandemic, the annual box office would regularly hit $11 billion, but the post-pandemic goal has lessened to $9 billion. The big question now is whether titles like “Wicked: For Good,” “Zootopia 2” and “Avatar:Fire and Ash” can push the industry over that threshold.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. “Wicked: For Good,” $150 million.
2. “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” $9.1 million.
3. “Predator: Badlands,” $6.3 million.
4. “The Running Man,” $5.8 million.
5. “Rental Family,” $3.3 million.
6. “Sisu: Road to Revenge,” $2.6 million.
7. “Regretting You,” $1.5 million.
8. “Nuremberg,” $1.2 million.
9. “Black Phone 2,” $1 million.
10. “Sarah’s Oil,” $711,542.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/23/wicked-for-good-global-debut/
Zohran Mamdani stands by President Trump criticism despite friendly White House meeting
WASHINGTON — New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani didn’t back down in an interview that aired Sunday from past criticism that President Donald Trump acted like a despot and a fascist after a surprisingly friendly White House meeting between the two men.
The newly elected democratic socialist and the Republican president have fiercely criticized each other in the past. Trump called Mamdani a “100% Communist Lunatic” in a social media post following the incoming mayor’s election victory, and Mamdani has said Trump was attacking democracy. Yet the two political foils emerged smiling after the meeting Friday and spoke of shared goals.
Pressed about his past criticism during a “Meet the Press” interview conducted Saturday, Mamdani said his views remained unchanged.
“Everything that I’ve said in the past, I continue to believe,” Mamdani said. “And that’s the thing that I think is important in our politics, is that we don’t shy away from where we have disagreements, but we understand what it is that brings us to that table, because I’m not coming into the Oval Office to make a point or make a stand. I’m coming in there to deliver for New Yorkers.”
Trump had brushed aside Mamdani’s criticisms Friday and even jumped in on his defense several times. When a reporter asked if Mamdani stood by his comments that Trump is a fascist, Trump interjected before Mamdani could fully answer the question.
“That’s OK. You can just say yes. OK?” Trump said. “It’s easier. It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind.”
Asked about the fascist criticism on “Meet the Press,” Mamdani said, “That’s something that I’ve said in the past. I say it today. ”
Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” talk show that Trump wants to work with everybody who cares about the future of the American people.
“We’re at times disagreeing about policies,” Hassett said, “but I think that the objective of making life better for everybody is something that a lot of people share on the Democratic and Republican side.”
Though far apart politically, the White House meeting offered potential political benefits for both men. The incoming mayor was able to meet one-on-one with the president, and Trump got to to talk about affordability, an issue that is increasingly important to voters.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/23/mamdani-trump-criticism/
Judge Blocks Trump Admin From Placing Conditions On Federal Disaster Funds
Judge Blocks Trump Admin From Placing Conditions On Federal Disaster Funds
Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
A federal judge on Nov. 21 temporarily blocked the Trump administration from conditioning and withholding federal disaster preparedness funds that were allocated to local governments.
The city landscape of Los Angeles, on Oct. 9, 2025. Mike Blake /Reuters
U.S. District Judge William Orrick in the Northern District of California issued a preliminary injunction in response to a lawsuit filed by a coalition of 29 local governments, which alleged that the conditions tied to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FEMA funds were unconstitutional.
The administration required local governments to end programs that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and support federal immigration enforcement, or they could risk losing the funds, according to court documents.
In a 76-page ruling, Orrick said the plaintiffs were likely to prevail on their claims that the administration’s conditions were “ambiguous” and violated fundamental principles of constitutional law.
“In short, the EO [executive order] Condition, as it is currently written and applied to the DHS Conditions, is ambiguous. To find otherwise would defy the power of Congress to confer upon agencies the authority to grant funding in the first place,” the judge stated.
Orrick also noted that the plaintiffs’ interests in obtaining the funding to support critical infrastructure and emergency response programs for their communities far outweigh the administration’s interests.
“As indicated above, plaintiffs represent over thirty million individuals, and their DHS and FEMA grants provide funding to support these disaster and public safety initiatives. Many of the plaintiffs would be unable to otherwise fund these programs without grants,” the judge said.
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, and San Diego were among the plaintiffs that filed suit on Sept. 30 to prevent the administration from imposing what they called “unlawful conditions” on more than $350 million in emergency and disaster preparedness funds.
In a joint statement, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu welcomed the ruling, saying that withholding emergency and disaster preparedness funds would put public safety at risk.
“This funding means faster emergency response times, stronger regional coordination, and better protection for our residents during disasters and terrorist attacks,” Chiu stated. “We appreciate the Court ruled in our favor and blocked this unlawful overreach.”
Santa Clara County Counsel Tony LoPresti, part of the plaintiffs, praised the judge for recognizing that the administration’s “political agenda” should not influence the funding.
“As local governments, we take our responsibility seriously to protect all members of the community from the ravages of disaster, no matter their politics,” LoPresti said in the statement. “Governments shouldn’t have to pass a political litmus test to be able to care for their communities, especially in the face of a disaster.”
DHS and FEMA did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.
Tyler Durden
Sun, 11/23/2025 – 15:10
