Steve Pond's Blog, page 125

Why Scarlett Johansson Asked Marvel to Remove Her ‘Thunderbolts*’ EP Credit

Scarlett Johansson asked that her executive producer credit be removed from “Thunderbolts*.”

In a conversation with David Harbour for Interview Magazine published Tuesday, she revealed that she had her executive producer credit taken off the film after the “Thunderbolts*” star congratulated her on it.

“It’s the opening day of a movie that basically you are the seventh Thunderbolt in,” Harbour, who plays Red Guardian in the film, said. “Your character is all over this movie … You are an executive producer on it. Congratulations.”

Johansson was quick to correct Harbour that her name is no longer attached to the movie.

“I asked to have my credit removed because I wasn’t involved,” she said.

Johansson did serve as executive producer on 2021’s “Black Widow” – the last Marvel film she starred as the titular hero. It’s also the film that served as introduction to Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova and Olga Kurylenko’s Taskmaster – both who star in “Thunderbolts*.” She went on to talk about her exit from the MCU and how her interest in the behemoth franchise fluctuated over the years.

“Some of the films that I did for Marvel engaged my character more than others,” she said. “Like in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ with Chris [Evans], we were really dynamic. In some of the other films, the cast was so enormous and there was so much plot to serve that you start to feel like you’re a device to move it along. And if you’re committed to five and a half months of that, it’s like, ‘Okay. I can’t paint my nails, I can’t get a haircut.’ These sound like silly problems, but your identity is wrapped up in this job for a long time, and if you’re not doing engaging work as an actor, you feel a little cagey sometimes.”

Harbour – who along with starring in “Thunderbolts*” is gearing up for the release of the final season of “Stranger Things” at the end of the year – was shocked by how much he agreed with Johansson.

“Buddies of mine who had done TV shows for many years said, ‘By season three or four you’ll be running.’ And I was like, ‘Never! I love all these guys so much,’” he said. “And then you get to a certain point where you’re like, ‘How much more story is there?’ You’re having to play a lot of the same beat, and there’s a feeling where you’re like, ‘I want to take a risk. I want to do something that people haven’t seen me do before.’ So yeah, after 10 years, it’s like, ‘Okay.'”

Alongside Harbour and Pugh, “Thunderbolts*” also stars Sebastian Stan, Lewis Pullman, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

The post Why Scarlett Johansson Asked Marvel to Remove Her ‘Thunderbolts*’ EP Credit appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print’ Review: Trailblazing Feminist Magazine Doc Still Hits Hard Today

Has there ever been a more essential moment for a documentary than one about the making of Ms. magazine? Though it was founded more than half a century ago, nearly all the subjects it raised and debated continue to feel urgently relevant.

To wit, “Dear Ms: A Revolution in Print” opens with narration from founding editor Letty Cottin Pogrebin: “Try to imagine life where you are owned by, or controlled by, men.” There are, perhaps, some women who can still imagine what that might be like today.

Directors Salima Koroma, Alice Gu and Cecilia Aldarondo are well aware of the timeliness of their subject and subtly allow us to draw parallels even as they take us back to the 1970s. 

They’ve chosen to split the film into three chapters, with each director telling a different part of the magazine’s story. This tripartite structure does make the film feel somewhat fragmented, but many of the participants and themes carry throughout.

Koroma’s section, about the magazine’s founding in 1971, introduces us to the women we will get to know as things progress. Foremost among them is Gloria Steinem. At the time, Steinem was alternating between political and celebrity journalism. She was probably most famous for her exposé of Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Club, in which she went undercover as a Bunny. But she was also writing work like “Paul Newman: The Trouble With Being Too Good-Looking.”

Then she went to cover a women’s liberation meeting for New York magazine. The experiences participants shared — about being overlooked, overworked, over it all — convinced Steinem that this movement deserved far more than a single article. And so the first issue of Ms. was actually an offshoot of New York, an experiment built on no small amount of uncertainty. Steinem was, in fact, one of the few public figures brave enough to call herself a feminist aloud, and we see her using her mainstream beauty — which is commented on by the media repeatedly — as a way to subvert expectations of “radical liberation.” (Which is to say, equality.)

We do see a few other celebrities standing strong, including Lily Tomlin, Lucille Ball and Alan Alda. But Koroma also shows us the overwhelming backlash that met the magazine immediately. This general disdain is crystalized by unabashedly dismissive ABC news anchor Harry Reasoner: “The first edition of Ms., described as a new magazine for women, is at hand and it’s pretty sad,” Reasoner announces to his millions of viewers. “It’s so clearly just another in the great but irrelevant tradition of American shock magazines.” Reasoner then shares his certitude that it’ll fold imminently.

He was wrong, of course: Ms. still exists, and has lasted longer than many of its contemporary publications. We learn about its early successes — and stumbles — in Alice Gu’s chapter, titled “A Portable Friend.” As Steinem notes, women’s magazines at the time “were mostly catalogues that served to praise the advertisers” — advertisers being cosmetics companies, weight-loss pills and household appliance makers. In contrast, Ms. was often alone in generating widely-viewed discussions of abortion, sexual harassment, domestic violence, power dynamics and — ultimately — revolution.

Should it have been so revolutionary to suggest that women deserved to be treated with fairness? Regardless, it certainly was. And so the magazine started getting piles of mail, from countless women expressing gratitude at finding support for the first time, and from countless men expressing fury at the challenge to their households’ sexist status quo.

Gu also delves deeper into intersectionality, a concept that required a great deal of education for the mostly-white, mostly-straight, middle-class editorship. Indeed, the film is often at its best when it expands beyond the magazine’s conference rooms to explore more about the history and history-makers of the era, including Alice Walker, Shirley Chisholm and Essence (and later Ms.) editor-in-chief Marcia Ann Gillespie.

In Part Three, Aldarondo takes us further into sex and sexuality (sample Ms. cover line: “Erotica and Pornography: Do You Know the Difference?”). She too uses the opportunity to start with a relatively simple theme, and travel outwards. So a chapter on sex is a chapter on gender, work, politics and economics. It’s also a history of culture clashes, and we learn a lot about the feminist movement’s internecine battles, between women like erotic filmmaker Candida Royale and anti-porn activist Andrea Dworkin.

Oddly, after going so deep into the magazine’s history, the film wraps up very abruptly; a single line tells us what’s happened to it over the last 25 years. This does also emphasize an overarching lack of cohesion between the three chapters, which never quite mesh in a fluid way.

The general takeaway, though, is that this is a fascinating, complex story that needs to be told. And all three directors make great use of both archival footage and contemporary interviews. At one point, we hear someone ask a young Steinem just who it is she’s trying to reach. “Everybody,” she responds. And in 2025, that’s also who should see this maddening, inspiring and still-so-significant documentary.

The post ‘Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print’ Review: Trailblazing Feminist Magazine Doc Still Hits Hard Today appeared first on TheWrap.

Annecy Review: ‘All You Need Is Kill’ Is ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ Gone Anime (Complimentary)

If Ken’ichirô Akimoto’s new anime feature “All You Need Is Kill” feels familiar, that’s because it is. The film is an adaptation of the Japanese light novel of the same name by Hiroshi Sakurazaka and Yoshitoshi Abe that also inspired “Edge of Tomorrow,” the 2014 Tom Cruise hit directed by Doug Liman.

Liman’s film, a sci-fi thriller about an ordinary man (Cruise), forced into battle during a massive alien invasion and cursed with having to relive the same day over and over and over again, took plenty of liberties with the source material. Akimoto’s new take, written by Yûichirô Kido and Hiroshi Sakurazaka takes its own liberties, but it keeps the novel’s much better title — and also maintains the flinty charm of the Liman movie.

As “All You Need is Kill” opens, Earth is dealing with the arrival of Darol – a massive outer space plant whose intentions are unknown. Its roots have caused havoc with its electromagnetic surges and entire teams of scientists are working to uncover its mission. The film aims to tell the story of the original novel but from a different point of view, and so it is we meet Rita (a version of the character played by Emily Blunt in “Edge of Tomorrow,” here voiced by Ali Mikami), a young woman working on the team to figure out what the hell Darol is.

On the one-year anniversary of its arrival, she has an encounter with a creature that has sprouted from the plant’s massive stalk. She is killed by the creature but not before she can take it out; once she dies she wakes up again, in her crummy apartment with her crummy job. And it happens again and again. (She writes, in big block letters, on her hand, how many times she’s come back.)

Eventually she meets Keiji (Natsuki Hanae), who also is working on the team investigating Darol and who also is experiencing the same day repeatedly. Together, they work to discover how they can finally kill off the monsters once and for all and return themselves to a normal life.That of course doesn’t quite track 1:1 with the original novel, and

There are a number of elements that are similar between this and “Edge of Tomorrow” – there’s a romance between the two main characters, vaguely squid-ish monsters and mechanical suits that aid in their abilities. But there are just as many detours. “All You Need Is Kill” feels decidedly more anime-y, not just in the dazzling visuals from Studio 4°C, which handily mix hand-drawn techniques with computer animation, but in the way that the central romance unfolds, with calls to mind recent anime hits like “Weathering With You” and “Suzume,” both directed by the singular Makoto Shinkai. Both of the main characters are more richly drawn (they are also saddled with more tragic backstories), which adds a lot of much-needed heart and humor to the more action-heavy sequences that see them going up against the alien horde.

And it’s in these quieter, more sensitive moments that “All You Need Is Kill” really comes to life.

“All You Need Is Kill” is so immaculately designed, from the look of the characters to the suits that the characters wear to the robot helpers they pick up along the way, that it’s easy to be seduced by the film’s overwhelming aesthetics. But it’s the emotion of the story, the bond between the two characters and their utter desperation to get unstuck from the loop, that really carries you through as an audience member. It’s easy to get involved with them and to root for them because of that connection and it acts as a way to ground the action, even when it gets overrun with alien creatures and the dialogue becomes somewhat lost in techno jargon mumbo-jumbo. The movie’s giant heart cuts through all of that and even makes the film’s last act, which like “Edge of Tomorrow” meanders a bit when it should be more dialed-in, emotionally resonant and affecting.

In terms of adaptations of the same source material, “All You Need Is Kill” could not be more different than “Edge of Tomorrow,” with one a young adult romance (with monsters and mechanical suits) and the other a go-for-broke action spectacular (also with monsters and mechanical suits). There are some similarities built into both movies, that they share with their original novel, but tonally and aesthetically they are leagues – maybe even galaxies – apart.

If you loved “Edge of Tomorrow” and want to experience it again (just like the characters in the movie), then you’ll undoubtedly love “All You Need Is Kill” too. And if you’re new to the concept, the characters, and the world, “All You Need Is Kill” can be a fitting introduction. It’s one of the best, most deeply felt and most gorgeously animated features of the year. On this or any other planet.

The post Annecy Review: ‘All You Need Is Kill’ Is ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ Gone Anime (Complimentary) appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Destination X’ Premiere Ratings Grow to Reach 4.2 Million Viewers Across NBC, Peacock | Exclusive

The “Destination X” premiere has grown to reach over 4 million viewers, TheWrap can reveal exclusively.

The premiere episode, which first premiered on May 27, has reached 4.2 million viewers across NBC, Peacock and all other platforms, according to Nielsen figures, doubling the episode’s initial live-plus-same-day viewership of 2.1 million.

“Destination X,” which airs Tuesdays on NBC, saw a 20% week-to-week uptick in viewership in the key demo among adults 18-49 when comparing the premiere episode to its second installment, which aired June 3.

To date, the new unscripted series has reached more than 9 million viewers across all platforms.

Hosted by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, “Destination X” challenges strangers to traverse European countries on a blacked-out bus with the goal of figuring out where they are each week. By the end of the competition series, the final player will find Morgan at the ultimate Destination X and win a cash prize of $250,000.

In Episode 3, which premieres Tuesday, June 10, “Destination X” will introduce two new familiar faces in JaNa Craig (“Love Island USA” Season 6, “Love Island: Beyond the Villa”) and Peter Weber (“The Bachelor,” “The Traitors”).

The official logline for Episode 3 is as follows: “Love is in the air as the journey continues and the clues get trickier. With romance brewing and red herrings in play, one player’s journey ends. JaNa Craig and Peter Weber arrive and immediately shake up the game.”

“Destination X,” which marks the second commission between NBCU and the BBC after  “The Traitors,” is produced by Twofour, part of ITV Studios, and Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Morgan executive produces the show alongside Andy Cadman and Emanuel Vanderjeudg executive produce alongside Twofour’s Dan Adamson, David Clews and Shireen Abbott.

The post ‘Destination X’ Premiere Ratings Grow to Reach 4.2 Million Viewers Across NBC, Peacock | Exclusive appeared first on TheWrap.

Thom Browne Opens Its First West Coast Flagship on Melrose

Thom Browne opens a West Coast flagship on Melrose Place, Jimmy Choo unveils a limited edition archival collection at Chateau Marmont, the MOCA Gala raises over $3.1 million and Net-A-Porter and Isabel Marant host an intimate sunset dinner in Silver Lake.

Thom Browne (Source: BFA)Thom Browne opens a West Coast flagship on Melrose Place

Thom Browne has officially arrived in Los Angeles, bringing his signature uniform aesthetic to Melrose Place.

The new boutique is tucked behind a pristine ivy-covered façade and reflects Browne’s deep affinity for mid-century modern design. Inside, the 2,000-square-foot space is divided into three rooms, featuring sleek gray marble walls, terrazzo flooring, Venetian blinds and curated furnishings by Jacques Adnet, George Nakashima, Dunbar and Edward Wormley — all personally selected by Browne.

Thom Browne founded his eponymous label in 2001, starting with a made-to-measure menswear business in a small, “by appointment” shop in New York City’s West Village. Since then, the brand has grown into a global luxury fashion house, offering ready-to-wear, accessories and fragrance collections for men, women and children. Browne debuted his womenswear collection in 2014.

A three-time CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year Award winner, Browne was named Chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in 2023, succeeding Tom Ford. His work is celebrated for challenging conventions and modernizing the uniform through precise tailoring and conceptual storytelling.

(Source: BFA)

To mark the opening, Browne hosted a two-night celebration in Los Angeles. The festivities began with an intimate cocktail party last Wednesday at the new Melrose Place boutique, where guests including Jordan Firstman, Rocky Barnes, Del Water Gap, Courtney Trop and Ava Capri gathered to toast the arrival of Browne’s West Coast flagship over champagne and mini lobster rolls.

The following night, the party continued with a private dinner in the penthouse of the Chateau Marmont. Browne welcomed an eclectic mix of creatives, including Teyana Taylor, filmmaker Janicza Bravo, Leighton Meester, Ke Huy Quan, Yara Shahidi, Barry Jenkins, China Chow, Alex Israel and Manny Jacinto, for an evening that reflected the brand’s distinctive mix of refinement, storytelling and community.

Thom Browne is now open at 8408 Melrose Pl., Los Angeles, California 90069.

Source: Jason Sean Weiss/BFAJimmy Choo unveils a limited edition collection of its most iconic styles

British luxury fashion house Jimmy Choo has launched “The Archive: 1997–2001,” a limited-edition capsule collection revisiting the brand’s formative years.

Featuring a curated selection of its most iconic styles from the first five years, the release pays tribute to the house’s early design codes: timeless glamour, sharp femininity and impeccable craftsmanship. Presented in the brand’s original “Winter Bloom” packaging, these reissued pieces feel just as modern and relevant as they did at the turn of the millennium.

To celebrate the launch, the brand hosted an intimate cocktail event last month at the Chateau Marmont. Held inside Bungalow 1, the evening honored the brand’s original DNA with a curated edit of archival styles, paired with ready-to-wear looks from Aralda Vintage that brought late-’90s and early-aughts glamour back to life.

Guests including Rachel Zoe, Shanina Shaik, Olivia Holt, Sami Miro, Aimee Song, Dree Hemingway, Morgan Stewart McGraw, Tania Sarin and Marianne Fonseca mingled over cosmos and lounged by the pool as golden hour hit the Chateau. Inside, vintage silhouettes met archival shoes in layered, era-specific styling moments.

Austyn Weiner, Sara Riff and Aimee Song. (Source: Jason Sean Weiss/BFA)

The capsule collection, which coincides with the lead-up to Jimmy Choo’s 30th anniversary, revisits the first five years of the brand — what creative director Sandra Choi calls “the heart and soul” of the house. “In looking at these styles, I saw ideas that are still essential to Jimmy Choo today — eternal values of glamour and femininity, combined with make and craft,” Choi said. “This collection is about where we’ve come from, and where we continue to go.”

Founded in London in 1996, Jimmy Choo quickly became the ultimate “It girl” shoe brand, beloved by fashion insiders and royalty alike — including Princess Diana. Its cult status was cemented in pop culture thanks to “Sex and the City,” where Carrie Bradshaw’s unforgettable “I lost my Choo!” moment made the name synonymous with glamour and downtown cool. 

“The Archive: 1997–2001” capsule collection is available now at us.jimmychoo.com.

Elyse Walker and Rick Caruso (Source: Connie & Stewart Photography)Elysewalker will reopen its flagship in the Pacific Palisades at Palisades Village

Independent California-based luxury fashion retailer Elysewalker has announced plans to reopen its West Coast flagship store in the Pacific Palisades, returning to its roots with a brand-new location at the Palisades Village. Slated to open in Spring/Summer 2026, the move marks a powerful comeback after the original 25-year-old flagship was lost in the devastating Palisades Fire in January.

The announcement marks the first flagship tenant for Palisades Village and reinforces a longstanding partnership between founder Elyse Walker and developer Rick Caruso. In a full-circle moment, Walker’s decision to return to the Palisades reflects the same pioneering spirit she had in 1999 when she opened her first store in the neighborhood.

“Reopening in the Palisades and moving to the Village is incredibly exciting and important as we focus our efforts on rebuilding and supporting this incredibly strong and resilient community,” Walker said. “We fully intend to recreate the Elysewalker experience and can’t wait to be back where it all began.”

The new 5,000-square-foot space will be located at the prominent corner of Sunset Boulevard and Swarthmore Avenue—offering a signature mix of luxury designers and emerging brands, and a best-in-class styling experience that has made Elysewalker a standout in modern retail.

Known for blending personalized service with a fashion-forward, curated assortment, the new store will continue to serve as a hub for both local clients and destination shoppers.

The reopening in the Pacific Palisades follows a 25-year legacy that began with a 900-square-foot boutique and grew to define luxury retail in California. Elysewalker’s footprint now includes five stores and one Towne by Elysewalker location across California and New York, as well as its digital flagship, elysewalker.com.

Theaster Gates and Ava DuVernay (Source: Jojo Korsh, BFA.com)The MOCA Gala 2025, in partnership with Bvlgari, raises over $3.1 million

Over 600 attendees gathered at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA in Little Tokyo last weekend to celebrate MOCA’s 2025 Gala and raise more than $3.1 million in support of the museum’s exhibitions, programming and operations.

The event, held in partnership with Bvlgari, debuted the new MOCA Legends format with tributes to three visionary figures integral to the museum’s legacy: artist Theaster Gates, architect Frank Gehry and philanthropist Wendy Schmidt.

Mayor Karen Bass, Barbara Kruger, Ann Philbin, Ron Radziner, Candy Spelling, Jeffrey Soros, Doug Aitken, Walead Beshty and Louise Bonnet were welcomed with a cocktail reception and exclusive viewing of the acclaimed exhibition “Olafur Eliasson: OPEN” at the Aileen Getty Plaza. The ceremony commenced with a powerful procession led by the TAIKOPROJECT Japanese drum ensemble, setting a vibrant tone for the evening.

Sarah Paulson, Jane Fonda and Wendy Schmidt (Source: Marc Patrick, BFA.com)

Grammy-nominated artist Tierra Whack delivered a performance during the seated dinner, following tributes to the honorees introduced by luminaries such as filmmaker Ava DuVernay, who highlighted Theaster Gates’s contributions to visual art and community building; actor and activist Jane Fonda, who honored Wendy Schmidt’s commitment to environmental philanthropy; and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who praised Frank Gehry’s architectural legacy — including his renovation of The Geffen Contemporary over four decades ago. DJ Linafornia capped off the night with a lively set during dessert.

The Gala not only celebrated the cultural and philanthropic contributions of the honorees but also underscored MOCA’s mission as a defining institution of contemporary art since its founding in 1979. With a world-class collection nearing 8,000 objects and a global reputation for groundbreaking exhibitions and innovative programming, MOCA continues to engage communities through education, publications and cutting-edge media.

Bvlgari’s partnership reflected its longstanding commitment to social and environmental responsibility, aligning with MOCA’s vision for a sustainable and creative future

Heather Kaminetsky, Isabel Marant , Milla Jovovich and Kay Barron (Source: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images)Net-A-Porter and Isabel Marant host an intimate sunset dinner in Silver Lake

To celebrate the launch of an exclusive 19-piece High Summer ’25 capsule, digital luxury fashion destination Net-A-Porter and French fashion label Isabel Marant gathered friends of the brand for a private dinner at the architecturally iconic Schindler’s Oliver House in Silver Lake last month.

Hosted by designer Isabel Marant, Net-A-Porter CEO Heather Kaminetsky and longtime brand muse Milla Jovovich, the evening was a tribute to effortless summer style and creative community.

Guests arrived at golden hour dressed in bohemian silk prints, breezy linens and fluid silhouettes pulled from the new capsule. The guest list included Rachel Bilson, January Jones, Alison Brie, Lily Rabe and Madeline Brewer, as well as designer Aurora James, model Hilary Rhoda and brand ambassador Dree Hemingway.

Dree Hemingway and Hilary Rhoda (Source: Stefanie Keenan/ Getty Images)

As the sun dipped below the reservoir, Jovovich introduced a surprise musical performance by emerging artist Luella, styled by Hemingway in a pinstripe suit and swimsuit from the collection. Backed by guitarist Henry Moser, Luella performed two covers and her debut single “Naive,” accompanied by original choreography from Shi Jolie, featuring dancers Keoni Rose and Tako Suzuki. 

Dinner concluded with a show-stopping silver tray of tiramisu, emblazoned with the Isabel Marant and Net-A-Porter logos — a sweet finale to an unforgettable evening.

The High Summer ’25 capsule, featuring exclusive printed dresses, silk jersey maxis, linen separates and lightweight knits, is available now, only on Net-A-Porter.

Source: Getty ImagesBirkenstock steps into foot care with its first Care Essentials pop-up at the Grove

German shoe manufacturer Birkenstock is expanding beyond its iconic footwear legacy with the launch of its first-ever Care Essentials foot care collection pop-up in the United States. Located at The Grove, the wellness-focused pop-up will welcome visitors through June 26.

Known worldwide for its signature contoured footbed and commitment to natural walking, Birkenstock builds on over 250 years of shoemaking expertise with its new Care Essentials line—a range of foot and body care products designed to promote active recovery and at-home indulgence. Made in Germany with 100% natural origin ingredients and vegan formulas, the collection reflects Birkenstock’s dedication to quality, sustainability and well-being.

The immersive pop-up offers guests a chance to explore the curated collection while enjoying a serene setting designed with a natural-meets-modern aesthetic. Highlights include a dedicated outdoor Foot Spa where visitors can experience signature massages, hosted by Milk + Honey every weekend.

Exclusive early access to select products from the upcoming Body Care collection will be available during the pop-up, with a public launch planned for late August. The brand will celebrate with a special event on June 11, featuring limited-edition gifts and experiences, plus a gift-with-purchase for early visitors on opening day.

Have a news story for our readers? Please email Rachel.Marlowe@thewrap.com.

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Mayor Karen Bass Worries LA Is Trump’s ‘Grand Experiment’ for Future Military Takeovers | Video

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told MSNBC Tuesday that she believes the LAPD could handle the city’s ICE raid protests without President Donald Trump deploying the military. She expressed the “stunt” is a “grand experiment” for the president to see how the nation reacts to future military takeovers.

Over the weekend, Trump ordered 2,000 National Guardsmen into L.A. to help crowd control the protests against ICE’s arrests of undocumented individuals in the city. As protests heightened in intensity with the National Guard’s arrival, the president ordered 700 marines to the city on Monday. Bass believes the deployments were a mistake.

“It’s unclear. We don’t know what they’re doing from one day to the next,” she told MSNBC Tuesdsay. “For example, we were told that the raids were going to go on for another 28 days. Is that going to be the case? Where are they going to take place? We have to wake up in the in the morning and find out which businesses, which workplaces were raided.”

Watch the full segment below:

When asked if she thought the Los Angeles County sheriff’s department could handle the protests without the military, the mayor responded she “100%” believes they could.

“Ironically on Saturday night, the president came out and said that the National Guard is the reason why the protests were quelled and the vandalism was stopped,” Bass added. “He went on to congratulate the National Guard, they weren’t even here. They weren’t even deployed until Sunday. As far as I’m concerned, I think this is unfortunate, this is a stunt, it makes me feel like L.A. might be a grand experiment to see what the response of the public would be if the federal government came in and took over.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom was also vocal in his contempt for Trump’s military action in recent days. On Monday, he threatened to sue the president for the decision and called the move a “deranged fantasy of a dictatorial president.” He filed a temporary restraining order on Tuesday in hopes of blocking the president from deploying more troops.

“U.S. Marines have served honorably across multiple wars in defense of democracy. They are heroes,” Newsom wrote on X. “They shouldn’t be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen to fulfill the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial President. This is un-American.”

The protests against the Trump administration’s federal arrests of undocumented individuals began Friday and continued through the weekend – flaring in intensity after the president sent additional National Guard troops into the city.

Trump’s decision to deploy marked the first time a president sent the National Guard to a state without a request from that state’s governor since the 1960s. Protestors and officers clashed off and on all weekend.

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Trump Said He Can’t Deploy National Guard Without Governor’s Request in Resurfaced 2020 Clip | Video

Amid the National Guard battle between Donald Trump and Gavin Newsom, a video has resurfaced from 2020 of Trump saying he wouldn’t deploy military resources without the governor’s approval.

In the ABC News clip, Trump tells George Stephanopoulos, “We have to go by the laws. We can’t move in the National Guard. I can call insurrection but there’s no reason to ever do that, even in a Portland case,” referring to the then-current Portland, Oregon protests over the murder of George Floyd.

‘We can’t call in the National Guard unless we’re requested by a governor,” Trump said at the time.

Trump in 2020: We have to go by the laws. We can't move in the National Guard. I can call insurrection but there's no reason to ever do that, even in a Portland case.
We can't call in the National Guard unless we're requested by a governor. pic.twitter.com/0sTAa9CiCX

— Acyn (@Acyn) June 9, 2025

Five years later, Trump called in the state-based military force to Los Angeles after widespread protests over ICE raids began.

He did not invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807, citing instead U.S.C. § 12406, a 1903 law that allows the president to call up the National Guard if there is “a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States” or if “the President is unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.”

Newsom has sued the administration, saying that the mobilization order was illegal because it overrode Newsom’s authority and violated the Tenth Amendment, which protects state rights.

“This isn’t about public safety. It’s about stroking a dangerous President’s ego,” Newsom tweeted on Monday.

The post Trump Said He Can’t Deploy National Guard Without Governor’s Request in Resurfaced 2020 Clip | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

LAPD Briefly Detains CNN Reporter During Live Coverage of Protests | Video

While covering the protests — and the Trump administration’s out-of-proportion response to them — in Los Angeles on Monday, CNN’s national correspondent Jason Carroll was briefly detained by LAPD live on the air without any apparent reason.

At one point during the network’s live coverage, Carroll could be heard explaining who he is to officers with his hands behind his back. Eventually one officer said, “We’re letting you go. You can’t come back. If you come back, you will be arrested.”

That at least appears to be a violation of a 2022 California law that specifically protects the rights of journalists to cover protests in areas closed by police.

Watch that moment below:

CNN’s reporter on scene in Los Angeles: I’m being detained..

— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) 2025-06-10T04:15:06.581Z

Carroll later explained, “I was walking over to the officer, tried to explain who I was, identified who I was with. He said, I’d like you to turn around. I turned around, I put my hands behind my back. They did not put me in zip ties, but they did grab both my hands as I was escorted over to the side, they said, you are being detained while we lead you out of this area, you are not allowed in this area.”

Carroll said he asked, “am I being arrested, they said ‘no you’re not being arrested, you’re being detained.'”

Carroll: I was walking over to the officer, tried to explain who I was, who I was with. He said, I'd like you to turn around. I turned around, I put my hands behind my back. They did not put me in zip ties, but they did grab both my hands as I was escorted over to the side, they… pic.twitter.com/NNUvh4V1pj

— Acyn (@Acyn) June 10, 2025

CNN later said two camera operators were arrested outright, though their status isn’t known at this time.

Other journalists covering the protests in Los Angeles have been injured by law enforcement actions. The situation recalls the George Floyd protests in 2020 which featured several high profile incidents of police attacking journalists. One such attack resulted in a $1 million settlement.

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Rachel Maddow Says the ‘Interesting Question’ About Trump Is ‘What the Country Lets Him Get Away With’ | Video

Rachel Maddow belittled Donald Trump on Monday night whilechatting with her MSNBC colleague Lawrence O’Donnell, declaring that Trump’s latest “dictator” actions have made him “very boring.” Not that she argued the current situation isn’t serious, only that Trump is acting like, as she joked, a blonde copy of the extremely corrupt former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

But Maddow also clarified that the “really interesting question” about all of this is “what the country lets him get away with.

The comment came up at the start of “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell,” as the duo discussed how Trump’s current actions — calling in the national guard over the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom to quell lawful protests — are the exact opposite of what he said he could legally do in 2020 during the George Floyd protests. At that time, Trump said it would be unlawful for him to do so without a request of a state governor.

“I mean the difference,” Maddow said, is that “he’s decided that he’s throwing it all out. You know, ‘dictator on day from day one,’ and you know, going to terminate parts of the Constitution. And he’s decided that he doesn’t matter what Congress does, and it doesn’t matter what the courts do, that he’s just the strong man he’s going to be.”

“He’s decided to throw out all the rules,” Maddow continued. “The thing that that has done, as far as I’m concerned, is make him very boring, because it’s like it’s all on the table. We know exactly what he’s doing. We know exactly what his intentions are. He’s blonde Berlusconi. This is, I mean, he’s just trying to do the same thing all the other strongmen and would be dictators do all over the country. I think the really interesting question is, what the country lets him get away with, and we’re seeing a really interesting test of that right now, all over the country, especially this week.”

Later in the discussion, Maddow argued that the issue isn’t that Trump has changed his mind over what he can and cannot legally do, it’s that “we can probably intuit that what he’s being told is, ‘yeah, it’s illegal, therefore, go do it.’ I think that the more laws he breaks, the more blatantly unconstitutional things he both proposes and tries, I think the more they think power accrues to him, because he’s less constrained by things that don’t actually stop him.”

“And so ultimately, I mean, the courts are pushing him back. Congress, to a certain extent, is pushing him back a little bit, although I think a little bit more than they’re giving credit for, but mostly it’s people pushing him back. He’s deeply, deeply, deeply unpopular and underwater on every issue, and he is absolutely panicked by the protests against him, to the point where he’s already playing the biggest cards that he’s gotten. He’s not even six months into this term. I just think, I think we’re getting the test really early, and I think that he’s failing.”

Maddow later noted that Trump’s rhetoric and response to the protests is vastly out of proportion with the scope of them, but “even if these protests were 100 times the size that they are, there still wouldn’t be an operational reason to bring in active duty troops or federalized National Guard. I mean, it’s just, it’s not, it’s not that sort of thing. This is obviously not operationally necessitated, right, in terms of the security of the city. He’s doing this because he’s panicking and thinks that he looks weak, and therefore he has to do something that seems strong.”

“And so we will have tanks destroying the streets of Washington this Saturday, and we will have National Guardsmen and active duty US Marines standing around Los Angeles, wondering what their what this has to do with their military careers. And it’s all because he has no freaking idea how to deal with this politically. And he’s absolutely panicking about the, I think, trenchant and joyful and sustainable opposition against him.” Maddow added.

Watch the whole conversation below:

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SAG-AFTRA, Video Game Companies Reach Tentative Deal to End Strike

After more than nine months on strike, the SAG-AFTRA has reached a tentative agreement with video game companies that are signatory to its Interactive Media Agreement.

However, in a memo to members on Monday, the guild said that until the terms of a strike suspension agreement are finalized, members will remain on strike.

Terms of the tentative deal have not been made public; SAG-AFTRA’s national board will now review the terms of the deal and if approved, make them public at that time.

The news comes after the companies sent a counterproposal on May 14, answering remaining sticking points on a previous proposal that the companies had characterized as their “last, best and final offer.”

While the two sides had reached an agreement on nearly all issues after nearly a year of on-and-off talks, protections for voice actors and motion capture performers against exploitative use of artificial intelligence remained the major sticking point that led SAG-AFTRA to call the strike on July 26 of last year.

Unlike the 2023 film and television strike, not all video games were struck as part of the work stoppage. A side letter in the previous contract allowed games that entered initial development prior to the expiration of the previous contract in August 2023 to be exempt from the strike. This included many major games such as “Fortnite” and the upcoming “Grand Theft Auto VI.”

Among the final sticking points resolved this past month were rules that would allow performers who had given their consent for digital replicas based on their likeness, voice and performance to withdraw that consent in the event of a strike so that the replicas could not be used to complete struck work.

The companies also agreed to remove the clause offering to pay a flat rate to performers — at least six times the pertinent minimum wage — for three years of unlimited use of a digital replica. SAG-AFTRA said such a rate would undermine the ability of their members to make a living as performers as any performance with enough required material to make a digital replica viable would offer more money if the performer did the job themselves.

“Our video game performers stood strong against the biggest employers in one of the world’s most lucrative industries. Their incredible courage and persistence, combined with the tireless work of our negotiating committee, has at last secured a deal. The needle has been moved forward and we are much better off than before. As soon as this is ratified we roll up our sleeves and begin to plan the next negotiation. Every contract is a work in progress and progress is the name of the game,” SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher said in a statement Monday night.

“Everyone at SAG-AFTRA is immensely grateful for the sacrifices made by video game performers and the dedication of the Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee throughout these many months of the video game strike. Patience and persistence has resulted in a deal that puts in place the necessary A.I. guardrails that defend performers’ livelihoods in the A.I. age, alongside other important gains. Thank you, Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Chair Sarah Elmaleh and Chief Contracts Officer Ray Rodriguez for your hard work and advocacy in pursuit of this contract,” the guild’s National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said.

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